Four major semiconductor trade powers -- Japan, South Korea, the United States and the European Union -- are to convene April 11 in Hawaii for the first meeting of the Semiconductor Council, a new multilateral framework group for industry-to-industry cooperation.

The council was established in line with the bilateral microchip accord last August, in which Japan and the U.S. called for the creation of a consultation mechanism -- both on governmental and industry levels -- on global chip trade.

During the scheduled meeting, the four parties are to discuss a variety of issues, which include user-supplier cooperation in developing new products as well as supplier-supplier cooperation in establishing global standards for new generation chips, protecting intellectual property rights and preventing global warming.