US purchaser questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. xx-x-xxx; Expiration Date: 6/30/08
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

U.S. PURCHASERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
PRODUCT FROM COUNTRY

This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by no later than INSERT DATE
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/antidumping investigation concerning PRODUCT from COUNTRY (inv. No.
701/731-TA-xxx (Preliminary/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 ECONOMIST (202-205-xxxx).

Name of firm
Address
City

State

Zip Code

World Wide Web address
Has your firm purchased PRODUCT (as defined in the instruction booklet) from any source at any time since
January 1, 2004?

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

Signature

Title of Authorized Official
Phone: (
Fax ( )

Date

)
E-mail address

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - PRODUCT

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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 PRODUCT from COUNTRY into the United States or which are engaged in
exporting PRODUCT from COUNTRY 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 PRODUCT?
No
Firm name

Yes--List the following information
Address

Affiliation

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PART II.--PURCHASES
II-1.

Who should be contacted regarding the requested purchase information?
Company contact:
Name and title
(
)
Phone number

II-2.

E-mail address

Report, as indicated below, your firm’s purchases (either directly or through a sales agent or
broker) of PRODUCT. Report based on delivery date, not order date.
(Quantity in SPECIFY UNITS, value in $1,000)

Item
Purchases of product produced in
the United States:
Quantity
Value
Purchases of product produced in
COUNTRY:
Quantity
Value
Purchases of product produced in all
other countries:1
Quantity
Value
1
Please identify these countries:

2004

2005

2006

Jan.-Mar.
2007

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PART II.--PURCHASES--Continued
II-3.

If the relative shares of your firm’s total purchases of PRODUCT from different sources (both
domestic and foreign) have changed in the last three years, please list the country, state whether
the relative share from that country has increased or decreased, and state the reason.
Country

II-4.

Increase/decrease

Reason

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

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

Who should be contacted regarding the requested information on market characteristics and
purchasing practices?
Company contact:
Name and title
(
)
Phone number

III-2.

III-3.

E-mail address

Which of the following best describes your firm as a purchaser of PRODUCT (check all that
apply, noting the specific end uses if known)?
END USER TYPE 1 (

)

END USER TYPE 2 (

)

DISTRIBUTOR (

)

Other (

)

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

(b) Do you compete for sales to your customers with the manufacturers or importers from which
you purchase PRODUCT?

III-4.

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

Percent of cost accounted for by PRODUCT

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-5.

(a) If your firm is an end user of PRODUCT, has the demand for your firm’s final products
incorporating PRODUCT changed since January 1, 2004?
Increased

No change

Decreased

(b) Has this had any effect on your firm’s demand for PRODUCT?

III-6.

(a)

Please list in order of importance any products that may be substituted for PRODUCT.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)

(b)

For each possible substitute product, please give examples of applications and end uses
for which they are substitutes.

(c)

Have changes in the prices of these products affected the price for PRODUCT?
No

Yes-- To what degree do changes in their prices affect the price for
PRODUCT? Does this effect have a time lag? If so, how
long is the time lag for each substitute product? Does this vary
by type of PRODUCT or final end use?

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-7.

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

III-8.

Sometimes

Never

Do you know the manufacturer of the PRODUCT that you purchase?
Always

III-9.

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

Usually

Sometimes

Never

III-10. Have you made significant changes in your purchasing patterns (e.g., frequency) in the last three
years?
No

Yes-- Please describe.

III-11. How many suppliers do you generally contact before making a purchase?

III-12. Have you changed suppliers since January 1, 2004?
No

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

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-13. Are you aware of any new suppliers, either foreign or domestic, that have entered the market in
the last 3 years?
No

Yes--Please identify the firms.

III-14. Do you require your suppliers to become certified or prequalified with respect to the quality,
chemistry, strength, or other performance characteristic of the PRODUCT they sell to your firm?
No

Yes--

percent of purchases in 2006

Yes--All purchases

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

III-15. 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-16. Since January 1, 2004, have any domestic or foreign producers failed in their attempts to certify
or qualify their PRODUCT 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.

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-17. (a)

For the factors listed below, please rate each in terms of its importance in your purchase
decision for PRODUCT.
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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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-17. (b)

Please list, in order of their importance, the three major factors generally considered by
your firm in deciding from whom to purchase PRODUCT 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-18. What characteristics does your firm consider when determining the quality of PRODUCT?

III-19. How often does your firm purchase the PRODUCT that is offered at the lowest price?
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

III-20. Please list the names of any firms you considered price leaders in the PRODUCT market during
January 2004-March 2007. 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.

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-21. Please describe how the above firm(s) exhibited price leadership.

III-22. Does your firm purchase PRODUCT over the internet?
No

Yes-- Please describe, noting the estimated percentage of your firm’s total
purchases of PRODUCT in 2006 accounted for by internet purchases.

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PART IV.--PRODUCT COMPARISONS
IV-1.

Who should be contacted regarding the requested information on product comparisons?
Company contact:


Name and title
() 
Phone number

IV-2.


E-mail address

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

IV-3.

)

Is PRODUCT 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

United States

COUNTRY 1

COUNTRY 2

COUNTRY 3

Other countries

United States
COUNTRY 1
COUNTRY 2
COUNTRY 3
1

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

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PART IV.--PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued
IV-4.

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

IV-5.

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

IV-6.

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 PRODUCT 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 PRODUCT 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 PRODUCT produced in each country you identified
in your response to the first question in Part IV compares with PRODUCT 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

Comparable

Superior

compared to
product from

Inferior

compared to
product from

Comparable

compared to
product from

Superior

Product from

Inferior

Product from

Comparable

Quality

Product from

Superior

IV-7.

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PART IV.--PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued
IV-8.

(a)

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

(b)

Usually

Sometimes

Never

How often does imported subject PRODUCT meet minimum quality specifications for
your uses or your customers’ uses?
COUNTRY
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

Usually

Sometimes

Never

Usually

Sometimes

Never

COUNTRY
Always
COUNTRY
Always
(c)

How often does imported nonsubject PRODUCT meet minimum quality specifications
for your uses or your customers’ uses?
From:
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

Usually

Sometimes

Never

Usually

Sometimes

Never

Usually

Sometimes

Never

From:
Always
From:
Always
From:
Always

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PART V.—SUPPLIER IDENTIFICATION
V-1.

No.

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

Please provide the names and addresses of your firm’s five largest suppliers of PRODUCT
purchased during 2004-06. Please also provide the name and telephone number of a contact
person and the share of the quantity of your firm’s total purchases of PRODUCT that each of
these suppliers accounted for in 2006.

Supplier’s name

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

Contact person

Area
code and
telephone
number

Share of
2006
purchases
(%)