12-4-3053 Foreign Producer Questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 12-4-3053; Expiration Date: 6/30/2014
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

FOREIGN PRODUCERS’/EXPORTERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
XANTHAN GUM FROM AUSTRIA AND CHINA

This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by no later than June 19, 2012
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 antidumping investigation(s) concerning xanthan gum from Austria
and China (inv. Nos. 731-TA-1202-03 (Preliminary)). The information requested in the questionnaire is
requested under the authority of the Tariff Act of 1930, title VII.

Name of firm

_________________________________________________________________

Address
World Wide Web address
Has your firm produced or exported xanthan gum (as defined in the instruction booklet) at any time since
January 1, 2009?

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 proceeding in any other import-injury proceedings conducted by
the Commission on the same or similar merchandise.
I acknowledge that information submitted in this questionnaire response and throughout this proceeding 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 proceeding or related proceedings for which this information is submitted, or in internal audits and
proceedings 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

Phone:
Signature

E-mail address
Fax:

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q–Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P))

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 20 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. 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.
I-1b.

I-2.

I-3.

hours
dollars
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.
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.

U.S. importers.--Please provide the names, street addresses (not P.O. boxes), contacts, telephone
numbers, and e-mail addresses of the FIVE largest U.S. importers of your firm’s xanthan gum in
2011.

Importer’s name

1

Contact person

Email

Telephone

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

Street Address

,
City

2

State

Street Address

,
City

3

State

,
State

Zip Code

Street Address

,
City

5

Zip Code

Street Address
City

4

Zip Code

State

Zip Code

Street Address

,
City

State

Zip Code

Share of
your
2011
exports
(%)

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q - Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P))

Page 3

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

Related U.S. producers.--Does your firm or any related firm produce, have the capability to
produce, or have any plans to produce xanthan gum in the United States or other countries?
No

I-5.

Yes--Please name the firm(s) and country(ies) below and, if U.S. producer(s),
ensure that they complete the Commission’s producer questionnaire
(contact Cynthia Trainor (202-205-3354; [email protected])
for copies of that questionnaire).

Related U.S. importers.--Does your firm or any related firm import or have any plans to import
xanthan gum into the United States?
No

Yes--Please name the firm(s) below and ensure that they complete the
Commission’s importer questionnaire (contact Cynthia Trainor (202205-3354; [email protected] for copies of that questionnaire).

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q - Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P))

Page 4

PART II.--TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION
Further information on this part of the questionnaire can be obtained from Cynthia Trainor (202-2053354; [email protected]). Supply all data requested on a calendar-year basis.
II-1.

Contact information.-- Please identify the responsible individual and the manner by which
Commission staff may contact that individual regarding the confidential information submitted in
part II.
Name
Title
Email
Telephone
Fax

II-2.

Changes in operations.--Please indicate whether your firm has experienced any of the following
changes in relation to the production of xanthan gum since January 1, 2009.
(check as many as appropriate)
(please describe)
plant openings ..........................

plant closings ............................

relocations ................................

expansions ................................

acquisitions ...............................

consolidations ...........................

prolonged shutdowns or
importation curtailments ................
revised labor agreements ..........

other (e.g., technology) ............

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q - Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P))

Page 5

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

Anticipated changes in operations.--Does your firm anticipate any changes in the character of
your operations or organization (as noted above) relating to the production of xanthan gum in the
future?
No

II-4.

Yes–Supply details as to the time, nature, and significance of such changes
and provide underlying assumptions, along with relevant portions of
business plans or other supporting documentation that address this
issue. Include in your response a specific projection of your firm’s
capacity to produce xanthan gum (in 1,000 pounds) for 2013 and
2014.

Same equipment, machinery, and workers.--Has your firm since 2009 produced, or does your
firm anticipate producing in the future, other products on the same equipment and machinery
used in the production of xanthan gum?
No

Yes--List the following information and report your firm’s combined
production capacity and production of these products and xanthan gum
in the periods indicated.
Period

Product

Basis for allocation of capacity data

(Quantity in 1,000 pounds)
January-March
Item
Overall Production Capacity
Production of:
Subject merchandise
Other product 1
Other product 2

2009

2010

2011

2011

2012

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q - Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P))

Page 6

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

Constraints on production.--Please describe the constraint(s) that set the limit(s) on your
production capacity.

II-6.

Production shifting.--Is your firm able to switch production between xanthan gum and other
products in response to a relative change in the price of xanthan gum vis-a-vis the price of other
products, using the same equipment and labor?
No

II-7.

Yes---Please identify the other products, the approximate time and cost
involved in switching, and the minimum relative price change required
for your firm to switch production to or from xanthan gum.

Share of sales.--What percentage of your firm’s total sales in its most recent fiscal year was
represented by sales of xanthan gum?
percent

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q - Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P))

Page 7

PART II.--TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION--Continued
II-8.

Inventories in the United States.--Has your firm, since 2009, maintained any inventories of
xanthan gum in the United States (not including inventories held by firms identified in
question I-3)?
No

Yes--Report the quantity of such end-of-period inventories below.

(Quantity in 1,000 pounds)
January-March
Item

2009

2010

2011

2011

Inventory

II-9.

Third country trade actions.--Is the xanthan gum exported by your firm subject to
antidumping duty findings, remedies, or proceedings?
No

Yes--List the products(s), countries affected, and the date of such
findings/remedies/proceedings.
Product

Country

Date

2012

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q - Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P))

Page 8

PART II.--TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION--Continued
II-10a. Report your firm’s production capacity, production, shipments, and inventories related to the
production of xanthan gum in your establishment(s) in Austria during the specified periods. (See
definitions in the instruction booklet.)

AUSTRIA
Quantity (in 1,000 pounds)
Actual experience
January-March
Item

2009

2010

2011

2011

2012

1

Projections
2012

2013

2

Average production capacity

Beginning-of-period inventories3
Production4
Shipments:
Internal consumption/transfers
Home market sales
Exports to-United States5
All other export markets6
Total exports
Total shipments
End-of-period inventories
1

Please explain the basis for your projections.

2
The production capacity (see definitions in instruction booklet) reported is based on operating
hours per week,
weeks per year. Please describe the methodology used to calculate production capacity, and explain any changes in
reported capacity.

3
Reconciliation of data.--Please note that the quantities reported above should reconcile as follows: beginning-of-period
inventories, plus production, less total shipments, equals end-of-period inventories. Do the data reported reconcile?

Yes

No--Please explain:

4
Please estimate the percentage of total production of xanthan gum in Austria accounted for by your firm’s
production in 2011.
percent
5

Please estimate the percentage of total exports to the United States of xanthan gum from Austria accounted for by
your firm’s exports in 2011.
percent
6

Identify principal other export markets.

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q - Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P))

Page 9

PART II.--TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION--Continued
II-10b. Export shipments from Austria by end use.—Report your firm’s export shipments to the
United States, by major end use.

AUSTRIA
Item
2009
FOOD & BEVERAGE:1
Quantity

(Quantity in 1,000 pounds, value in $1,000)
Calendar years
January-March
2010
2011
2011
2012

Value
CONSUMER APPLICATIONS:1
Quantity

Value
OILFIELD & INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS:1
Quantity

Value
ALL OTHER:2
Quantity

Value
TOTAL EXPORT SHIPMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES:3
Quantity

Value
1

Please indicate the ranges of xanthan gum characteristics for reported U.S. shipments during 2011 as follows:
Purity
(percent)
Food & beverage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _____________
Consumer applications . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_____________

Oilfield & industrial applications . . . . . . . ______________
Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ______________
2

Please describe: ___________________________________________________________________________

3

Total export shipments to the United States data should reconcile with exports from Austria to the United States
data reported in section II-10a.
Definitions for the above-specified export shipment end use applications appear on the following page.

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q - Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P)) Page 10
PART II.--TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION--Continued
Definitions for export shipment end use applications are as follows:
1. Food & Beverage
2. Consumer Applications
3. Oilfield & Industrial Applications
Xanthan gum provides multiple forms of utility. Applications may benefit from xanthan gum’s ability to
suspend and stabilize dispersions of solids, immiscible fluids, and gases in aqueous systems. Practically
speaking, this would include solids in drilling fluids, immiscible fluids such as oils in personal care
products and salad dressings, and gases in fire fighting foams. Xanthan gum also provides lubricity,
reducing friction in oilfield drilling applications as well as providing a particular type of skin feel in
lotions and cosmetics.
Food and Beverage applications include products approved for use in food and beverage systems.
Xanthan gum is used in condiments (e.g., relish, salad dressing, sauces), beverages (e.g., diet, low sugar,
energy, or instant powder drinks), syrups, baked goods, frozen meals, prepared foods, bakery products,
such as frozen dough, muffins, and gluten-free products. “Approved” refers to definitions and
requirements as put forth by multiple regulatory bodies as well as definitive and compendia standards,
including:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Food Chemicals Codex (FCC)
Canadian Food and Drug Law
JECFA
Japan’s Specifications and Standards for Food Additives

These bodies and standards manifest requirements in terms of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Microbiological plate counts
Organism types
Heavy metal levels
Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) and Ethanol residual levels
Basic requirements around color and appearance
Consistent and characterized viscosity

Consumer end use applications include products intended for use in oral care (e.g., toothpaste), personal
care (e.g., suncare lotions and sprays), and pharmaceutical (e.g., oral antibiotics such as amoxicillin).
These products are designed to meet higher level purity standards as set forth in USP and NF
monographs, and international bodies such as the Japanese Pharmaceutical Excipients, and European
Pharmacopeia.
Oilfield and industrial applications include products used in drilling fluid (and other applications for
the extraction of oil and gas), agricultural chemicals (e.g., sprayed onto leaves), fabric (e.g., stain
removal), home care (e.g., toilet bowl, surface, and oven cleaners), paints and coatings (e.g., pigment
suspension), and textiles. These products are regulated under TSCA, REACH etc.

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q - Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P)) Page 11
PART II.--TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION--Continued
II-11a. Report your firm’s production capacity, production, shipments, and inventories related to the
production of xanthan gum in your establishment(s) in China during the specified periods. (See
definitions in the instruction booklet.)

CHINA
Quantity (in 1,000 pounds)
Actual experience
January-March
Item

2009

2010

2011

2011

2012

1

Projections
2012

2013

2

Average production capacity

Beginning-of-period inventories3
Production4
Shipments:
Internal consumption/transfers
Home market sales
Exports to-United States5
All other export markets6
Total exports
Total shipments
End-of-period inventories
1

Please explain the basis for your projections.

2
The production capacity (see definitions in instruction booklet) reported is based on operating
hours per week,
weeks per year. Please describe the methodology used to calculate production capacity, and explain any changes in
reported capacity.

3
Reconciliation of data.--Please note that the quantities reported above should reconcile as follows: beginning-of-period
inventories, plus production, less total shipments, equals end-of-period inventories. Do the data reported reconcile?

Yes

No--Please explain:

4
Please estimate the percentage of total production of xanthan gum in China accounted for by your firm’s production
in 2011.
percent
5

Please estimate the percentage of total exports to the United States of xanthan gum from China accounted for by
your firm’s exports in 2011.
percent
6

Identify principal other export markets.

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q - Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P)) Page 12
PART II.--TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION--Continued
II-1b.

Export shipments from China by end use.—Report your firm’s export shipments to the
United States, by major end use.

CHINA
Item
2009
FOOD & BEVERAGE:1
Quantity

(Quantity in 1,000 pounds, value in $1,000)
Calendar years
January-March
2010
2011
2011
2012

Value
CONSUMER APPLICATIONS:1
Quantity

Value
OILFIELD & INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS:1
Quantity

Value
ALL OTHER:2
Quantity

Value
TOTAL EXPORT SHIPMENTS TO THE UNITED STATES:3
Quantity

Value
1

Please indicate the ranges of xanthan gum purity for reported U.S. shipments during 2011 as follows:
Purity
(percent)
Food & beverage. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _____________
Consumer applications . . . . . . . . . . . . .

_____________

Oilfield & industrial applications . . . . . . . ______________
Other . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ______________
2

Please describe: ___________________________________________________________________________

3

Total export shipments to the United States data should reconcile with export shipments from China to the
United States data reported in section II-11a.
Definitions for the above-specified export shipment end use applications appear on the following page.

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Q - Xanthan Gum from Austria and China (731-TA-1202-03 (P)) Page 13
PART II.--TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION--Continued
Definitions for export shipment end use applications are as follows:
1. Food & Beverage
2. Consumer Applications
3. Oilfield & Industrial Applications
Xanthan gum provides multiple forms of utility. Applications may benefit from xanthan gum’s ability to
suspend and stabilize dispersions of solids, immiscible fluids, and gases in aqueous systems. Practically
speaking, this would include solids in drilling fluids, immiscible fluids such as oils in personal care
products and salad dressings, and gases in fire fighting foams. Xanthan gum also provides lubricity,
reducing friction in oilfield drilling applications as well as providing a particular type of skin feel in
lotions and cosmetics.
Food and Beverage applications include products approved for use in food and beverage systems.
Xanthan gum is used in condiments (e.g., relish, salad dressing, sauces), beverages (e.g., diet, low sugar,
energy, or instant powder drinks), syrups, baked goods, frozen meals, prepared foods, bakery products,
such as frozen dough, muffins, and gluten-free products. “Approved” refers to definitions and
requirements as put forth by multiple regulatory bodies as well as definitive and compendia standards,
including:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Food Chemicals Codex (FCC)
Canadian Food and Drug Law
JECFA
Japan’s Specifications and Standards for Food Additives

These bodies and standards manifest requirements in terms of:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Microbiological plate counts
Organism types
Heavy metal levels
Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) and Ethanol residual levels
Basic requirements around color and appearance
Consistent and characterized viscosity

Consumer end use applications include products intended for use in oral care (e.g., toothpaste), personal
care (e.g., suncare lotions and sprays), and pharmaceutical (e.g., oral antibiotics such as amoxicillin).
These products are designed to meet higher level purity standards as set forth in USP and NF
monographs, and international bodies such as the Japanese Pharmaceutical Excipients, and European
Pharmacopeia.
Oilfield and industrial applications include products used in drilling fluid (and other applications for
the extraction of oil and gas), agricultural chemicals (e.g., sprayed onto leaves), fabric (e.g., stain
removal), home care (e.g., toilet bowl, surface, and oven cleaners), paints and coatings (e.g., pigment
suspension), and textiles. These products are regulated under TSCA, REACH etc.