15-3-3331 U.S. Purchaser Questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC Nos. 15-3-3331; Expiration Date: 6/30/2017
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

U.S. PURCHASERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
CERTAIN DOMESTIC CONTAINERS FROM CHINA
This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by February 18, 2015
See last page 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 53-foot domestic dry containers
(“certain domestic containers”) from China (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-514 and 731-TA-1250 (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 firm’s possession (19 U.S.C. § 1333(a)). Further information on this questionnaire can be obtained from Michele
Breaux (202-205-2781, [email protected]).

Name of firm
Address
City

State

Zip Code

Website
Has your firm purchased certain domestic containers (as defined on next page) 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

(Complete all parts of the questionnaire, and return the entire questionnaire to the Commission)

Return questionnaire via the U.S. International Trade Commission Drop Box by clicking on the
following link: https://dropbox.usitc.gov/oinv/. (PIN: CDDC)
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

Fax

Email address

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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PART I.—GENERAL INFORMATION
Background.—This proceeding was instituted in response to a petition filed on April 23, 2014, by
Stoughton Trailers, LLC, Stoughton, Wisconsin. Countervailing and/or antidumping duties may be
assessed on the subject imports as a result of these proceedings if the Commission makes an affirmative
determination of injury, threat, or material retardation, and if the U.S. Department of Commerce makes
an affirmative determination of subsidization and/or dumping. Questionnaires and other information
pertinent to this proceeding are available at
http://www.usitc.gov/investigations/701731/2014/53_foot_domestic_dry_containers_china/final.htm.
Merchandise covered by these investigations.
Certain Domestic Containers covered by these investigations are closed (i.e., not open top) van
containers exceeding 14.63 meters (48 feet) but generally measuring 16.154 meters (53 feet) in exterior
length, which are designed for the intermodal transport of goods other than bulk liquids within North
America primarily by rail or by road vehicle, or by a combination of rail and road vehicle (domestic
containers). The merchandise is known in the industry by varying terms including “53-foot containers,”
“53-foot dry containers,” “53-foot domestic dry containers,” “domestic dry containers” and “domestic
containers.” Imports of the subject merchandise are provided for under subheading 8609.00.0000 of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). Imports of the subject merchandise which
meet the definition of and requirements for “instruments of international traffic” pursuant to 19 U.S.C.
§ 1322 and 19 C.F.R. § 10.41a may be classified under subheading 9803.00.50, HTSUS.
Reporting of information.—If information is not readily available from your firm’s records, provide
carefully prepared estimates. If your firm is completing more than one questionnaire (i.e., a producer,
importer, and/or purchaser questionnaire), your firm need not respond to duplicated questions.
Service of questionnaire response(s).—In the event that your firm is a party to this proceeding, your
firm is required to serve a copy of the questionnaire(s), once completed, on parties to the proceeding
that are subject to administrative protective order (see 19 CFR § 207.7). A list of such parties is
maintained by the Commission’s Secretary and may be obtained by calling 202-205-1803. A certificate of
service must accompany the copy of the completed questionnaire(s) your firm submits (see 19 CFR §
207.7).
Confidentiality.—The commercial and financial data furnished in response to this questionnaire that
reveal the individual operations of your firm will be treated as confidential by the Commission to the
extent that such data are not otherwise available to the public and will not be disclosed except as may
be required by law (see 19 U.S.C. § 1677f). Such confidential information will not be published in a
manner that will reveal the individual operations of your firm; however, general characterizations of
numerical business proprietary information (such as discussion of trends) will be treated as confidential
business information only at the request of the submitter for good cause shown.
Verification.—The information submitted in this questionnaire is subject to audit and verification by the
Commission. To facilitate possible verification of data, please keep all files, worksheets, and supporting
documents used in the preparation of the questionnaire response. Please also retain a copy of the final
document that your firm submits.

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Release of information.—The information provided by your firm in response to this questionnaire, as
well as any other business proprietary information submitted by your firm to the Commission in
connection with this proceeding, may become subject to, and released under, the administrative
protective order provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1677f) and section 207.7 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR § 207.7). This means that certain lawyers and
other authorized individuals may temporarily be given access to the information for use in connection
with this proceeding or other import-injury proceedings conducted by the Commission on the same or
similar merchandise; those individuals would be subject to severe penalties if the information were
divulged to unauthorized individuals.
I-1.

OMB statistics.--Please report the actual number of hours required and the cost to your firm of
completing this questionnaire.
Hours

Dollars

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, gathering data, and
completing and reviewing the questionnaire.
We welcome comments regarding the accuracy of this burden estimate, suggestions for
reducing the burden, and any suggestions for improving this questionnaire. Please attach such
comments to your firm’s response or send to the Office of Investigations, USITC, 500 E St. SW,
Washington, DC 20436.
I-2.

Establishments covered.—Provide the name and address of your firm’s U.S. establishment(s)
covered by this questionnaire, if different from that listed on the cover page. Firms operating
more than one establishment should combine the data for all establishments into a single
report.
“Establishment” – Each facility of a firm involved in the purchase of certain domestic containers,
including auxiliary facilities operated in conjunction with (whether or not physically separate
from) such facilities.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)
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

Yes—List the following information.

Firm name

Address

Affiliation

Related NONSUBJECT importers/exporters.—Does your firm have any related firms, either
domestic or foreign, which import certain domestic containers from countries other than China
into the United States or which export certain domestic containers from countries other than
China to the United States?
No

Yes—List the following information.

Firm name and country

I-6.

Extent of ownership
(percent)

Related SUBJECT importers/exporters.—Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic
or foreign, which import certain domestic containers from China into the United States or which
export certain domestic containers from China to the United States?
No

I-5.

Page 4

Address

Affiliation

Related producers.—Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, which
produce certain domestic containers?
No
Firm name

Yes—List the following information.
Address

Affiliation

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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PART II.—PURCHASES
Contact information.—Please identify the individual that Commission staff may contact regarding the
confidential information submitted in this questionnaire.
Name
Title
Email
Telephone
Fax
Purchases.—Report your firm’s U.S. purchases of certain domestic containers (based on delivery
date). Do not include imports for which your firm was the importer of record; such imports
should be reported in your firm’s U.S. importer’s questionnaire.

II-1.

Item
Purchases of certain domestic
containers produced in--

2011

2012

2013

2014

Quantity (in units)

United States
China
All other countries:1
1

II-2.

Please identify these countries:
Changes in purchasing patterns.—Please indicate how the shares of your firm’s purchases of
certain domestic containers from different sources have changed since January 1, 2011.

Source of Did not
purchases purchase Decreased Increased Constant Fluctuated
United
States
China
All other
countries

Explanation for trend

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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II-3.

Purchases from one country only.—If your firm has purchased certain domestic containers from
only one country, please explain the reasons for doing so.

II-4.

Minimum purchase amount.—
(a)

What is the minimum number of certain domestic containers your firm normally makes
in a single purchase/RFQ?

(b)

Since 2011, has your firm ever purchased fewer certain domestic containers than this
minimum?
No

II-5.

Yes--Please explain why your firm made this decision.

Supplier identification.—Please list your firm’s FIVE largest suppliers for certain domestic
containers since 2011. Also, provide the share of the quantity of your firm’s total purchases of
certain domestic containers that each of these suppliers accounted for in 2014.

No.

Supplier’s name

City and state

Share of quantity of
2014 purchases

1

%

2

%

3

%

4

%

5

%

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)
II-6.

Page 7

Marketing efforts.—Please describe the efforts since January 1, 2011, that a U.S. producer,
foreign producer, and/or importer of certain domestic containers made to market its products
to your firm. These efforts could include, but are not limited to, providing your firm with
marketing materials, providing your firm with a prototype, responding to RFPs/RFQs, providing
quotations for their products, etc.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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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 certain domestic
containers (check all that apply)?
Railroad

Transport

Third-party
logistics (3PL)

Other

Describe other

If your firm is a distributor of certain domestic containers, please answer questions III-2 and III-3.
III-2.

Competition for sales.—Does your firm compete for sales to your firm’s customers with the
manufacturers or importers from which your firm purchases certain domestic containers?
No

III-3.

Yes

If yes, please describe.

Types of customers.—What are the major types of consumers to which your firm sells certain
domestic containers?

If your firm is an end user of certain domestic containers, please answer questions III-4 and III-5.
III-4. Share of intermodal shipping costs. — For the most recently completed fiscal year, please
report the total depreciation expense recognized for certain domestic containers as a share of the total
operating expenses relevant to intermodal or transport shipping services.
percent

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)
III-5.

Page 9

Demand for intermodal shipping services.—
(a)

Has the demand for your firm’s intermodal or transport shipping services using certain
domestic containers changed since January 1, 2011?
Increased

(b)

No change

Decreased

Fluctuated

Has this had any effect on your firm’s demand for certain domestic containers?
No

Yes

Explain

III-6. Substitutes.—
(a) Can other products be substituted for certain domestic containers?
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 certain domestic
containers?
No Yes

Explanation

1.
2.
3.
(b) Are fully-welded certain domestic containers interchangeable with certain domestic containers
assembled in part with mechanical fasteners for purposes of your firm’s end use?
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

Explain

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)
III-7.

Page 10

Demand trends.—Indicate how demand within the United States and outside of the United
States (if known) for certain domestic containers has changed since January 1, 2011. Explain any
trends and describe the principal factors that have affected these changes in demand.

Market

Overall
increase

Fluctuate
No
Overall with no clear
change decrease
trend

Explanation and factors

Within
the United
States
Outside
the United
States
III-8.

Importance of purchasing domestic product.—Please fill out the table below, estimating the
percentage of your firm’s total 2014 purchases of certain domestic containers that required
certain domestic containers 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 firm’s customers to be domestic product
Purchases that were required to be domestic product for other
reasons (explain:
)
Total (should sum to 100.0%)

Estimated
percentage of
your firm’s total
2014 purchases of
certain domestic
containers
%
%
%
%
0.0 %

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)
III-9.

Page 11

Conditions of competition.—
(a)

Is the certain domestic containers market subject to business cycles (other than general
economy-wide conditions) and/or other conditions of competition distinctive to certain
domestic containers?

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
certain domestic containers since January 1, 2011?
No

Yes

If yes, describe.

III-10. Decisions based on producer and country-of-origin.—How often does your firm or your firm’s
customers make purchasing decisions involving certain domestic containers based on its
producer or country of origin?
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

If at least sometimes, explain.

Decision based on producer
Your firm
Your firm’s
customers
Decision based on country of origin
Your firm
Your firm’s
customers

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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III-11. Supply constraints.—Has any firm refused, declined, or been unable to supply your firm with
certain domestic containers 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 does your firm make purchases of certain domestic containers (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.—
(a)

How many suppliers does your firm generally contact before making a purchase?
Between
and
firms

(b)

For your firm’s most recent purchase/RFQ, please report the top five suppliers
contacted.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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III-14. Supplier negotiations.—Do your firm’s purchases of certain domestic containers usually involve
negotiations between supplier and purchaser?

No

Yes

If yes, explain the factors your firm generally negotiates and to what
extent your firm references competing prices during negotiations.

III-15. Change in suppliers.—Has your firm 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.-(a)

Is your firm aware of any new suppliers, either foreign or domestic, that have entered
the market since January 1, 2011 or have announced plans to do so?
No

Yes

If yes, please identify the firms.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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III-16. New suppliers.--Continued
(b)

Has your firm inspected or tested prototypes from any of the following companies?

Company

Inspected

Tested

Other

If yes, please report the date of the
inspection/test, describe your firm’s
experience, and the effect of test or
inspection results on future buying
decisions

Stoughton
AICM
CIMC
Singamas
Other1
1

Please indicate the specific companies:

(c)

.

If your firm has tested, inspected and/or certified a prototype from the following
companies, please report the quantity of prototypes purchased by year?
Company

2011

Stoughton
AICM
CIMC
Singamas
Other1
1

Please indicate the specific companies:

2012

2013

2014

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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III-17. Supplier qualification.—Does your firm require your firm’s suppliers to be or to become
certified or qualified to sell certain domestic containers 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 your firm considers when qualifying a new supplier (e.g.,
quality of product, reliability of supplier, etc.).

No

Yes

Number
of days Process and factors

III-18. Failure to certify.—Since January 1, 2011, have any domestic or foreign producers failed in their
attempts to certify or qualify their certain domestic containers with your firm or have any
producers lost their approved status?

No

Yes

If yes, please identify these firms, the countries where they are located,
the reasons why they failed the certification/qualification, and the impact
of a failure to certify on your firm’s future purchasing decisions.

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 certain domestic containers (see
question III-20 for examples).
1.
2.
3.
Please list any other factors that are very important in your firm’s purchasing decisions:

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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III-20. Purchasing factors.—Please rate the importance of the following factors in your firm’s
purchasing decisions for certain domestic containers.

Factor
Availability
Container design
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Delivered laden with third-party
merchandise
Design testing
Discounts offered
Extension of credit
Fully welded containers
Interior container dimension >100 inches
Life cycle costs
Minimum quantity requirements
Pinwheeling
Price
Product consistency
Product differentiation
Product range
Port delivery location/options
Quality exceeds AAR M-930 standard
Quality meets AAR M-930 standard
Reliability of supply
Technical support/service
U.S. transportation costs
Warranty

Very
important

Somewhat
important

Not
important

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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III-21. Quality characteristics.—What characteristics does your firm consider when determining the
quality of certain domestic containers?

III-22. Decisions based on price.—
(a) How often does your firm purchase the certain domestic containers that are offered at the
lowest price if design specifications are met?
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

(b) How often does your firm purchase the certain domestic containers that are offered at the
lowest price if design specifications are not met?
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 your firm has considered price leaders in the certain domestic
containers market since January 1, 2011.
Firm(s)

Describe how the firm(s) exhibited price leadership

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS
IV-1.

Country knowledge.—Please indicate the countries of origin for certain domestic containers for
which your firm has actual marketing/pricing knowledge.
United
States

IV-2.

China

Other
countries

Other countries (specify)

Interchangeability.—Are certain domestic containers 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

Other countries

United States
China
For any country-pair producing certain domestic containers which is sometimes or never
interchangeable, please identify the country-pair and explain the factors that limit or preclude
interchangeable use:

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)
IV-3.

Page 19

Factors other than price.—Are differences other than price (e.g., quality, availability,
transportation network, product range, technical support, etc.) between certain domestic
containers 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

Other countries

United States
China

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

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)
IV-4.

Country preferences.—Does your firm or your firm’s customers ever specifically order certain
domestic containers 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 certain domestic containers
available from only from certain country sources?

No

IV-6.

Page 20

Yes

If yes, please identify the countries, the grade/type/size, any other relevant
purchase specifications or design criteria, and impact, if any, of design
specifications on performance or use.

Choice of product not based on price.—If your firm purchased certain domestic containers from
one country source although a comparable product was available from another country source
at a lower price, please explain your firm’s reasons for doing so (please specify by country).

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)

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IV-7. Factor country comparisons.—For the factors listed below, please rate how certain domestic
containers produced in each country your firm identified in your firm’s response to the first question in
Part IV compares with certain domestic containers produced in each of the other countries your firm
identified. If your firm is unfamiliar with the product from a particular country, please leave the boxes
for those country comparisons blank.

Availability
Container design
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Delivered laden with third-party merchandise
Design testing
Discounts offered
Extension of credit
Fully welded containers
Interior container dimension >100 inches
Life cycle costs
Minimum quantity requirements
Pinwheeling
Price
Product consistency
Product differentiation
Product range
Port delivery location/options
Quality exceeds AAR M-930 standard
Quality meets AAR M-930 standard
Reliability of supply
Technical support/service
U.S. transportation costs
Warranty
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.

Inferior

Comparable

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

Product from
Product from
United States
China
compared to product compared to product
from
from
Nonsubject Countries Nonsubject Countries

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

Factor

Superior

Product from
United States
compared to product
from
China

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Domestic Containers (F)
IV-8.

Page 22

Minimum quality.—How often does certain domestic containers from the following countries
meet minimum quality specifications for your firm’s uses or your firm’s customers’ uses?

Source

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely or
never

Don’t
know

United States
China
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.

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PART V.—BID DATA
V-1.

Bid data.—If your firm purchased certain domestic containers using RFQs/bid, please submit, in
chronological order, the information requested below for all of your firm’s purchases of certain
domestic containers since January 1, 2011.
A separate spreadsheet document is provided with this questionnaire. Please complete all
relevant columns of the spreadsheet and list the top 5 RFQs (by value) for the years 2011-2014
for your firm.
Include the following information about the individual RFQs
1. Date of request for proposal (RFQ) or bid
2. Quantity of certain domestic containers requested (in units)
3. List the other materials and services requested
4. Fully welded required (yes/no)
5. Part of a bundled RFQ (yes/no)
6. Delivery date
7. RFQ notes (include firms invited to bid and primary container specifications
requested/required)
Include the following information about the individual firm bids:
1. Bidding firm name
2. Container model specified
3. F.o.b. quote for certain domestic containers (total value in dollars)
4. List the other materials and services included in the bid
5. Percent laden
6. Freight/repositioning costs for quoted certain domestic containers
7. Final quote quantity
8. Final quote price
9. Winning bid (yes/no)
10. Winning bid quantity
11. Winning bid price
12. Reason(s) bid accepted or rejected (include the top 2 to 4 RFQ specifications used to
evaluate the bid)

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Certain Domestic Containers (F)
V-2.

Page 24

Bid opportunities.—How often does your firm allow sellers more than one chance to bid on a
particular sales agreement?
Always

Frequently

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

If so, why does your firm allow/request multiple bids?

V-3.

Bid competition.—
(a) How often does your firm discuss the bids of competing firms (whether or not your firm
discloses who the competition is) with its suppliers in order to get a lower bid price?
Always

Frequently

Sometimes

Rarely

Please describe these discussions.

(b) Does your firm ever award purchases from a single RFQ to multiple firms?
No

Yes—Please explain.

Never

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Certain Domestic Containers (F)
V-4.

Page 25

Bid exclusions.—

(a) How often does your firm request a bid from only one supplier?
Always

Frequently

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

If your firm requests bids from only one supplier, please explain why.

(b) Since January 1, 2011, has your firm excluded one or more firms from bidding (e.g., not being
willing to consider a bid submitted by a supplier, or asked a firm not to bid) on purchases of
certain domestic containers?
No

V-5.

Services included in bid.—Do the bids that your firm requests for containers typically include
other services, such as engineering, construction, maintenance, etc.?
No

V-6.

Yes—List the suppliers whose bid(s) were excluded and why these bid(s)
were not considered.

Yes—Please describe the other services your firm requests in its bids.

RFQ request.—Please, provide a copy of the 2013 RFQ for the highest value purchase by your
firm (if your firm did not purchase containers in 2013, provide a copy of the 2012 RFQ for the
highest value purchase).

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain domestic containers

Page 26

HOW TO FILE YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSE
This questionnaire is available as a “fillable” form in MS Word format on the
Commission’s website at:
http://www.usitc.gov/investigations/701731/2014/53_foot_domestic_dry_cont
ainers_china/final.htm.
Please do not attempt to modify the format or permissions of the questionnaire
document. Please submit the completed questionnaire using one of the methods
noted below. If your firm is unable to complete the MS Word questionnaire or
cannot use one of the electronic methods of submission, please contact the
Commission for further instructions.
• Upload via Secure Drop Box.—Upload the MS Word questionnaire along with a scanned copy
of the signed certification page (page 1) through the Commission’s secure upload facility:
Web address: https://dropbox.usitc.gov/oinv/ Pin: CDDC
• E-mail.—E-mail your firm’s questionnaire to [email protected]; include a scanned copy
of the signed certification page (page 1). Please note that submitting your firm’s questionnaire by e-

mail may subject your firm’s business proprietary information to transmission over an unsecure
environment and to possible disclosure. If your firm chooses this option, the Commission warns your firm
that any risk involving possible disclosure of such information is assumed by the submitter and not by the
Commission.

If your firm does not purchase this product, please fill out page 1, print, sign, and submit a
scanned copy to the Commission.
Parties to this proceeding.—If your firm is a party to this proceeding, your firm is required to
serve a copy of the completed questionnaire on parties to the proceeding that are subject to
administrative protective order (see 19 CFR § 207.7). A list of such parties may be obtained
from the Commission’s Secretary (202-205-1803). A certificate of service must accompany the
completed questionnaire your firm submits (see 19 CFR § 207.7). Service of the questionnaire
must be made in paper form.