71.   The deficit came despite strong export performance from the United States.

72.   The dismal outing came despite making refinements to his approach.

73.   The failure came despite personal lobbying at the State House by the chairmen of Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. and New York Life.

74.   The dramatic turnaround in the case came despite the fact that one of the men was convicted after confessing to the crime, the police said.

75.   The drop came despite increases in the amounts of long-distance minutes charged in the second quarter.

76.   The drop comes despite an extension of the import-tax exemption until the end of the year or later.

77.   The decline came despite a report indicating that robust growth had not shown up in producer prices.

78.   The decline in tax collection came despite raids on merchants and factories in which tax inspectors seized records and closed businesses that were shown to have underreported transactions.

79.   The dismal outing came despite making refinements to his approach, including quickening his delivery from the stretch.

80.   The gains by top exporters came despite a decline in the dollar against the yen.