18-3-1858 US purchasers' questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 18-3-3858; Expiration Date: 6/30/2020
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

LOST SALES AND LOST REVENUE SURVEY
LAMINATED WOVEN SACKS FROM VIETNAM
This survey must be received by the Commission by March 21, 2018
See last page for filing instructions.
The information called for in this survey is for use by the United States International Trade Commission in connection
with its countervailing duty and antidumping investigations concerning laminated woven sacks from Vietnam (Inv. Nos.
701-TA-601 and 731-TA-1411 (Preliminary)). The information requested in the survey 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 survey can be obtained from Porscha Stiger (202-205-3241, [email protected]).

Name of firm
Address
City

State

Zip Code

Website
Has your firm purchased laminated woven sacks (as defined on next page) at any time since January 1, 2015?

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: SACK)
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- Laminated Woven Sacks

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GENERAL INFORMATION
Background.--This proceeding was instituted in response to a petition filed on March 7, 2018, by the
Laminated Woven Sacks Fair Trade Coalition, which is comprised of Polytex Fibers Corporation (Houston,
Texas) and ProAmpac, LLC (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 and/or dumping. U.S. producers of
laminated woven sacks have provided the USITC with allegations about sales or revenue that they have
lost due to competition from imports of laminated woven sacks from Vietnam. One or more domestic
producers have named your firm in such an allegation.
Laminated woven sacks covered by these investigations are bags consisting of one or more plies of
fabric consisting of woven polypropylene strip and/or woven polyethylene strip, regardless of the width
of the strip; with or without an extrusion coating of polypropylene and/or polyethylene on one or both
sides of the fabric; laminated by any method either to an exterior ply of plastic film such as biaxiallyoriented polypropylene (“BOPP”) or to an exterior ply of paper that is suitable for high-quality print
graphics (i.e., it has an ISO brightness of 82 or higher and a Sheffield Smoothness of 250 or less); printed;
displaying, containing, or comprising three or more colors, regardless of the type of printing process
used; with or without lining; whether finished or unfinished; whether or not closed on one end; whether
or not in roll form (including, but not limited to, sheets, lay-flat tubing, and sleeves); with or without
handles; with or without special closing features; not exceeding one kilogram in weight. Laminated
woven sacks subject to the scope are typically used for retail packaging of consumer goods such as pet
foods and bird seed. Laminated woven sacks produced in Vietnam are subject to the scope regardless of
the country of origin of the fabric used to make the sack.
Effective July 1, 2014, laminated woven sacks are classifiable under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the
United States (“HTSUS”) subheading 6305.33.0040. If entered with plastic coating on both sides of the
fabric consisting of woven polypropylene strip and/or woven polyethylene strip, laminated woven sacks
may be classifiable under HTSUS subheadings 3923.21.0080, 3923.21.0095, and 3923.29.0000. If
entered not closed on one end or in roll form (including sheets, lay-flat tubing, and sleeves), laminated
woven sacks may be classifiable under other HTSUS subheadings, including 3917.39.0050, 3921.90.1100,
3921.90.1500, and 5903.90.2500. If the polypropylene strips and/or polyethylene strips making up the
fabric measure more than 5 millimeters in width, laminated woven sacks may be classifiable under other
HTSUS subheadings including 4601.99.0500, 4601.99.9000, and 4602.90.0000. Although HTSUS
subheadings are provided 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.
Confidentiality.--The data furnished in response to this survey 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.

Business Proprietary
Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- Laminated Woven Sacks

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Release of information.--The information provided by your firm in response to this survey, 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. Please also retain a copy of the final document that you submit.
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.

Business Proprietary
Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- Laminated Woven Sacks

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PURCHASE INFORMATION
Purchases and imports.— Report separately your firm’s domestic purchases and imports of
laminated woven sacks.

II-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.
2015

2016

2017

Quantity in number of sacks (8,000 sacks = 1 short ton
= 907 kilograms)

Item
Purchases of laminated woven sacks
produced in—
United States
Vietnam
All other countries1
Sources unknown
Total purchases

0

0

0

0

0

0

Imports of laminated woven sacks
from—
Vietnam
All other countries1
Total imports
1

Please identify these countries:

2. Changes in purchasing patterns.--Please indicate how the shares of your firm’s purchases of
laminated woven sacks from different sources have changed since January 1, 2015.
Source of purchases
United States

Vietnam

All other countries

Sources unknown

Did not
purchase

Decreased Increased

Constant

Fluctuated

Explanation for trend

Business Proprietary
Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- Laminated Woven Sacks

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

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

Since January 1, 2015, did your firm purchase imports of laminated woven sacks from
Vietnam instead of U.S.-produced laminated woven sacks?
Yes
(also respond to parts (b) and (c))

Source

No
(If “No”, skip to next question)

Vietnam
(b)

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

Yes

No

Vietnam
(c)

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

Source

Vietnam

Yes

If Yes, estimate the quantity of
imports purchased instead of
domestic product since January 1,
2015
(Number of sacks (8,000 sacks = 1
short ton = 907 kilograms))

No

If No, please indicate the reason
your firm purchased imports
instead of domestic product

Business Proprietary
Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- Laminated Woven Sacks
5.

Page 6

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

Since January 1, 2015, in connection with a sale or offer to sell laminated woven sacks to
your firm, did U.S. producers reduce their prices of domestically produced laminated
woven sacks in order to compete with lower-priced imports of laminated woven sacks
from Vietnam?
Source

Yes (also respond to
question part (b))

No (If “No”, skip to next
question)

Don’t know

Vietnam
(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
Vietnam

Estimated
reduction in U.S.
prices
(percent)

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

%

6. Method of purchase--Please provide a general description of your firm’s method(s) of purchase
(e.g., individual purchase, contract, bids, Internet purchases, etc.) for laminated woven sacks.

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

Business Proprietary
Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- Laminated Woven Sacks

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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:
o
o
o

Web address: https://dropbox.usitc.gov/oinv/
Enter Investigation: Select “INVESTIGATION-SPECIFIC MENU ITEM” in the drop down menu
Pin: SACK

• 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.