U.S. TO PUSH FOR PORT REFORMS IN TOKYO TALKS

   Maritime Administrator Clyde Hart will lead a U.S. delegation later this month to Tokyo to press for the implementation of a number of port reforms promised by the Japanese government almost two years ago.
   The U.S. government has voiced concerned for more than a year about the lack of progress made by the Japanese in reforming port practices that allegedly discriminate against U.S.-flag carriers and non-Japanese lines.
   Japan’s complicated and time-consuming prior consultation system
requires ocean carriers to obtain government approval for both minor and major service adjustments.
   The U.S. also sought to open stevedoring operations to non-Japanese
interests, although U.S. flag carriers have yet to apply for stevedoring
licenses.
   Besides these issues, a new concern has cropped up. The Japanese have proposed to raise the minimum employment level for stevedoring firms in Japan by 50 percent. "We just do not see any logic in this" (proposal), a U.S. government official said.
   MarAd recently released documents that have been held confidentially
since the Japanese agreed to carry out port reforms in November 1997. the release was an apparent move to underscore the need for Japan to move quickly.
   The documents show that the U.S. set a Dec. 31, 1998 deadline for the Japanese to deregulate port transportation services.