The document discusses various non-tariff barriers that make it difficult for US businesses to penetrate the Japanese market. These include strict government regulations that add costs to imported products, laws restricting large retailers which benefit domestic producers, and keiretsu business groups that integrate Japanese firms and exclude foreign suppliers. While tariffs may be low, these other policies help Japanese industries at the expense of consumers and contribute to Japan's large trade surplus with the US. The Japanese view trade as a means to strengthen the economy and industry rather than maximize consumer welfare, as is the view in the US.