The U.S. Austin Co and Japan'sKawasaki Heavy Industries Inc said they have joined to compete
for contacts for a new Japanese airport at Kansai, near Osaka.
    Austin, a design, engineering and construction firm, said
in a statement that it and Kawasaki would bid for support
facility work worth 200-250 mln dlrs.
    The Kansai project is to cost about eight billion dls.
    U.S. officials have complained to Japan that American firms
are being squeezed out of work on Kansai and threatened to
restrict Japanese construction firms in the United States if
Kansai is not opened to U.S. companies.
 reuter
