This research compares the governmental policy anti trust policy of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG), or West Ger many, Japan, and the United States (US), with a view toward assessing the impact of the various national policies on trends in international trade. Anti trust policy is a component an a country's industrial policy. Thus, the concept of an indus trial policy, together with the approach of each of the three countries toward the development and application of an indus trial policy, must be considered, before their approaches to anti trust are considered.
An industrial policy attempts to provide an economic environment which either (1) supports industrial development generally, or (2) promotes the development of specific indus tries or sectors of an economy (United States Department of Commerce, 1986). Such a policy might include (1) tax incen tives to support either investment or exports, (2) subsidies direct or indirect to industrial firms or industries, (3) pro tection against foreign competition, (4) worker training pro grams, (5) funding full or participating for research and development, (6) grants and loans to support (a) regional
1 2development, (b) the development of specific industries, or (c) small business, (7) export financing, (8) loans and loan under writing to support (a) exports, (b) specific sectors of a domestic economy, or (c) specific firms, (9) price supports, (10) anti trust, and (11) related policies (Bannock, 1990). An industrial policy involves cooperation between government, industry, unions, and academic research centers, in order to create an environment conducive to economic growth, prepare industry for the future, and insure that domestic enterprises can compete effectively internationally (Wilson, 1985).
Both the FRG and Japan openly acknowledge that they develop and implement industrial policy (Wilson, 1985). The FRG industrial policy is free market in character; how...