At present, the Italians limit Japanese auto imports to 2,000 a year.

Up the channel a bit the port is expanding a complex to accommodate the flood of Japanese auto imports.

"Voluntary" restraints on Japanese auto imports are an example.

The port has $43 million in development under way at Terminal 91, its site for auto imports and general cargo.

The question now is whether G.M.'s next step will be to seek any restrictions on auto imports.

No, he ended government controls on auto imports, enabling any Syrian to import a car.

The Koreans built their industry by nurturing national companies behind high tariff walls that blocked virtually all auto imports.

The drop in auto imports suggested that American car makers were at least holding their own, with the aid of a sharply rising yen.

France has taken a hard line against Japanese auto imports, limiting them to a 3 percent share of the domestic market.

The import surge was attributed to higher oil prices and an increase in auto imports, mostly from Europe.