In the 1980s, Japan was quite willing to carry out such export restraints.

Despite voluntary export restraints by the Japanese starting in 1981, the industry has steadily lost ground against Japanese auto makers.

As a result of voluntary export restraints imposed in 1981, these manufacturers were limited to a number of vehicles they could export.

The industry indeed opposes renewal of steel-specific voluntary export restraints, as some have proposed.

After three years of voluntary export restraints, seven Japanese firms located plants in the United States by 1980.

In some cases, the importing countries request exporting countries to impose voluntary export restraints.

But Washington now has a lever for seeking tighter export restraints.

Imagine a voluntary export restraint that fails to protect, so that imports continue to increase in response to market forces.

The Reagan Administration fought for and received what were known as "voluntary export restraints."

The new export restraints will go into effect on April 1, the beginning of the Japanese fiscal year.