VZCZCXRO7263
RR RUEHAG RUEHBZ RUEHGI RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHPB RUEHPOD RUEHSL
DE RUEHKO #0319/01 0490420
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 180420Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9462
INFO RUCNWTO/WORLD TRADE ORGANIZATION COLLECTIVE
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 3121
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 6625
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA 3369
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME 2331
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 9802
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN 1688
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA 0053
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA 5881
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA 1212
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE 2695
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO 9366
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA 8879
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC
RUEATRS/TREASURY DEPT WASHDC
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 000319 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/J 
STATE ALSO FOR EEB/TRA, S/SECC, OES/EGC, AND EEB/IEP 
PASS TO NSC D. RUSSELL 
PASS TO USTR FOR AUSTR CUTLER AND M. BEEMAN 
PASS TO COMMERCE FOR H. MISISCO, K. ROTH, D. BARZDUKAS 
PASS TO EPA FOR S. FULTON 
PASS TO DOT FOR L. LAWSON, C. MILTTELHOLTZ 
PASS TO NHTSA FOR R. MEDFORD AND M. KOUBEK 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EIND ETRD SENV PREL WTRO ENRG JA
SUBJECT: JAPAN HOPES TOYOTA'S ILLS DO NOT DAMAGE BILATERAL 
RELATIONSHIP 
 
REF: TOKYO 221 
 
TOKYO 00000319  001.4 OF 002 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The GOJ does not want Toyota's recent 
problems to damage the U.S.-Japan relationship, Ministry of 
Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) Minister 
Seiji Maehara told the Ambassador February 10.  Minister 
Maehara met the Ambassador to discuss Toyota's safety recalls 
and the eco-car subsidy program (reftel) due to his concern 
that these auto issues could damage bilateral relations. 
Maehara also used the meeting as an opportunity to raise two 
additional issues: high-speed rail and Kadena Radar Approach 
Control (RAPCON), but press coverage of the meeting focused 
almost exclusively on Toyota.  End summary. 
 
Toyota Vehicle Recalls 
----------------------- 
 
¶2.  (SBU) In a February 10 meeting with the Ambassador, 
Maehara said the GOJ wants to ensure that Toyota's problems 
do not undermine U.S.-Japan relations nor create obstacles to 
trade.  Maehara told the Ambassador the U.S.-Japan bilateral 
relationship is the cornerstone of Japanese international 
policy, so it is important to resolve the issue amicably. 
Maehara does not view filing for a recall as negative; 
rather, it is the right thing to do, and manufacturers should 
be willing to do so for the sake of consumers.  Toyota 
President Akio Toyoda plans to visit the United States to 
explain the situation to stakeholders, including Congress, 
and to convince the American public of the company's "good 
faith," Maehara continued.  (Note:  Toyota representatives 
told emboffs Toyoda will visit the United States in March. 
End note.)  The Ambassador responded it is crucial for Toyota 
to stay ahead of the issue and also that both governments do 
what is necessary to ensure Toyota's problems do not affect 
the bilateral relationship.  After the meeting, the 
Ambassador told the press Toyota's safety recall is a safety 
issue that does not affect the strong bilateral relationship 
between the United States and Japan. 
 
Eco-Car Subsidy Program 
----------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Maehara stated that although USTR requested the GOJ 
use the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) combined 
mileage rating to determine eligibility of U.S. imported 
vehicles for Japan's eco-car subsidy program (reftel), the 
GOJ decided to use the EPA city mode, which MLIT believes 
better corresponds to the Japanese mileage rating.  These 
eligibility parameters ensure that roughly 50 percent of 
imported U.S. vehicles and 40 percent of European vehicles 
qualify for the program.  In contrast, the combined mileage 
rating would have qualified 90 percent of imported U.S. 
vehicles, which would have provoked complaints from Japanese 
and European companies, Maehara asserted.  Since most U.S. 
vehicles are imported under a special preferential program 
(the Preferential Handling Program, see reftel), use of the 
combined mileage rating would constitute a "double" 
preference.  The Ambassador replied that the USG was 
disappointed with the GOJ's decision to use the city mileage 
rating, and that the eco-car subsidy issue will likely 
continue to garner attention in the United States.  The 
 
TOKYO 00000319  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
Ambassador also stressed it is crucial for the GOJ to remain 
committed to transparency and opening the market for free 
trade. 
 
High-Speed Rail 
--------------- 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Maehara thanked the Ambassador for cooperation from 
Secretary LaHood and from Congress during the recent 
high-speed rail seminar in the United States. 
 
Kadena RAPCON 
------------- 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Regarding the Kadena Radar Approach Control 
(RAPCON), Maehara said, the GOJ requests final agreement from 
the USG on this issue before the beginning of March so that 
the GOJ has time for a period of notification and public 
announcement. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Japanese media reported widely on the meeting but 
focused almost exclusively on the Toyota issue.  The press 
has speculated on the cause of Toyota's safety problems, with 
many analysts suggesting they are a harbinger of the decline 
of Toyota and of the Japanese manufacturing sector more 
broadly.  For many GOJ bureaucrats and Japanese auto 
executives, any and all auto issues seem to trigger memories 
of bilateral trade friction in the 1980s and 90s.  Since the 
global economic downturn began in late 2008, on many 
occasions these stakeholders expressed informally to emboffs 
their desire to avoid renewal of trade friction in the auto 
sector; Maehara's message appears to have been an official 
expression of those simmering concerns. 
ROOS