Free trade put first in Japan-US auto talks

President Reagan and Japan's foreign minister agreed to honor the "principle of free trade" and made no formal decision on whether Tokyo should limit exports of cars to the United States. "The agreement that came out from the meeting is, firstly, that a major objective is to preserve the principle of free trade," Foreign Minister Masayoshi Ito said after an Oval Office meeting.

White House officials said in advance the President had decided for now to encourage Japan to limit exports on its own, but planned no specific request.