Historical Dictionary of United States-Japan ... - Bakumatsu Films

126 • JAPAN–U.S. CONSULAR AGREEMENT
conference changed to a biannual format, once in the United States
and a second time in Japan. The conference is sponsored by the
Japan–U.S. Business Council and the U.S.–Japan Business Council.
Each conference usually has three working groups devoted to
contemporary economic issues, a plenary session, and a session dedicated
to formulating joint policy recommendations. The conference
forwards its joint recommendations to the Japanese and U.S. governments,
and also to business-related organizations, corporations,
and think tanks.
JAPAN–U.S. CONSULAR AGREEMENT. The Japan–U.S. Consular
Agreement between Tokyo and Washington became effective
in 1963. It concerns consuls, whose primary responsibility is to promote
trade with the other country and to provide people of their
own country with assistance and protection. This agreement provides
detailed stipulations about possible problems in relation to
practical matters in order to prevent such problems between Japan
and the United States before they take place. These stipulations are
closely related to, as well as within, the limits of the contents of the
Vienna Convention on Consular Relations that was made and
adopted in 1963.
JAPAN–U.S. COTTON PRODUCTS TRADE AGREEMENT. The
United States and Japan began negotiating an agreement to control
trade in cotton products in December 1962. After a long and acrimonious
negotiation process, both countries finally concluded the
Japan–U.S. Cotton Products Trade Agreement on 27 August 1963.
This agreement stipulated that for a three-year period starting in January
1963, Japan would cap its annual total exports of cotton products
at 287,500,000 square yards and the United States would cooperate
with Japan. Because of a limit on the quantity of corduroy
products, the insertion of a consultative clause concerning regulation
of other clothing fabric, intensification of stipulation on equalization
of the amount of export in every quarter period, new establishment of
items with export ceilings, and other limitations, Japan’s actual exports
of cotton products to the United States in 1963 decreased from
the previous year. See also JAPAN–U.S. TEXTILE AGREEMENT;
U.S.–JAPAN TRADE CONFLICTS.