10-3-2850 US purchaser questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. xx-x-xxx; Expiration Date: 6/30/2011
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

DRAFT U.S. PURCHASERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
SORBITOL FROM FRANCE

This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by no later than MARCH 8, 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 review of the antidumping duty finding concerning sorbitol from France (Inv. No. 731-TA-44 (Third
Review)). 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)).

Name of firm
Address
State

City

Zip Code

World Wide Web address
Has your firm purchased sorbitol (as defined in the instruction booklet) from any source (domestic or foreign) at
any time since January 1, 1982?

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 means of 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 review in any other import-injury investigations or reviews
conducted by the Commission on the same or similar merchandise.
I acknowledge that information submitted in this questionnaire response and throughout this review 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 review 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

)

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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 40 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.

NOTE: REPORT YOUR ANSWERS FOR CRYSTALLINE SORBITOL ONLY.
I-1a.

OMB statistics.--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.

OMB feedback.--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.

Establishments covered.--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.

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

Yes--List the following information.
Firm name

I-4.

Address

Extent of
ownership

Related importers/exporters from France.--Does your firm have any related firms, either
domestic or foreign, which are engaged in importing sorbitol from France into the United States
or which are engaged in exporting sorbitol from France to the United States?
No

Yes--List the following information.
Firm name

Address

Affiliation

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART I.--GENERAL INFORMATION--Continued

I-5.

Related importers/exporters from all other countries.--Does your firm have any related firms,
either domestic or foreign, which are engaged in importing sorbitol from countries other than
France into the United States or which are engaged in exporting sorbitol from countries other than
France to the United States?
No

Yes--List the following information.

Firm name and country

I-6.

Affiliation

Related producers.--Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, which
are engaged in the production of sorbitol?
No

Yes--List the following information.
Firm name

I-7.

Address

Address

Affiliation

Business plan.--In Parts II and III of this questionnaire we request a copy of your company’s
business plan. Does your company or any related firm have a business plan or any internal
documents that describe, discuss, or analyze expected market conditions for sorbitol?
No

Yes--Please provide the requested documents. If you are not providing the
requested documents, please explain why not.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART II.--PURCHASES AND RELATED INFORMATION
Further information on this part of the questionnaire can be obtained from Clark Workman (202-2053248, [email protected]). Supply all data requested on a calendar-year basis.

NOTE: REPORT YOUR ANSWERS FOR CRYSTALLINE SORBITOL ONLY.
II-1.

Contact information (Purchases).--Who should be contacted regarding the requested
information?
Company contact:
Name and title
(
)
Phone number

II-2.

E-mail address

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

Quantity (in thousands of pounds (dry weight basis) and value (in $1,000)
Purchases of crystalline sorbitol
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
produced in-The United States:
Quantity
Value
France:
Quantity
Value
All other countries:1
Quantity
1

2

Value
Please identify these countries:

Purchasers that purchase French-origin sorbitol from a U.S.-based supplier should report their
purchases as sorbitol produced in France.

2009

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART II.--PURCHASES AND RELATED INFORMATION--Continued
II-3.

Purchases before and after order.-(a)

Did your firm purchase sorbitol from France before 1982?
No--skip to (c)

(b)

Yes

If yes, has your pattern of purchasing sorbitol from France changed since 1982?
No, our pattern of purchasing is essentially unchanged.
Yes, we discontinued purchases from France because of the order.
Yes, we reduced purchases from France because of the order.
Yes, but we changed the pattern of purchases from France for reasons other than the
order (please explain below).

(c)

Has your pattern of purchasing sorbitol from nonsubject foreign sources (i.e., countries
other than France) changed since 1982?
We did not purchase from nonsubject foreign sources before or after the order.
No, our pattern of purchasing is essentially unchanged.
Yes, we increased purchases from nonsubject countries because of the order.
Yes, but we changed our pattern of purchases from nonsubject countries for reasons
other than the order (please explain below).

II-4.

Changes in purchasing patterns.--If the relative levels of your firm’s purchases of sorbitol from
different sources (both domestic and foreign) have changed since 1982 (the year the antidumping
duty finding under review became effective), please list the relative share from that country has
increased or decreased, and state the reason.
Source of purchases

Trend
Decreased
Increased
Constant

The United States

Fluctuated
Decreased
Increased
Constant

France

Fluctuated
Decreased
Increased
Constant

All other countries

Fluctuated

Explanation for trend

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART II.--PURCHASES AND RELATED INFORMATION--Continued
II-5.

No.
1

2

3

4

5

Supplier identification.--Please identify below the names and addresses of your firm’s FIVE
largest suppliers for sorbitol since 1982. 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 sorbitol that each of
these customers accounted for in 2009.

Supplier’s
name

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

Contact person

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

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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

Firm type.--Which of the following best describes your firm as a purchaser of sorbitol (check all
that apply, noting the specific end uses if known)?
Gum producer
Other food or confection producer
Hygiene product or cosmetics producer
End user (other than those above, Describe:
Distributor
Other (Describe:

III-2.

)
)

Competition of sales.--If you are a distributor or reseller of sorbitol, do you compete for sales to
your customers with the manufacturers or importers from which you purchase sorbitol?
No

Yes--Please describe

III-3.

Types of customers.--If your firm is a distributor or reseller of sorbitol, what are the major types
of consumers to which you sell sorbitol?

III-4.

End uses.--If your firm is an end user of sorbitol, list in order of quantity of sorbitol consumed,
the top 3 products for which your firm purchases sorbitol as a component part or input. Please
indicate what percentage of the total cost is accounted for by sorbitol (and NOTE: this percentage
should not add to 100 percent).

Product(s) you produce
1.
2.
3.

Share of cost accounted for by
sorbitol (percent)

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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

III-5.

Demand for end use products.-(a)

If your firm is an end user of sorbitol, has the demand for your firm’s final products
incorporating sorbitol changed since the imposition of the finding in 1982?
Increased

(b)

No change

Yes--Please describe

Changes in end uses.--Have there been any changes in the end uses of sorbitol since the
imposition of the finding in 1982?
No

III-7.

Fluctuated

Has this had any effect on your firm’s demand for sorbitol?
No

III-6.

Decreased

Yes--Please describe.

Anticipated changes in end uses.--Do you anticipate any changes in terms of the end uses of
sorbitol in the future?
No

Yes--Please describe and identify the time period.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-8.

Substitutes.--Please list in order of importance any products that may be substituted for sorbitol.
For each possible substitute product, please give examples of applications and end uses for which
they are substitutes and indicate whether changes in the price of the substitute affect the price for
sorbitol, and to what degree, and the length of any time lag of such an effect.

Substitute

Application(s)

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

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.

III-9.

Forms.--Is sorbitol in liquid a substitute for crystalline sorbitol?
Please explain why or why not.

No

Yes

III-10. Changes in substitutes.--Have there been any changes in the number or types of products that
can be substituted for sorbitol since the imposition of the finding in 1982?
No

Yes--Please explain.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-11. Anticipated changes in substitutes.--Do you anticipate any changes in terms of the
substitutability of other products for sorbitol in the future?
No

Yes--Please describe.

III-12. Demand trends.-(a)

How has the demand within the United States for sorbitol changed since the imposition of
the finding in 1982? What principal factors affect changes in demand?
Increased

(b)

Decreased

Fluctuated

No change

How has the demand outside the United States (if known) for sorbitol changed since the
imposition of the finding in 1982? What principal factors affect changes in demand?
Increased

Decreased

Fluctuated

No change

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-13. Anticipated demand trends.-(a)

How do you anticipate demand will change within the United States for sorbitol in the
future? What principal factors will affect these changes in demand?
Increase

(b)

Decrease

Fluctuate

No change

How do you anticipate demand will change outside the United States for sorbitol in the
future? What principal factors will affect these changes in demand?
Increase

Decrease

Fluctuate

No change

III-14. Market studies.--Please provide as a separate attachment to this request any studies, surveys, etc.
that you are aware of that quantify and/or otherwise discuss sorbitol supply (including production
capacity and capacity utilization) and demand in (1) the United States, (2) each of the other major
producing/consuming countries, including France, and (3) the world as a whole. Of particular
interest is such historical data and forecasts for the future.
III-15. Changes in factors affecting supply.--Have any changes occurred in any other factors affecting
supply (e.g., changes in availability or prices of energy or labor; transportation conditions;
production capacity and/or methods of production; technology; export markets; or alternative
production opportunities) that affected the availability of U.S.-produced sorbitol in the U.S.
market since the imposition of the finding in 1982?
No

Yes--Please note the time period(s) of any such changes, the factors(s)
involved, and the impact such changes had on your shipment volumes
and prices.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-16. Importance of supply source.--Is buying a product that is produced in the United States an
important factor in your firm’s purchases of sorbitol (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 sorbitol.
Yes--Purchases of domestic product are not required by law or regulation, but are by your
customers. This involves
percent of all purchases of sorbitol.
Yes--Purchases of domestic product are required for other reasons (please specify these
reasons below). This involves
percent of all purchases of sorbitol.

III-17. Conditions of competition.-(a)

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

(b)

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

Has the emergence of new markets for sorbitol since the imposition of the finding in
1982 affected the business cycles or conditions of competition distinctive to sorbitol?
No

Yes--Please explain any such changes.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-18. Decisions based on producer. --Does your firm, and to the extent that you know, do your
customers make purchasing decisions involving sorbitol based on the producer of the sorbitol you
purchase?
Your firm:

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

Your customers:

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

If at least sometimes, please discuss how your firm or your customers determine the producer and
why this information is important.
Your firm:

Your customers:

III-19. Decisions based on country-of-origin.--Does your firm, and to the extent that you know, do
your customers make purchasing decisions involving sorbitol based on the country of origin of
the sorbitol you purchase?
Your firm:

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

Your customers:

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

If at least sometimes, please discuss how your firm or your customers determine the source and
why this information is important.
Your firm:

Your customers:

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-20. Purchasing frequency.-(a)

How frequently do you make purchases?
Daily
Weekly
Monthly
Quarterly
Annually
Other ((specify)

(b)

)

Do you expect this purchasing pattern to change in the next two years?
No

Yes-- How and why do you expect these changes to occur?

III-21. Number of suppliers contacted.--How many suppliers do you generally contact before making a
purchase?

III-22. Supplier negotiations.-(a)

Do purchases of sorbitol usually involve negotiations between supplier and purchaser?
No

(b)

Yes--Please describe these negotiations. In your response, please
comment on whether purchasers generally quote competing
prices as part of the negotiation process.

Does your firm tend to vary its purchases from a given supplier within a specified time
period based on the price offered for that period?
No

Yes--Specify the time period.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-23. Change in suppliers.--Have you changed suppliers since the imposition of the finding in 1982?
No

Yes--Please list the supplier or suppliers and indicate whether the firm was
added or dropped as a supplier. Also give the reasons for the change
and how frequently you change suppliers.

III-24. New suppliers.-(a)

Are you aware of any new suppliers, either foreign or domestic, that have entered the
market since the imposition of the finding in 1982?
No

(b)

Yes--Please identify the firms and indicate how you became aware of
them.

Do you expect new sorbitol suppliers to enter the market in the future?
No

Yes--Please provide details, noting the specific future time period in
your response.

III-25. Supplier qualification. -(a) Do you require your suppliers to become USP certified for the sorbitol they sell to your firm?
No

Yes--

percent of purchases in 2009

Yes--all purchases

(b) Do you require your suppliers to become certified or prequalified in any form other than USP
certification with respect to the quality, chemistry, strength, or other performance characteristic of
the sorbitol they sell to your firm?
No

Yes--

percent of purchases in 2009

Yes--all purchases

(c) Please provide a general description of the certification or qualification process.

(d) Please estimate the time required for certification or qualification.

days

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-26. Factors considered vis-à-vis suppliers. --(a) Briefly describe the factors that you consider when qualifying a new supplier (e.g., quality of
product, reliability of supplier, etc.).

(b) Please estimate the time it takes to certify or qualify a new supplier.

days

III-27. Failure to certify. --Since the imposition of the finding in 1982, have any domestic or foreign
producers failed in their attempts to certify or qualify their sorbitol with your firm or have any
producers lost their approved status?
No

Firm name

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

Why the firm failed certification/qualification

III-28. Purchasing factors.--For the factors listed below, please rate each in terms of its importance in
your purchase decision for sorbitol.
Very
important
Availability .......................................
Availability in crystalline form ..........
Availability in solution form..............
Delivery terms .................................
Delivery time ...................................
Discounts offered ............................
Extension of credit...........................
Price ................................................
Minimum quantity requirements......
Packaging .......................................
Product consistency ........................
Quality is USP certified ...................
Quality exceeds USP certification...
Product range..................................
Reliability of supply .........................
Technical support/service ...............
U.S. transportation costs.................
Other (specify):

............. ........
........

Somewhat
important

Not
important

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-29. Major purchasing factors.--Please list, in order of their importance, the three major factors
generally considered by your firm in deciding from whom to purchase sorbitol 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.).
1.
2.
3.
Other factors or comments:

III-30. Quality characteristics.--What characteristics does your firm consider when determining the
quality of sorbitol?

III-31. Choice of product not based on price.--If you purchased sorbitol 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.

III-32. Frequency of decisions based on price.--How often does your firm purchase the sorbitol that is
offered at the lowest price?
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-33. Price leaders.--Please list the names of any firms you consider price leaders in the sorbitol
market. 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.

III-34. Frequency of price changes.--How frequently does the price of the sorbitol you are purchasing
change?

III-35. Changes in U.S. industry.-(a)

Please identify and discuss any improvements/changes in the U.S. sorbitol industry since
the imposition of the finding in 1982 and explain fully, to the extent possible, the
factor(s), including the order under review, that was/(were) responsible for each
improvement/change.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-36. Changes in U.S. industry.--Continued
(b)

Please also discuss fully, to the extent possible, any improvements/changes that you
anticipate in the future in the U.S. sorbitol industry. Identify the specific future time
period covered in your response, and discuss the factors that you believe would be
responsible for each improvement/change.

III-37. Effect of revocation.--What do you think will be the likely effects of any revocation of the
antidumping duty order for imports of sorbitol from France? As appropriate, please discuss any
potential effects of revocation of the antidumping duty order on (1) the future activities of your
firm and (2) the U.S. market as a whole. Please note the future time period to which you are
referring. Attach additional pages if necessary.
(1) Activities of your firm:

(2) Entire U.S. market:

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS
IV-1.

Country knowledge.--Please indicate the countries of origin for sorbitol for which your firm has
actual marketing/pricing knowledge.
United States
France
Other countries (Please specify

IV-2.

)

Interchangeability by country-pair.--Is sorbitol 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

France

Other countries

United States
France
1

For any country-pair producing sorbitol which is sometimes or never interchangeable, please explain
the factors that limit or preclude interchangeable use:

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS--Continued
IV-3.

Factors other than price.--Are differences other than price (i.e., quality, availability,
transportation network, product range, technical support, etc.) between sorbitol produced in the
United States and in other countries a significant factor in your firm’s purchases of the products?
Please indicate below, using “A” to indicate that such differences are always significant, “F” to
indicate that such differences are frequently significant, “S” to indicate that such differences are
sometimes significant, “N” to indicate that such differences are never significant, and “0” to
indicate no familiarity with products from a specified country-pair.1
Country-pair

France

Other countries

United States
France
1

For any country-pair for which factors other than price always or frequently are a significant factor in
your firm’s purchases of sorbitol, identify the country-pair and report the advantages or disadvantages
imparted by such factors:

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

Page 22

PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS--Continued
IV-4.

Country preferences.--Do you or your customers ever specifically order sorbitol from one
country in particular over other possible sources of supply?
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 sorbitol from these
countries is preferred over product from other countries (please note
the specific product in your response).

Availability of merchandise.--Are certain grades/types/sizes of sorbitol available from only a
single source (domestic or foreign, including both subject and nonsubject countries)?
No

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

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS--Continued
Factor country comparisons.--For the factors listed below, please rate how sorbitol produced in
each country you identified in your response to the first question in Part IV compares with
sorbitol produced in each of the other countries you identified (including the United States and
both subject and nonsubject foreign countries).

Inferior

Comparable

product from
United States
compared to
product from

Superior

Inferior

product from
United States
compared to
product from

Comparable

Inferior

Comparable

Quality

Superior

product from
United States
compared to
product from
France_____

Superior

IV-6.

Availability ...............................................
Availability in crystalline form ..................
Availability in solution form......................
Delivery terms .........................................
Delivery time ...........................................
Discounts offered ....................................
Extension of credit...................................
Price1 .......................................................
Minimum quantity requirements..............
Packaging ...............................................
Product consistency ................................
Quality is USP certified ...........................
Quality exceeds USP certification...........
Product range..........................................
Reliability of supply .................................
Technical support/service .......................
U.S. transportation costs1 .......................
Other (specify):

1

A rating of superior on price and U.S. transportation costs indicates that the United States generally has
lower prices/U.S. transportation costs than the second country.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

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PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS--Continued

IV-6. Factor country comparisons.--Continued.

Inferior

Comparable

product from
France
compared to
product from

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

product from
France
compared to
product from

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

Quality

Superior

product from
France
compared to
product from

Availability ...............................................
Availability in crystalline form ..................
Availability in solution form......................
Delivery terms .........................................
Delivery time ...........................................
Discounts offered ....................................
Extension of credit...................................
Price1 .......................................................
Minimum quantity requirements..............
Packaging ...............................................
Product consistency ................................
Quality is USP certified ...........................
Quality exceeds USP certification...........
Product range..........................................
Reliability of supply .................................
Technical support/service .......................
U.S. transportation costs1 .......................
Other (specify):

1

A rating of superior on price and U.S. transportation costs indicates that the France generally has lower
prices/U.S. transportation costs than the second country.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Sorbitol

Page 25

PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS--Continued
IV-7.

Minimum quality.-(a)

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

(b)

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

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

Always

Usually Sometimes

Rarely

Never

France
(c)

How often does imported sorbitol (from nonsubject sources including sorbitol from
countries other than France) meet minimum quality specifications for your uses or your
customers’ uses?
Source (specify
country)

IV-8.

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

Change in price.-(a)

Since the imposition of the finding in 1982, has there been a change in the price of
sorbitol? If so, has the price of U.S.-produced sorbitol changed more or less than the
price of imported sorbitol from France?
No change in price
Prices have changed by the same amount
Price of U.S.-produced sorbitol has changed relative to the price of sorbitol from
France

(b)

If the price of U.S.-produced sorbitol has changed relative to the price of sorbitol from
France, the price of U.S.-produced sorbitol is now relatively
Higher

Lower