One of the more worrying prospects for 1989 is for a big surge of protectionism, and in the US, AT&T Co has asked the International Trade Commission to look into alleged dumping by manufacturers in Japan, South Korea and Taiwan of small PABXs and key systems: AT&T claims that US firms have been severely injured by the practices of more than a dozen Far East manufacturers marketing systems at unfair prices under more than 17 brand names; the companies named in the complaint are Toshiba, Matsushita, Hasegawa, Iwatsu, Meisei, Makayo, Nitsuko and Tamura, all of Japan; Goldstar, Samsung and OPC of South Korea, and Sun Moon Star of Taiwan; AT&T says the practices have enabled the companies to raise their share of the market to 60% from 40% since 1985.
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