19-3-4063 US purchasers' questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 19-3-4063; Expiration Date: 6/30/2020
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

LOST SALES AND LOST REVENUE SURVEY
COLLATED STEEL STAPLES FROM CHINA, KOREA, AND TAIWAN
This survey must be received by the Commission by June 20, 2019
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 and antidumping duty investigations concerning certain collated steel staples (“CCS
staples”) from China, Korea, and Taiwan (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-626 and 731-TA-1452-1454 (Preliminary)). 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 survey can be obtained from
Christine Kobza (202-205-3187, [email protected]).
Name of firm
Address
City

State

Zip Code

Website
Has your firm purchased or imported for own use or retail sale CCS staples (as defined on next page) at any time
since January 1, 2016?

NO

(Sign the certification below and promptly return only this page of the survey to the Commission)

YES

(Complete all parts of the survey, and return the entire survey 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: CCS)
CERTIFICATION
I certify that the information herein supplied in this survey 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 survey
and throughout this proceeding in any other import-injury proceedings conducted by the Commission on the same or similar
merchandise.
I, the undersigned, acknowledge that information submitted in response to this request for information and throughout this
investigation or other proceeding may be disclosed to and used: (i) by the Commission, its employees and Offices, and contract
personnel (a) for developing or maintaining the records of this or a related proceeding, or (b) in internal investigations, audits,
reviews, and evaluations relating to the programs, personnel, and operations of the Commission including under 5 U.S.C.
Appendix 3; or (ii) by U.S. government employees and contract personnel, solely for cybersecurity purposes. I understand that all
contract personnel will sign appropriate nondisclosure agreements.
Name of Authorized Official

Title of Authorized Official

Date

Signature

Phone

Email address

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Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- CCS staples (Preliminary)

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GENERAL INFORMATION
Background.--This proceeding was instituted in response to a petition filed on June 6, 2019, by Kyocera
Senco Industrial Tools, Inc., Cincinnati, Ohio. 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
(“Commerce”) makes an affirmative determination of subsidization/dumping. Questionnaires and other
information pertinent to this proceeding are available at
https://www.usitc.gov/investigations/701731/2019/certain_collated_steel_staples_china_taiwan_and/
preliminary.htm.
Certain Collated Steel Staples (“CCS staples”) covered by these investigations are made from steel wire
having a nominal diameter from 0.0345 inch to 0.0830 inch, inclusive, have a nominal leg length from
0.25 inch to 3.0 inches, inclusive, and a nominal crown width from 0.187 inch to 1.125 inch, inclusive.
Certain collated steel staples may be manufactured from any type of steel, and are included in the scope
of the investigation regardless of whether they are uncoated or coated, and regardless of the type or
number of coatings, including but not limited to coatings to inhibit corrosion.
Certain collated steel staples may be collated using any material or combination of materials, including
but not limited to adhesive, glue, and adhesive film or adhesive or paper tape.
Certain collated steel staples are generally made to American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM)
specification ASTM F1667-17, but can also be made to other specifications. Regardless of any applicable
specification, however, all certain collated steel staples exhibiting the physical characteristics of the
written scope description are included in the scope.
Certain collated steel staples are currently imported under statistical reporting numbers 8305.20.00.00
of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). The HTSUS provisions are for
convenience and customs purposes; the written description of the scope is dispositive.
Reporting of information.-- If information is not readily available from your records, provide carefully
prepared estimates. If your firm is completing more than one questionnaire (i.e., a producer, importer,
and/or purchaser questionnaire), you need not respond to duplicated questions.
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 you submit.
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

Business Proprietary
Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- CCS staples (Preliminary)

Page 3

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. In addition, if your firm is a U.S. producer, the information you
provide on your production and imports of CCS staples and your responses to the questions in Part I of
the producer questionnaire will be provided to the U.S. Department of Commerce, upon its request, for
use in connection with (and only in connection with) its requirement pursuant to section
702(c)(4)/732(c)(4) of the Act (19 U.S.C. § 1671a(c)(4)/1673a(c)(4)) to make a determination concerning
the extent of industry support for the petition requesting this proceeding. Any information provided to
Commerce will be transmitted under the confidentiality and release guidelines set forth above. Your
response to these questions constitutes your consent that such information be provided to Commerce
under the conditions described above.
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 survey. This
may or may not be the person whose signature is at the bottom of page 1.
Name
Title
Email
Telephone
Firms operating more than one establishment should combine the data for all establishments into a
single response.

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Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- CCS staples (Preliminary)

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PURCHASE INFORMATION
Purchases and imports.--Report separately your firm’s domestic purchases and imports of CCS
staples.

1.

“Purchase” – Purchase from a U.S. entity such as a U.S. producer, a U.S. importer, or other U.S.
firm.
“Import” – Purchase directly from a foreign supplier and your firm is the importer of record.
2016

2017

Item

2018

Quantity (in pounds)

Purchases of CCS staples produced in—
United States
China
Korea
Taiwan
All other countries1
Sources unknown2
Total purchases

0

0

0

0

0

0

Imports of CCS staples from—
China
Korea
Taiwan
All other countries1
Total imports3

Please identify these countries:
Please indicate the firm(s) from which you purchased this merchandise:
3
If your firm imported CCS staples at any time since January 1, 2016, please also complete and
return a U.S. importers' questionnaire in this proceeding.
1
2

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Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- CCS staples (Preliminary)

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2. Changes in purchasing patterns.--Please indicate how the shares of your firm’s purchases of CCS
staples from different sources have changed since January 1, 2016.
Source of
purchases

Did not
purchase

Decreased Increased

Constant

Fluctuated

Explanation for trend

United States

China

Korea

Taiwan

All other
countries
Sources
unknown

3. Major purchasing factors.--Please list, in order of their importance, the main factors your firm
considers in deciding from whom to purchase CCS staples.
1.
2.
3.
Please list any other factors that are very important in your purchase decisions:

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Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- CCS staples (Preliminary)

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4. Purchasing subject imports rather than domestic products.—
(a)

Since January 2016, did your firm import and/or purchase imports of CCS staples from
China, Korea, and Taiwan instead of purchasing U.S.-produced CCS staples? Respond for
each subject country.

Source

Yes
(also respond to parts (b) and (c))

No
(If “No” for all countries, skip to next
question)

China
Korea
Taiwan
(b)

If you responded “Yes” to part (a), was the imported product priced lower than the
domestic product?
Source

Yes

No

China
Korea
Taiwan
(c)

If you responded “Yes” to part (a), was price a primary reason for importing and/or
purchasing subject imports rather than domestic product?

Source

China
Korea
Taiwan

Yes

If Yes, estimate the quantity
of imports purchased and/or
imported instead of domestic
product since January 2016
(in pounds)

No

If No, please indicate the
reason your firm imported
and/or purchased imports
instead of domestic product

Business Proprietary
Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- CCS staples (Preliminary)
5.

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U.S. producers and import competition.—
(a)

Since January 1, 2016, in connection with a sale or offer to sell CCS staples to your firm,
did U.S. producers reduce their prices of domestically produced CCS staples in order to
compete with lower-priced imports of CCS staples from the subject countries? Respond
for each subject country.
Source

Yes (also respond to
question part (b))

No (If “No” for all countries,
skip to next question)

Don’t know

China
Korea
Taiwan
(b)

If your firm responded “yes” to any of the above countries, please provide an estimate
of the reduction in U.S. producers’ prices, and any additional explanations, such as
timing (e.g., months/years), frequency of price reductions, or other market/competitive
factors.

Source

Estimated
reduction in U.S.
prices
(percent)

China

%

Korea

%

Taiwan

%

Additional explanation, including such information as
timing (e.g., months/years), frequency of price
reductions, or other market/competitive factors

6. Other explanations--Please provide any additional comments in this box.

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Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- CCS staples (Preliminary)

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

Dollars

The questions in this survey 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 survey is estimated to average 4 hours per response,
including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering data, and completing and reviewing the
survey.
We welcome comments regarding the accuracy of this burden estimate, suggestions for reducing
the burden, and any suggestions for improving this survey. Please attach such comments to your
response or send to the Office of Investigations, USITC, 500 E St. SW, Washington, DC 20436.

HOW TO FILE YOUR SURVEY RESPONSE
Please do not attempt to modify the format or permissions of the survey document.
Please submit the completed survey using one of the methods noted below. If your firm
is unable to complete the MS Word survey 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 survey 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: CCS

• E-mail.—E-mail the MS Word survey to [email protected]; include a scanned copy of the
signed certification page (page 1). Submitters are strongly encouraged to encrypt nonpublic documents
that are electronically transmitted to the Commission to protect your sensitive information from
unauthorized disclosure. The USITC secure drop-box system and the Electronic Document Information
System (EDIS) use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 cryptographic algorithms to
encrypt data in transit. Submitting your nonpublic documents by a means that does not use these
encryption algorithms (such as by email) may subject your firm’s nonpublic information to unauthorized
disclosure during transmission. If you choose a non-encrypted method of electronic transmission, the
Commission warns you that the risk of such possible unauthorized disclosure is assumed by you and not
by the Commission.
If your firm did not purchase this product, please fill out page 1, print, sign, and submit a scanned copy
to the Commission.