News In Brief

Brock jab at auto quotas draws negative comment

United Automobile Workers president Owen Bieber said more than 200,000 American jobs would be lost if voluntary quotas on imported Japanese cars, due to expire next March, are not extended.

US Trade Representative William E. Brock said Wednesday the voluntary quotas he helped negotiate in 1981 are no longer justified in view of the ''unbelievable'' bonuses Detroit executives have awarded themselves.

But both Vice-President George Bush and White House spokesman Larry Speakes said the administration had not decided whether to press Japan for an extension of the quotas and that Mr. Brock's views were ''personal opinion.''

Mr. Bush is traveling to Japan next week to discuss trade issues with Japanese leaders.