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pdfOMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 14-3-3300; Expiration Date: 6/30/2017
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U.S. PURCHASERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
CARBON AND CERTAIN ALLOY STEEL WIRE ROD (“WIRE ROD”) FROM CHINA
This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by no later than October 2, 2014
See 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 carbon and certain alloy steel wire rod
(“wire rod”) from China (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-512 and 731-TA-1248 (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 Samantha Day (202205-2088, [email protected]).
Name of firm
Address
City
State
Zip Code
Website
Has your firm purchased carbon and certain alloy steel wire rod (“wire rod”) (as defined in the instruction
booklet) from any source (domestic or foreign) at any time since January 1, 2011?
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)
Return questionnaire via the U.S. International Trade Commission Drop Box by clicking
on the following link: https://dropbox.usitc.gov/oinv/. (use the following PIN: WRODF)
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 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
Email address
Fax
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
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.
OMB statistics.--Please report 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, if different from that listed on the cover page (see page 3 of the instruction booklet
for reporting guidelines).
I-3.
Ownership.--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
(percent)
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 3
PART I.--GENERAL INFORMATION--Continued
I-4.
Related SUBJECT importers/exporters.--Does your firm have any related firms, either
domestic or foreign, that import wire rod from China into the United States or that export wire
rod from China to the United States?
No
Yes--List the following information.
Firm name
I-5.
Address
Related NONSUBJECT importers/exporters.--Does your firm have any related firms, either
domestic or foreign, that import wire rod from countries other than China into the United States
or that export wire rod from countries other than China to the United States?
No
Yes--List the following information.
Firm name and country
I-6.
Affiliation
Address
Affiliation
Related producers.--Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, that
produce wire rod?
No
Firm name
Yes--List the following information.
Address
Affiliation
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 4
PART II.--PURCHASES
Contact information.-- Please identify the responsible individual and the manner by which Commission
staff may contact that individual regarding the confidential information submitted in this questionnaire.
Name
Title
Email
Telephone
Fax
Purchases.— Report your firm’s U.S. purchases of wire rod (based on delivery date). Do not
include imports for which your firm was the importer of record; such imports should be reported
in your U.S. importer’s questionnaire.
II-1.
Item
Purchases of wire rod produced in--
2011
2012
2013
Quantity (in short tons)
Jan.–June
2014
United States
China
1
All other countries:
1
II-2.
Please identify these countries:
Changes in purchasing patterns.--Please indicate how the shares of your firm’s purchases of
wire rod from different sources have changed in the last three years.
Source of Did not
purchases purchase Decreased Increased Constant Fluctuated
United
States
China
All other
countries
Explanation for trend
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 5
PART II.--PURCHASES--Continued
II-3.
Purchases from one country only.--If your firm has purchased wire rod from only one country,
please explain the reasons for doing so.
II-4.
Supplier identification.--Please list your firm’s FIVE largest suppliers for wire rod since 2011.
Also, provide the share of the quantity of your firm’s total purchases of wire rod that each of
these suppliers accounted for in 2013.
No.
Supplier’s name
City and state
Share of quantity of
2013 purchases
1
%
2
%
3
%
4
%
5
%
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 6
PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES
III-1.
Firm type.--Which of the following best describes your firm as a purchaser of wire rod (check all
that apply)?
End user
Distributor
Other
Describe other
If your firm is a distributor of wire rod, please answer questions III-2 and III-3.
III-2.
Competition for sales.--Do you compete for sales to your customers with the manufacturers or
importers from which you purchase wire rod?
No
III-3.
Yes
If yes, please describe.
Types of customers.--What are the major types of consumers to which you sell wire rod?
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 7
PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
If your firm is an end user of wire rod, please answer questions III-4 and III-5.
III-4.
End uses.—
(a)
List the top 3 products you make using wire rod and estimate the percent of your total
production cost that is accounted for by wire rod and by other inputs (such as labor,
energy, and other raw materials).
Share of total cost in each of the product(s) you
produce accounted for by
Product(s) you produce
(b)
Other inputs
Total
%
+
%
= 100%
%
+
%
= 100%
%
+
%
= 100%
During 2013, did your firm purchase wire rod from a wire rod producer that also
produces the same end use products produced by your firm?
No
(c)
Wire rod
Yes
If yes, please identify the wire rod producer and the end use
product(s) involved.
Please estimate the share of your firm’s 2013 wire rod purchases, by quantity, that were
purchased from the suppliers identified in response to part (b) of this question.
percent
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 8
PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-5.
Demand for end use products.-Has the demand for your firm’s final products incorporating wire rod changed since
January 1, 2011?
(a)
Increased
(b)
Decreased
Fluctuated
Has this had any effect on your firm’s demand for wire rod?
No
III-6.
No change
Yes
Explain
Substitutes.--Can other products be substituted for wire rod?
No
Substitute
Yes--Please fill out the table below.
End use in which this
substitute is used
Have changes in the prices of this substitute
affected the price for wire rod?
No Yes
Explanation
1.
2.
3.
III-7.
Demand trends.-- Indicate how demand within the United States and outside of the United States
(if known) for wire rod has changed since January 1, 2011. Explain any trends and describe the
principal factors that have affected these changes in demand.
Market
Within
the United
States
Outside
the United
States
Fluctuate
Overall
No
Overall with no clear
increase change decrease
trend
Explanation and factors
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 9
PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-8.
Importance of purchasing domestic product.--Please fill out the table below, estimating the
percentage of your firm’s total 2013 purchases of wire rod that required wire rod produced in the
United States.
Purchases that did not require domestic product
Purchases that were required by law or regulation to be domestic
product (e.g., government purchases under “Buy American”
provisions)
Purchases that were not required by law or regulation, but were
required by your customers to be domestic product
Purchases that were required to be domestic product for other
reasons (explain:
)
Total (should sum to 100%)
III-9.
Estimated
percentage of
your firm’s total
2013 purchases
of wire rod
%
%
%
100
%
%
Conditions of competition.-(a) Is the wire rod market subject to business cycles (other than general economy-wide
conditions) and/or other conditions of competition distinctive to wire rod?
Check all that apply.
Please describe.
No
Skip to question III-10.
Yes-Business cycles (e.g.
seasonal business)
Yes-Other distinctive
conditions of competition
(b) Have there been any changes in the business cycles or conditions of competition for wire rod
since January 1, 2011?
No
Yes
If yes, describe.
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 10
PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-10. Decisions based on producer and country-of-origin.--How often does your firm, and if you
know, do your customers, make purchasing decisions involving wire rod based on its producer or
country of origin?
Always
Usually
Sometimes
Never
If at least sometimes, explain.
Decision based on producer
Your firm
Your
customers
Decision based on country of origin
Your firm
Your
customers
III-11. Supply constraints.--Has any firm refused, declined, or been unable to supply wire rod since
January 1, 2011 (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
If yes, please describe.
III-12. Purchasing frequency.-(a)
How frequently do you make purchases of wire rod (check one)?
Daily
(b)
Weekly
Monthly
Quarterly
Annually
Other
If other, specify
Has this purchasing frequency changed since January 1, 2011?
No
Yes
If yes, please describe.
III-13. Number of suppliers contacted.--How many suppliers do you generally contact before making a
purchase? Between
and
firms
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 11
PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-14. Supplier negotiations.--Do your purchases of wire rod usually involve negotiations between
supplier and purchaser?
No
Yes
If yes, explain the factors you generally negotiate and note whether
your firm quotes competing prices during negotiations.
III-15. Change in suppliers.--Have you changed suppliers since January 1, 2011?
No
Yes
If yes, please list the supplier(s), whether the firm was added or
dropped, the reasons for the change.
III-16. New suppliers.--Are you aware of any new suppliers, either foreign or domestic, that have
entered the market since January 1, 2011?
No
Yes
If yes, please identify the firms.
III-17. Supplier qualification--Do you require your suppliers to be or to become certified or qualified to
sell wire rod to your firm?
If yes, provide the following information.
The number of days to qualify a new supplier.
A general description of the certification or qualification process. Also, a brief
description of the factors that you consider when qualifying a new supplier (e.g., quality
of product, reliability of supplier, etc.).
No
Yes
Number
of days Process and factors
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 12
PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-18. Failure to certify.--Since January 1, 2011, have any domestic or foreign producers failed in their
attempts to certify or qualify their wire rod with your firm or have any producers lost their
approved status?
No
If yes, please identify these firms, the countries where they are located,
and the reasons why they failed the certification/qualification.
Yes
III-19. Major purchasing factors.--Please list, in order of their importance, the three major factors your
firm considers in deciding from whom to purchase wire rod (examples include availability,
extension of credit, contracts, price, quality, range of supplier’s product line, traditional supplier,
etc.).
1.
2.
3.
Please list any other factors that are very important in your purchase decisions:
III-20. Purchasing factors.-- Please rate the importance of the following factors in your firm’s
purchasing decisions for wire rod.
Factor
Availability
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Discounts offered
Extension of credit
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging
Price
Product consistency
Product range
Quality exceeds industry standards
Quality meets industry standards
Reliability of supply
Technical support/service
U.S. transportation costs
Very
important
Somewhat
important
Not
important
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 13
PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-21. Quality characteristics.--What characteristics does your firm consider when determining the
quality of wire rod?
III-22. Frequency of decisions based on price.--How often does your firm purchase the wire rod that is
offered at the lowest price?
Always
Usually
Sometimes
Never
III-23. Price leaders.— 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 is not necessarily the lowest-priced supplier.
Please list the names of any firms you considered price leaders in the wire rod market since
January 1, 2011.
Firm(s)
Describe how the firm(s) exhibited price leadership
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 14
PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS
IV-1.
Country knowledge.--Please indicate the countries of origin for wire rod for which your firm has
actual marketing/pricing knowledge.
United
States
IV-2.
China
(subject)
Canada
(nonsubject)
Japan
(nonsubject)
Turkey
(nonsubject)
Other countries
(specify)
Interchangeability.--Is wire rod produced in the United States and in other countries
interchangeable (i.e., can they physically be used in the same applications)?
Please indicate A, F, S, N, or 0 in the table below:
A = the products from a specified country-pair are always interchangeable
F = the products are frequently interchangeable
S = the products are sometimes interchangeable
N = the products are never interchangeable
0 = no familiarity with products from a specified country-pair
Country-pair
China
Canada
Japan
Turkey
Other countries
United States
China
Canada
Japan
Turkey
For any country-pair producing wire rod that is sometimes or never interchangeable, identify the
country-pair and explain the factors that limit or preclude interchangeable use:
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 15
PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued
IV-3.
Factors other than price.--Are differences other than price (e.g., quality, availability,
transportation network, product range, technical support, etc.) between wire rod produced in the
United States and in other countries a significant factor in your firm’s purchases of the products?
Please indicate A, F, S, N, or 0 in the table below:
A = such differences are always significant
F = such differences are frequently significant
S = such differences are sometimes significant
N = such differences are never significant
0 = no familiarity with products from a specified country-pair
Country-pair
China
Canada
Japan
Turkey
Other countries
United States
China
Canada
Japan
Turkey
For any country-pair for which factors other than price always or frequently are a significant factor in
your firm’s sales of wire rod, identify the country-pair and report the advantages or disadvantages
imparted by such factors:
IV-4.
Country preferences.--Do you or your customers ever specifically order wire rod from one
country in particular over other possible sources of supply?
No
IV-5.
Yes
If yes, identify the countries and explain.
Availability of merchandise.--Are certain grades/types/sizes of wire rod available only from
certain country sources?
No
Yes
If yes, please identify the countries and the grade/type/size.
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 16
PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued
IV-6.
Choice of product not based on price.--If you purchased wire rod from one country source
although a comparable product was available from another country source at a lower price, please
explain your reasons for doing so (please specify by country).
IV-7. Factor country comparisons.--For the factors listed below, please rate how wire rod produced in
each country you identified in your response to the first question in Part IV compares with wire rod
produced in each of the other countries you identified.
If you are unfamiliar with the product from a particular country, please leave the boxes for those
country comparisons blank.
Inferior
Comparable
product from
United States
compared to
product from
Japan
Superior
Inferior
Comparable
product from
United States
compared to
product from
Canada
Superior
Inferior
Comparable
Superior
product from
United States
compared to
product from
China
Availability
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Discounts offered
Extension of credit
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging
1
Price
Product consistency
Product range
Quality exceeds industry standards
Quality meets industry standards
Reliability of supply
Technical support/service
U.S. transportation costs
1
1
A rating of superior on price and U.S. transportation costs indicates that the first country generally has
lower prices/U.S. transportation costs than the second country.
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 17
PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued
IV-7. Factor country comparisons.--For the factors listed below, please rate how wire rod produced in
each country you identified in your response to the first question in Part IV compares with wire rod
produced in each of the other countries you identified.
If you are unfamiliar with the product from a particular country, please leave the boxes for those
country comparisons blank.
Inferior
Comparable
product from
China
compared to
product from
Canada
Superior
Inferior
Comparable
product from
United States
compared to
product from
Nonsubject
countries
Superior
Inferior
Comparable
Superior
product from
United States
compared to
product from
Turkey
Availability
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Discounts offered
Extension of credit
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging
1
Price
Product consistency
Product range
Quality exceeds industry standards
Quality meets industry standards
Reliability of supply
Technical support/service
U.S. transportation costs
1
1
A rating of superior on price and U.S. transportation costs indicates that the first country generally has
lower prices/U.S. transportation costs than the second country.
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 18
PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued
IV-7. Factor country comparisons.--For the factors listed below, please rate how wire rod produced in
each country you identified in your response to the first question in Part IV compares with wire rod
produced in each of the other countries you identified.
If you are unfamiliar with the product from a particular country, please leave the boxes for those
country comparisons blank.
Inferior
Comparable
product from
China
compared to
product from
Nonsubject
countries
Superior
Inferior
Comparable
product from
China
compared to
product from
Turkey
Superior
Inferior
Comparable
Superior
product from
China
compared to
product from
Japan
Availability
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Discounts offered
Extension of credit
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging
1
Price
Product consistency
Product range
Quality exceeds industry standards
Quality meets industry standards
Reliability of supply
Technical support/service
U.S. transportation costs
1
1
A rating of superior on price and U.S. transportation costs indicates that the first country generally has
lower prices/U.S. transportation costs than the second country.
Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Wire Rod (F)
Page 19
PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued
IV-8.
Minimum quality.--How often does wire rod from the following countries meet minimum
quality specifications for your uses or your customers’ uses?
Source
Always
Usually
Sometimes
Rarely or
never
Don’t
know
United States
China
Canada
Japan
Turkey
Other:
Other:
IV-9.
Other explanations--If your firm would like to further explain a response to any question that
did not provide a narrative response box, please note the question number and the explanation in
the space provided below.
| File Type | application/pdf |
| File Title | US purchaser questionnaire |
| Subject | Title 7 investigations |
| Author | USITC |
| File Modified | 2014-09-04 |
| File Created | 2014-09-04 |