November 11, 1983
Prime Minister Nakasone and President Reagan share the view that further progress be made in energy trade and cooperation in oil, natural gas and coal between Japan and the United States as outlined in the following Joint Policy Statement recommended by the Japan-United States Energy Working Group:
Taking account of the energy prospects for the entire Pacific basin, the two countries agree that the sound expansion of U.S.-Japan energy trade will contribute to the further development of the close economic and energy security relationship which exists between the two countries.
They will continue to discuss and find ways of developing this trade for the mutual benefit of both countries, noting the importance of long-term cooperation, the central role of the private sector, and the need for a balance between economic cost and energy security.
Both countries consider Alaska to be a particularly promising area for joint development of energy resources. Both governments will encourage private sector discussions regarding the possibilities for such development.
With regard to trade in oil, gas and coal, we have agreed on the following next steps:
A. The U.S. and Japan recognize that if legislative barriers can be removed, the U.S. has the potential to ship substantial quantities of crude oil to Japan, thereby increasing economic incentives for U.S. oil production and helping to diversify Japan's energy sources. The U.S. will continue to keep under review the removal of restrictions on exports of domestic crude oil.
B. The U.S. and Japan will encourage private industry in both countries to undertake now the pre-feasibility or feasibility studies necessary to determine the extent to which Alaskan natural gas can be jointly developed by U.S. and Japanese interests.
C. The U.S. and Japan will encourage private industry in both countries to discuss the possibility of concluding long-term coal contracts and jointly developing mines and transportation systems to make American coal more competitive in the Japanese market.
D. In this regard, the two countries welcome the examinations underway of the technical and economic aspects of several steam coal projects by private companies concerned on both sides. As economic recovery proceeds, Japan will encourage its industries to consider purchase of more competitively priced U.S. steam coal to meet future demands not already covered by existing contracts. In addition, Japan will invite the private sector concerned to explore the possibility of further increasing substitution of coal for oil in electrical generation.
E. With regard to metallurgical coal, both sides noted that the depressed state of world steel manufacturing had reduced demand for traded coal. However, in view of the fact that the U.S. has been a major supplier to the Japanese market, both sides will endeavor to maintain the level of Japanese imports of U.S. coal. Japan expects that imports of competitively priced U.S. metallurgical coal will not continue to decline, and will encourage its steel industry to increase U.S. coal imports when conditions in the industry permit.
F. As a first step toward developing U.S.-Japan coal trade, from a mid- to long-term prospective, a mission composed of representatives of major Japanese coal users and other appropriate interests will visit the U.S. to meet with major coal mining and transportation interests. The purpose of this mission will be to explore the possibility of expanding coal trade between the U.S. and Japan, and the possibility of conducting a major study of the opportunities for reducing the delivered price in Japan of U.S. coal.