Published December 1987 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Efforts to Increase West Virginia Trade Exports West Virginia is one of America's leading exporting states. For that reason, I have been working to correct the trade deficit from which our country has been suffering, encouraging foreign countries to step up their purchase of our goods, and to end practices that keep West Virginia products out of their markets. To that end, I recently met with the Japanese Ambassador to the United States, Mr. Nobuo Matsunaga. I reminded Ambassador Matsunaga of the agreement signed between the U.S. and Japan in 1983, pledging both governments to work toward greater cooperation in energy trade. However, I pointed out that, since the Japanese Fiscal Year 1982, U.S. metallurgical coal exports to Japan have declined by 50 percent. West Virginia, with its rich supplies of metallurgical coal, has disproportionately felt that loss of coal exports. I urged the ambassador to seek a firm pledge from the Japanese government to stabilize purchases of U.S. coal, particularly West Virginia coal, both metallurgical and steam coals. West Virginia timber was another product that I recommended that Japan could use. Japan endures a chronic housing shortage that imported West Virginia wood products could help to lessen. In addition, I told the ambassador that Japanese furniture manufacturers might benefit by exploring West Virginia as a location for building joint-venture furniture-manufacturing facilities. Last year's trade deficit between our country and our foreign trading partners reached $170 billion. Though recent economic signs point to possible improvements in that imbalance, economists do not expect this year's trade deficit to shrink significantly, if at all. The battle to bring down the trade deficit will continue, and I shall keep working to forge reasonable legislation to correct that deficit wherever possible. In the long run, however, one of the best ways to win more foreign customers for our West Virginia products is to sell them on the advantages of trading with West Virginia companies. That goal will also continue to be one of my highest priorities. December 9, 1987