Seven articles are presented addressing topics related to United States-Japan trade, foreign investment, and U.S. competitiveness in the global market. The first article, "Super 301 and the Changing Japan-American Relationship" by Glenn Davis describes recent U.S.-Japan trade frictions, epitomized by Super 301, and explains the influence of the economy, politics, national security, and technological issues related to the current trade crisis. Stephen Magee in his article, "The Decade Effect: The Stock Market Malaise of the 1990s," compares two opposing predictions for the stock market. In "Zero Defect Manufacturing," Hirofumi Matsuo outlines the efforts managers need to make to produce high quality products and emphasizes that company-wide and coordinated activities are indispensable to survive in the competitive market. "What are 'Sogo Shosha' and Their Function in today's U.S.-Japan Trade Relations?" by Yasutomo Katsuno discusses how sogo-shosha, Japanese trading companies, contribute to the resolution of frictions. The article by Jim George, "High Technology Competition between U.S. and Japanese Companies," explains why it is important for the United States and Japan to remain friends. Mio Reynolds in "Foreign Direct Investment in the United States" examines public opinion concerning foreign investments. The final article by Elsie Echeverri-Carroll, "The Future of the Maquila Industry in Mexico," describes the historical changes in the maquila industry and various factors that will affect the industry in the future. (KM)