71.   They say the United States cannot be trusted with numerical targets in any other trade agreements.

72.   Trade Minister Ryutaru Hashimoto said the deal excluded the specific numerical targets to measure increase in sales demanded by Washington.

73.   U.S. officials say numerical targets are the best way to measure and therefore achieve progress in opening markets.

74.   Hashimoto was reported Sunday as saying Japan could offer a compromise if Washington withdrew its sanctions threat and its demand for numerical targets with regard to US market access.

75.   He also insisted that the United States was not pushing for numerical targets as objective criteria, the newspaper said.

76.   Hata told reporters Japan could not accept any proposals to set numerical targets, which Tokyo fears would lead to managed trade.

77.   An official at the Japanese trade ministry in Tokyo said that agreement was reached after the United States had withdrawn its demands for numerical targets.

78.   But it added that Tokyo would continue to reject demands for numerical targets.

79.   But the Japanese government failed to include numerical targets for reform, something for which Washington has been pressing.

80.   But Takemura expressed doubts about making agreements with other governments to set numerical targets for reducing the surplus, Kyodo said.