Analysts have said that an effective merger could give the combined company a competitive advantage against European rivals.

American aviation development fell behind its European rivals after the mid-1930s when Germany started a continental arms race.

Even thus united, they are dwarfed by European rivals.

And the Japanese cars are still $10,000 to $15,000 cheaper than their European rivals.

That has left the country with financial institutions that are smaller than their European rivals.

The combined empires were simply too big to go unchallenged by European rivals.

By the 1980s, it became the world's largest grain company, outstripping its European rivals.

To compete effectively with these European rivals, the nation's satellite manufacturing industry must have available government financing options.

Russia fits this bill perfectly, at least as far as its European rivals are concerned.

Unlike their main European rivals they again entered all three C-2 events.