An Ocean Apart: Explaining Three Decades of U.S.-Japanese Trade Frictions

by Stephen D. Cohen

Overview

Closing a critical gap in the literature examining the strained relationship between the U.S. and Japan, this book synthesizes the economic, political, historical, and cultural factors that have led these two nations, both practitioners of capitalism, along quite different paths in search of different goals. Taking an objective, multidisciplinary approach, the author argues that there is no single explanation for Japan's domestic economic or foreign trade successes. Rather, his analysis points to a systemic mismatch that has been misdiagnosed and treated with inadequate corrective measures. This systemic mismatch in the corporate strategy, economic policies, and attitudes of the U.S. and Japan created and is perpetuating three decades of bilateral economic frictions and disequilibria.

As long as both the U.S. and Japan deal more with symptoms than causes, bilateral problems will persist. This book's unique analysis will encourage a better understanding on both sides of the Pacific of what has happened, is happening, and will continue to happen if corporate executives and policymakers in the two countries do not better realize the extent of their differences and adopt better corrective measures.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275956868
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	01/30/1998
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	272
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

STEPHEN D. COHEN is Professor of International Relations at the American University's School of International Service in Washington, D.C. His earlier books include The Making of U.S. International Economic Policy: Principles, Problems, and Proposals for Reform (4th ed., Praeger, 1994) and Fundamentals of U.S. Foreign Trade Policy: Economics, Politics, Laws, and Issues (1996).

Table of Contents

Introduction
Acronyms
What Happened
Defining the Nature and Causes of Structural Problems in U.S.-Japanese Trade Relations
A History of Contemporary Bilateral Trade Relations
An Uncompromising Japanese Interpretation of Trade Frictions
An Uncompromising U.S. Interpretation of Trade Frictions
How Not to Explain Bilateral Trade Problems: Myths, Distortions, and Half-Truths
Why It Happened
The Domestic Foundations of Japan's Foreign Trade Performance
The Domestic Foundations of the U.S. Foreign Trade Performance
Divergent International Economic Policy Strategies
The Asymmetrical Bilateral Negotiating Process
Conclusions
Synthesizing the Arguments
Minimizing U.S.-Japanese Trade Frictions in the Future
Selected Bibliography
Index

Editorial Reviews

Seeking more order in the understanding of long-running trade strains and hopefully more enlightened policy responses, Cohen (international relations, American U., Washington, DC) examines the multifaceted encounters among government policy makers, corporations, and consumers both between the US and Japan and within each country. He argues that explanations focusing on a few narrow factors are insufficient, and offers a broad and integrating thesis. He predicts new trade problems and persistent Japanese bilateral trade surpluses in the future unless at least one of the countries breaks all tradition and addresses the causes rather than the symptoms. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

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