Wofford Victory Sparks Jitters On Trade Policy; Administration Postpones Pact Until After Election
The Bush administration is showing increased nervousness about its trade policies in the wake of the overwhelming victory Tuesday of Sen. Harris Wofford (D-Pa.), who attacked a trade agreement with Mexico as leading to the loss of American jobs to low-wage Mexican workers.</br></br>As the result of an internal review Wednesday, administration officials have concluded that negotiations on the agreement will not be completed until after next year's election, a senior official disclosed yesterday.</br></br>The administration also went to unusual lengths Thursday night to point out to reporters that Secretary of State James A. Baker III and U.S. Trade Representative Carla Hills will take tough positions on trade problems with China in meetings next week.</br></br>And in Rome yesterday, President Bush deflected questions about postponing a scheduled visit to Japan with the assertion of the domestic importance of maintaining close ties with a country that is such a major trading partner.</br></br>Bush said the relationship is important to Michigan, where U.S. automakers complain that Japanese imports compete unfairly in this country and that Japan blocks American sales of farm states and high-technology companies there.