Domestic manufacturers have contended that much of the foreign automakers' advantage comes from favorable exchange rates that make it cheap to import vehicles.

Domestic manufacturers contend that the dollar's fall has already helped their competitiveness, and some see even greater benefits ahead.

P.&G. and the other manufacturers contend that there has not been a single case of illness linked to diapers in landfills.

American manufacturers have long contended that Japan's system is rigged against them.

The manufacturers of these products contend that they can aid mental performance by supplementing levels of the hormones, which begin to decline as a person ages.

The drugs' manufacturers contend the potential adverse effects have been overstated and in some cases not proved.

Although the manufacturer contends that a person's endurance rate can improve by up to 88 percent, a more realistic difference is apt to be less.

Scientists disagree on whether those testosterone levels can be further elevated with higher doses, or whether, as manufacturers contend, the body has a built-in ceiling.

Many other scientists and pharmaceutical manufacturers contend that liability issues are one of the biggest problems in developing an AIDS vaccine.

Some manufacturers contend that they are being penalized for consumers' carelessness.