News In Brief

Japanese steelmakers rap US call for import curbs

Japanese steelmakers and exporters sharply criticized a US International Trade Commission call for quotas and tariffs on steel imports. In a 3-to-2 vote Wednesday, the commission urged President Reagan to slap a combination of quotas and tariffs on five categories of steel products.

In Brussels, the European Common Market also criticized the recommendation, saying that ''steel imports are not the cause of the current situation of the American steel industry.