U.S. HOUSE PANEL TAKES FIRST TRADE BILL VOTES House trade lawmakers took their first votes on measures designed to toughen U.S. trade laws but held over until tomorrow the most difficult votes on controversial plans to protect American industries. Meeting in closed session, the House Ways and Means Trade Subcommittee failed to resolve one of the most sensitive issues in the bill--whether they will force major foreign trading partners to severely cut their trade surpluses with the United States. The subcommittee is considering a toned-down version of Democratic-sponsored trade legislation that aims to open foreign markets but which drops last year's effort to force President Reagan to retaliate with quotas or tariffs. Congressional aides who asked not to be identified said the lawmakers intend to wrap up their proposals tomorrow and will consider a proposal to mandate retaliation without setting specific trade penalties. The legislation faces another hurdle in the full Ways and Means Committee next week before the full House votes on it. Rep. Richard Gephardt, a Missouri Democrat who is seeking his party's 1988 presidential nomination, said he may offer an amendment to call for reductions in the trade surpluses of those countries with barriers to imports of U.S. goods. This would be a moderated version of his earlier plan to force a mandatory ten per cent annual cut in the trade surplus with the United States by Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, West Germany and other countries with the largest trade imbalances. "My criteria for a good amendment sets a standard for getting the trade deficit down," he told reporters. The trade law changes are to become part of a major congressional and administration effort to turn around the record U.S. trade deficit of 169 billion dlrs last year by opening up foreign markets and making U.S. products more competitive. House Speaker James Wright, a Texas Democrat, said again today he expects the full House will approve the trade bill by May and that Reagan will accept the final congressional bill. "I expect whatever is reported (by the Ways and Means Committee) will pass. We will have a good bill and an effective bill," he told reporters. The comprehensive trade bill will include work by other committees to ease export controls on high technology, to aid U.S. workers displaced by foreign competition, to stimulate research and development, to remove foreign trade barriers and to improve education and worker training. The lawmakers agreed that for the first time a U.S. industry could charge foreign producers with unfair competition if they deny basic worker rights such as collective bargaining, safety rules and payment of a minimum wage appropriate to the country's economic development. They transferred to U.S. Trade Representative Clayton Yeutter the powers now held by Reagan to decide whether to retaliate against foreign violations of fair trade rules and whether an injured industry deserves import relief. They agreed to make it easier for a company to get temporary relief from import competition but agreed the industry should provide a plan to become competitive. The administration has not announced its support but Yeutter said yesterday, "I am cautiously optimistic," that the Democratic-led House will come up with an acceptable bill.