WHITE HOUSE UNIT DECIDES ON SEMICONDUCTORS

  The White House Economic Policy
  Council made a recommendation to President Reagan whether to
  retaliate against Japan for alleged unfair practices in
  semiconductor trade, U.S. officials said.
      They would not disclose the council's recommendation, but
  the officials said earlier it was likely the council would call
  for retaliation and urge that curbs be imposed on Japanese
  exports to the United States.
      The officials said it might be several days before Reagan
  would act and his moves made public.
      The Senate last week unanimously called on Reagan to impose
  penalities on Japanese exports. Retaliation was also called for
  by the semiconductor industry and its chief trade union, both
  hard hit by Japanese semiconductor trade.
      In a pact last summer, Japan summer agreed to stop dumping
  its semiconductors at less than cost in the United States and
  other nations and to open its own market to the U.S. products.
      In return, the United States agreed to hold up imposing
  anti-dumping duties on Japanese semiconductor shipments.
      U.S. officials say that while Japan has stopped dumping
  semiconductors on the American market, they have continued to
  dump them in third countries and that the Japanese market has
  remained all but closed to the U.S. semiconductors.
  semiconductors on the American market, they have continued to
  dump them in third countries and that the Japanese market has
  remained all but closed to the U.S. semiconductors.
  

