Executives reject protectionism

Despite growing concern over United States trade policies and the ability of US industry to maintain a competitive position worldwide, there is little support among American executives for more protectionist policies, according to a survey by Opinion Research Corporation.

Although a majority of executives would like to see more pressure put on foreign governments to open their markets to imports, three-fourths of a sample of 110 top executives of US-based multinational corporations say they believe US trade policies should remain as they are, or become less protectionist.

Nine out of 10 of these same executives also feel that the government is no t doing enough to encourage US exports.