INTERNATIONAL

Japanese Audit Faults Bidding System: Results of a Japanese government audit found fault with its bidding system in public works, lending credence to U.S. arguments that Japan’s construction market is closed to foreign competition. The report by the government’s Management and Coordination Agency said 20 out of 35 government ministries and public corporations had not adopted a fair open-bidding system. In talks with the United States last week, Japan offered to introduce such systems in bidding for public works, but the move failed to avert a U.S. sanctions threat, due to be implemented next month.