"American manufacturers must export to remain strong."

The zone allows manufacturers to import raw materials without paying tariffs, assemble products with the materials and then export them for sale.

In March 1997, American manufacturers exported $365 million of goods there; by this March, the figure had dropped by more than half, to $168 million.

It exposes the "global exploitation of the poor by a consumerist society and indifferent, irresponsible manufacturers exporting from the United states and other countries."

Korean manufacturers last month exported 186,727 vehicles, up 13.9 percent from November 2001.

That is because the manufacturers are exporting more and also are luring away domestic customers from foreign suppliers.

The food and drug agency "acknowledges that it may never inspect most foreign manufacturers exporting pharmaceutical products to the United States," the accounting office said.

Some large manufacturers export quality products to other parts of India, as well as abroad.

The changes involve expansion of the list of countries that manufacturers can export to without individual export licenses for computer sales.

Washington is concerned that a slowing Japanese economy will just force manufacturers to export their goods more aggressively and cause Japan's trade surplus to rise further.