US President George W. Bush's administration on Monday threatened to impose 143.3 million dollars in trade sanctions against Japan for restricting imports of American apples.
US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick said Washington had asked a World Trade Organisation panel to decide whether Japan had flouted WTO rulings against its restrictions on apple imports.
The United States also sought WTO authorisation to impose sanctions against Japan amounting to 143.4 million dollars a year, the US estimate of the damage caused by the Japanese trade practice.