Final answer:
True, Japan has lowered or eliminated duties on numerous imports since the Uruguay Round of GATT.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that Japan has lowered or eliminated duties on thousands of categories of imports since the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations is True. The Uruguay Round, which took place from 1986-1994, resulted in the creation of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Marked a significant shift towards lower barriers to international trade, in line with a broader trend observed over the past decades. After the end of World War II, the average tariff rates imposed by industrialized countries stood at 40%, but by 1990.
These rates had fallen to less than 5%, thanks to successive rounds of GATT negotiations focused on reducing trade barriers, such as tariffs, import quotas, and nontariff barriers such as quotas, embargos, or sanctions. As such, countries like Japan followed suit, contributing to the global movement towards freer trade.