Japan Asked to Punish Violators: American trade...

Japan Asked to Punish Violators: American trade negotiators called on Japan to impose larger penalties to punish violators of an anti-monopoly law but praised Japan for boosting spending on public works, stiffening requirements for Japanese corporations on disclosures and softening restrictions on the establishment of new retail stores. The assessment came as officials finished two days of talks in Tokyo on the the implementation of the so-called Structural Impediments Initiative, a trade agreement aimed at changing basic business and economic practices rather than boosting market share for particular products.