Japan 2 - USA 0.

That is about the net results of the Japanese Cash for Clunkers program designed to shutout all U.S. made vehicles.

According to the Automotive News, Japanese automakers sold 319,342 vehicles under the U.S. cash-for-clunkers program this year, almost half of the roughly 677,000 vehicles purchased. About 115,000 of those Japanese vehicles were imported.

Now Japan is running its own stimulus plan and the rules shut out all U.S.-brand vehicles.

Japan's cash for clunkers plan pays ¥250,000 ($2,778) to buyers who trade in cars that are at least 13 years old that meet Japan's 2010 emissions standards. Buyers with no trade-in get $1,111 if their purchase beats Japan's 2010 emissions standards by 15 percent or more but no U.S. vehicle qualify, according to James B. Treece of the Automotive News.

Our government representatives at work with their usual efficiency. The rules for the Japanese program were laid out more than half a year ago. Yet nobody seems to have seen this coming. U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk only broached the matter when a Detroit 3 lobbying group prodded him this month, after the program was extended.

In 1995, under President Clinton, the U.S. threatened to impose a 100% tariff on Japanese luxury cars but that was just "cheap political talk" and Japan understood; the U.S. would never follow through with the threat.

We don't need the U.S. government to impose trade tariffs. We are and should be committed to free trade but it should be FREE TRADE for all countries, not just the U.S.

What we really need is for the American people to vote with their wallets. The real vote will come later in 2010.