10-3-2824 US purchaser questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 10-3-2824 Expiration Date: 6/30/2011
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

U.S. PURCHASERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
PRESTRESSED CONCRETE STEEL WIRE STRAND (“PC STRAND”) FROM CHINA

This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by no later than March 5, 2010
See page 4 of the Instruction Booklet for filing instructions.
The information called for in this questionnaire is for use by the United States International Trade Commission in
connection with its countervailing duty and antidumping investigations concerning PC strand from China (inv. Nos. 701TA-464 and 731-TA-1160 (Final)). The information requested in the questionnaire is requested under the authority of the
Tariff Act of 1930, title VII. This report is mandatory and failure to reply as directed can result in a subpoena or other
order to compel the submission of records or information in your possession (19 U.S.C. § 1333(a)). Further information
on this questionnaire can be obtained from Joshua Levy (202-205-3236).

Name of firm
Address
State

City

Zip Code

World Wide Web address
Has your firm purchased PC strand (as defined in the instruction booklet) from any source at any time since
January 1, 2007?

NO

(Sign the certification below and promptly return only this page of the questionnaire to the Commission)

YES

(Read the instruction booklet carefully, complete all parts of the questionnaire, and return the entire
questionnaire to the Commission so as to be received by the date indicated above)

CERTIFICATION
I certify that the information herein supplied in response to this questionnaire is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge
and belief and understand that the information submitted is subject to audit and verification by the Commission.
By submitting this certification I also grant consent for the Commission, and its employees and contract personnel, to use the
information provided in this questionnaire and throughout this investigation in any other import-injury investigations conducted
by the Commission on the same or similar merchandise.
I acknowledge that information submitted in this questionnaire response and throughout this investigation may be used by the
Commission, its employees, and contract personnel who are acting in the capacity of Commission employees, for developing or
maintaining the records of this investigation or related proceedings for which this information is submitted, or in internal audits
and investigations relating to the programs and operations of the Commission pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Appendix 3. I understand that
all contract personnel will sign non-disclosure agreements.

Name of Authorized Official

Title of Authorized Official

Date

Signature

Phone: (
Fax ( )

E-mail address

)

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – PRESTRESSED CONCRETE STEEL WIRE STRAND

Page 2

PART I.—GENERAL INFORMATION
The questions in this questionnaire have been reviewed with market participants to ensure that issues of
concern are adequately addressed and that data requests are sufficient, meaningful, and as limited as
possible. Public reporting burden for this questionnaire is estimated to average 25 hours per response,
including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering the data needed,
and completing and reviewing the questionnaire. Send comments regarding the accuracy of this burden
estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the
burden, to the Office of Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20436.
I-1a.

Please report below the actual number of hours required and the cost to your firm of preparing the
reply to this questionnaire and completing the form.
hours

dollars

I-1b.

We are interested in any comments you may have for improving this questionnaire in general or
the clarity of specific questions. Please attach such comments to your response or send them to
the above address.

I-2.

Provide the name and address of establishment(s) covered by this questionnaire (see page 3 of the
instruction booklet for reporting guidelines). If your firm is publicly traded, please specify the
stock exchange and trading symbol.

I-3.

Is your firm owned, in whole or in part, by any other firm?
No

Firm name

Yes--List the following information

Address

Extent of
ownership

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PART I.--GENERAL INFORMATION--Continued
I-4.

Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, which are engaged in
importing PC strand from China into the United States or which are engaged in exporting PC
strand from China to the United States?
No
Firm name

I-5.

Yes--List the following information
Address

Affiliation

Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, which are engaged in the
production of PC strand?
No
Firm name

Yes--List the following information
Address

Affiliation

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - PRESTRESSED CONCRETE WIRE STRAND

Page 4

PART II.--PURCHASES
II-1.

Report, as indicated below, your firm’s purchases (either directly or through a sales agent or
broker) of PC strand. Report based on delivery date, not order date.

(Quantity in 1,000 pounds, value in $1,000)
Item
2007
Purchases of PC strand produced in the United
States:
Quantity
Value
Purchases of PC strand produced in China:
Quantity
Value
Purchases of PC strand produced in all other
countries:1
Quantity
Value
1
Please identify these countries:

II-3.

2008

2009

If the relative shares of your firm’s total purchases of PC strand from different sources (both
domestic and foreign) have changed since 2007, please list the country, state whether the relative
share from that country has increased or decreased, and state the reason.
Country
United States

China

Other
(largest source)

Other
(second largest source)

Trend

Increased
Decreased
Constant
Fluctuated
Increased
Decreased
Constant
Fluctuated
Increased
Decreased
Constant
Fluctuated
Increased
Decreased
Constant
Fluctuated

Reason

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PART II.--PURCHASES--Continued
II-4.

If your firm has purchased PC strand from only one country, please explain the reasons for doing
so.

II-5.

Supplier identification.--Please identify below the names and addresses of your firm’s FIVE
largest suppliers for PC strand since 2007. Please also provide the name and telephone number of
a contact person and the share of the quantity of your firm’s total shipments of PC strand that
each of these customers accounted for in 2009.
Supplier’s
name

No.
1

2

3

4

5

Street address (not P.O.
box), city, state, and zip
code

Contact person

Share of
Telephone number
2009
or e-mail address purchases
(%)

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - PRESTRESSED CONCRETE WIRE STRAND

Page 6

PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES
III-1.

a) Which of the following best describes your firm as a purchaser of PC strand (check all that
apply)?
Converter (covers PC strand)
Construction firm
Distributor
Other (

)

b) Is your firm in pre-tensioned applications, post-tensioned applications, or both?
Pre-tensioned applications
Post-tensioned applications
Both
III-2.

(a) If your firm is a distributor or reseller of PC strand, what are the major types of consumers to
which you sell PC strand?

(b) If you are a distributor or reseller of PC strand, do you compete for sales to your customers
with the manufacturers or importers from which you purchase PC strand?
No

Yes—Please describe.

(c) Do firms in the pre-tensioned and post-tensioned applications compete for the same bare PC
strand?
No

III-3.

Yes—Please describe.

If your firm is an end user of PC strand, list in order of quantity of PC strand consumed, the top 3
products for which your firm purchases PC strand as a component part or input. Please indicate
what percentage of the total cost is accounted for by PC strand.
Product you produce

Percent of cost accounted for by PC strand

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES
--Continued
III-4.

(a) If your firm is an end user of PC strand, has the demand for your firm’s final products
incorporating PC strand changed since January 1, 2007?
Increased

No change

Decreased

(b) Has this had any effect on your firm’s demand for PC strand?
No

III-5.

Yes—Please describe.

Please list in order of importance any products that may be substituted for PC strand. For each
possible substitute product, please describe the degree of substitutability and indicate whether
changes in the price of the substitute affect the price for PC strand, and to what degree, and the
length of any time lag of such an effect.

Substitute

Application

Have changes in the prices of this
substitute affected the price for PC
strand?

1.

No

Yes--Please explain.

2.

No

Yes--Please explain.

3.

No

Yes--Please explain.

4.

No

Yes--Please explain.

5.

No

Yes--Please explain.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - PRESTRESSED CONCRETE WIRE STRAND

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES
--Continued
III-6.

Are you aware whether the PC strand you are purchasing is U.S.-produced or imported?
Always

III-7.

Usually

Usually

Sometimes

Never

To your knowledge, are your buyers aware of and/or interested in the country of origin of the
goods you supply them?
Always

III-9.

Never

Do you know the manufacturer of the PC strand that you purchase?
Always

III-8.

Sometimes

Usually

Sometimes

Never

Is buying a product that is produced in the United States an important factor in your firm’s
purchases of PC strand (please check ALL that apply)?
No
Yes--Purchases of domestic product are required by law or regulation (for example,
government purchases under “Buy American” provisions). This involves
percent of
all purchases of PC strand.
Yes--Purchases of domestic product are not required by law or regulation, but are by your
customers. This involves
percent of all purchases of PC strand.
Yes--Purchases of domestic product are required for other reasons (please specify these
reasons below). This involves
percent of all purchases of PC strand.

III-10. (a)

Is the PC strand market subject to business cycles or conditions of competition
distinctive to PC strand?
No

(b)

Yes--Please explain and provide estimates of the duration of any such
cycle.

Has the emergence of new markets for PC strand since 2007 affected the business cycles
or conditions of competition distinctive to PC strand?
No

Yes--Please explain any such changes.

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES
--Continued
III-11. Have you made significant changes in your purchasing patterns (e.g., frequency) since 2007?
No

Yes-- Please describe.

III-12. How many suppliers do you generally contact before making a purchase?

III-13. Have you changed suppliers since 2007?
No

Yes--Please list the suppliers, indicate whether each firm was added or
dropped as a supplier, and give the reasons for the change.

III-14. Are you aware of any new suppliers, either foreign or domestic, that have entered the market
since 2007?
No

Yes--Please identify the firms.

III-15. Do you require your suppliers to become certified or prequalified with respect to the quality,
chemistry, strength, or other performance characteristic of the PC strand they sell to your firm?
No

Yes--

percent of purchases in 2009

Yes--All purchases

Please provide a general description of the certification or qualification process and the time
required.

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES
--Continued
III-16. Briefly describe the factors that you consider when qualifying a new supplier (e.g., quality of
product, reliability of supplier, etc.) and estimate the time it takes to certify or qualify a new
supplier.

III-17. Since 2007, have any domestic or foreign producers failed in their attempts to certify or qualify
their PC strand with your firm or have any producers lost their approved status?
No

Yes--Please identify these firms, the countries where they are located, and the
reasons why they failed the certification/qualification process.

III-18. Since 2007, have any domestic of foreign producers refused, declined, or been unable to supply
your firm with PC strand (examples include placing customers on allocation or “controlled order
entry,” declining to accept new customers or renew existing customers, delivering less than the
quantity promised, been unable to meet timely shipment commitments, etc.)?
No

Yes-- Please describe.

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES
--Continued
III-19. (a)

For the factors listed below, please rate each in terms of its importance in your purchase
decision for PC strand.
VERY
IMPORTANT

Availability .....................................
Delivery terms.................................
Delivery time ..................................
Discounts offered ............................
Extension of credit ..........................
Price ................................................
Minimum qty requirements.............
Packaging........................................
Product consistency ........................
Quality meets industry standards ....
Quality exceeds industry standards.
Product range ..................................
Reliability of supply........................
Technical support/service ...............
U.S. transportation costs .................
Other (specify):
........
........
........

SOMEWHAT
IMPORTANT

NOT
IMPORTANT

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - PRESTRESSED CONCRETE WIRE STRAND

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES
--Continued
III-19. (b)

Please list, in order of their importance, the three major factors generally considered by
your firm in deciding from whom to purchase PC strand for any one order (examples
include current availability, extension of credit, prearranged contracts, price, quality
exceeding specifications or industry standards, range of supplier’s product line,
traditional supplier, etc.).
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
Other factors or comments:

III-20. What characteristics does your firm consider when determining the quality of PC strand?

III-21. How often does your firm purchase the PC strand that is offered at the lowest price?
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

III-22. Please list the names of any firms you considered price leaders in the PC strand market during
January 2007-December 2009. A price leader is defined as (1) one or more firms that initiate a
price change, either upward or downward, that is followed by other firms, or (2) one or more
firms that have a significant impact on prices. A price leader does not necessarily have to be the
lowest priced supplier. For those firms identified as a price leader, please specify the time period
in which a price change was communicated, whether the price change was upward or downward,
and whether it covered a specific geographic region or a specific product type.

III-23. Please describe how the above firm(s) exhibited price leadership.

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PART IV.--PRODUCT COMPARISONS

IV-1.

Please indicate the countries of origin for PC strand for which your firm has actual
marketing/pricing knowledge.
United States
China
Other countries (Please specify:

IV-2.

)

Is PC strand produced in the United States and in other countries interchangeable (i.e., can they
physically be used in the same applications)? Please indicate below, using “A” to indicate that
the products from a specified country-pair are always interchangeable, “F” to indicate that the
products are frequently interchangeable, “S” to indicate that the products are sometimes
interchangeable, “N” to indicate that the products are never interchangeable, and “0” to indicate
no familiarity with products from a specified country-pair.1

Country-pair

China

Your firm’s largest
nonsubject country
source2

Your firm’s second
largest nonsubject
country source3

_____________

____________

United States
China
1
For any country-pair producing PC strand which is sometimes or never interchangeable, please
explain the factors that limit or preclude interchangeable use:

2

Please report for your firm’s largest nonsubject country source for PC strand (e.g., Canada)
purchased during January 2007-December 2009.
3
Please report for your firm’s second largest nonsubject country source for PC strand (e.g., Taiwan)
purchased during January 2007-December 2009.

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PART IV.--PRODUCT COMPARISONS --Continued
IV-3.

Do you or your customers ever specifically order PC strand from one country in particular over
other possible sources of supply?
No

IV-4.

Are certain grades/types/sizes of PC strand available from only a single source (domestic or
foreign, including both subject and nonsubject countries)?
No

IV-5.

Yes--Please identify all relevant countries (including the United States and
both subject and nonsubject foreign countries) from which you or your
customers prefer to order, and indicate why PC strand from these countries
is preferred over product from other countries (please note the specific
product in your response).

Yes--Please identify the source and the grade/type/size.

If you purchased PC strand from one source although a comparable product was available from
another source at a lower price, please explain your reasons for doing so (please specify by
country, including the United States and both subject and nonsubject foreign countries).
Possibilities might include transaction characteristics such as length of time to fill orders,
minimum order size, reliability of supply, etc.

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PART IV.--PRODUCT COMPARISONS --Continued
For the factors listed below, please rate how PC strand produced in each country you identified in
your response to the first question in Part IV compares with PC strand produced in each of the
other countries you identified (including the United States and both subject and nonsubject
foreign countries). Please type an “X” for each quality in each product comparison indicating
whether the product from the first source is superior, comparable, or inferior compared with the
product from the second source.

Availability ...............................................
Delivery terms .........................................
Delivery time ...........................................
Discounts offered ....................................
Extension of credit...................................
Lower price..............................................
Minimum quantity requirements..............
Packaging................................................
Product consistency ................................
Quality meets industry standards............
Quality exceeds industry standards ........
Product range..........................................
Reliability of supply .................................
Technical support/service .......................
Lower U.S. transportation costs..............
Other (specify):

Inferior

compared to
product from

Comparable

compared to
product from

Superior

Product from

Inferior

Product from

Comparable

Inferior

Comparable

Quality

Superior

Product from
United States
compared to
product from
China

Superior

IV-6.

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PART IV.--PRODUCT COMPARISONS --Continued
IV-7.

(a)

How often does domestically produced PC strand meet minimum quality specifications
for your uses or your customers’ uses?
Always

(b)

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely or never

How often does imported subject PC strand meet minimum quality specifications for
your uses or your customers’ uses?

Source

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely or
never

China

(c) How often does imported nonsubject PC strand (i.e., PC strand from countries other than
China) meet minimum quality specifications for your uses or your customers’ uses?

Source
(specify country)

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely or
never