Last May the Bush administration imposed economic sanctions on Syria and blocked exports with the exceptions of food and medicine.

Norilsk, a big smelting center in north-central Russia, is short of money for winter supplies because frozen rivers have blocked exports of metals.

Japan was cited because of alleged trade barriers blocking American exports of satellites, supercomputers and wood products.

Customs posts set up to block exports to other republics.

American moves to block Colombian exports of cut flowers are probably less damaging - but also harder to defend in economic terms.

Economists said the sharp contraction was largely a result of the jump in exports last February, after the Kobe earthquake blocked exports in January.

Several times this year customs agents blocked such exports, but Tambrands officials suspect that hardliners opposed to joint ventures caused these snags.

A W.T.O. appeals panel upheld France's right to block Canadian exports of products containing asbestos, a carcinogen.

President Bush ordered the United States military today to block exports of Iraqi oil and all imports to Iraq except some food shipments, Administration officials said.

The Clinton Administration was also distressed over the protectionist measures that blocked American exports of frozen chicken.