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Auto output falls

TOKYO: Japanese motor vehicle output fell to a 20-year lows in 1999 as consumer spending sank amid a prolonged economic slump, an industry association said on Thursday. Auto production fell 1.5 percent from 1998 to 9,895,476 vehicles, dipping below the 10-million mark for the first time since 1979, the Japan Automobile Manufacturers Association said.ÑAFP

'More talks needed on trade pact'

HANOI: A bilateral trade deal between Vietnam and the United States, which seemed so close when a draft agreement was reached last July, has bogged down, with a top Vietnamese official saying on Thursday that more talks are needed.

The US officials have indicated they are unwilling to reopen negotiations, although they say they are willing to "clarify" some issues. The two sides face increasing time pressure to get the deal finalised before the US presidential election campaign swings into high gear, shrinking the prospects of US congressional approval this year, and before Congress starts work on the recently negotiated trade pact with China.ÑAP