	japan will ask companies to boost imports japan s minister of international  and industry hajime tamura will meet representatives from of the nation s largest companies next week and appeal to them to do their best to increase imports ministry officials said the meeting was unveiled as part of a plan to boost imports and help head off protectionist legislation in the u s senior officials from the ministry of international  and industry told reporters that such personal appeals appeared to have paid off in the past as japanese imports of manufactured goods have climbed leading domestic semiconductor makers will boost imports and cut production of key memory microchips next month in an attempt to help ward off u s  sanctions company spokesmen said the officials also said they expect the government s new  insurance law to boost imports and encourage japanese companies to set up production facilities overseas under the new law the government will insure japanese companies who pre pay for imports against loss arising from everything from war to bankruptcy of the foreign firm they are dealing with miti estimated that it would help solve japan s  problem to the tune of about billion dlrs a year reuter 
