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pdfOMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 18-4-3883; Expiration Date: 6/30/2020
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FOREIGN PRODUCERS’/EXPORTERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
STAINLESS STEEL BAR FROM BRAZIL, INDIA, JAPAN, AND SPAIN
This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by May 14, 2018.
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 reviews of the antidumping duty orders concerning stainless steel bar from Brazil, India, Japan, and
Spain (Inv. Nos. 731-TA-678-679 and 681-682 (Fourth Review)). The information requested in the questionnaire is
requested under the authority of the Tariff Act of 1930, title VII.
Name of firm
Address
Website
Has your firm produced or exported stainless steel bar (as defined on next page) at any time since January 1,
2012?
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)
Data reported in this questionnaire relate to (Check one):
Brazil
India
Japan
Spain
Return questionnaire via the Commission Drop Box by clicking on the following link:
https://dropbox.usitc.gov/oinv/. (PIN: SSBAR)
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 or reviews
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
proceeding 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
Phone:
Signature
Fax:
Email address
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire - Stainless steel bar (Fourth Review)
Page 2
PART I.--GENERAL INFORMATION
Background.--On February 21, 1995, the Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) issued antidumping
duty orders on imports of stainless steel bar from Brazil, India, and Japan (60 FR 9661), and
subsequently issued an antidumping duty order on imports of stainless steel bar from Spain (60 FR
11656) on March 2, 1995. On July 3, 2017, the Commission instituted reviews pursuant to section 751(c)
of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1675(c)) (the Act) to determine whether revocation of the
orders would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence of material injury to the domestic industry
within a reasonably foreseeable time. If both the Commission and Commerce make affirmative
determinations, the orders will remain in place. If either the Commission or Commerce makes negative
determinations, Commerce will revoke the orders. Questionnaires and other information pertinent to
this proceeding are available at
https://www.usitc.gov/investigations/701731/2017/stainless_steel_bar_brazil_india_japan_and_spain/f
ourth_review_full.htm.
Stainless steel bar covered by these reviews are articles of Stainless steel in straight lengths that have
been either hot-rolled, forged, turned, cold-drawn, cold-rolled or otherwise cold-finished, or ground,
having a uniform solid cross section along their whole length in the shape of circles, segments of circles,
ovals, rectangles (including squares), triangles, hexagons, octagons or other convex polygons. Stainless
steel bar includes cold-finished stainless steel bars that are turned or ground in straight lengths, whether
produced from hot-rolled bar or from straightened and cut rod or wire, and reinforcing bars that have
indentations, ribs, grooves, or other deformations produced during the rolling process.
Except as specified above, the term does not include Stainless steel semi-finished products, cut length
flat-rolled products (i.e., cut length rolled products which if less than 4.75 mm in thickness have a width
measuring at least 10 times the thickness, or if 4.75 mm or more in thickness having a width which
exceeds 150 mm and measures at least twice the thickness), wire (i.e., cold-formed products in coils, of
any uniform solid cross section along their whole length, which do not conform to the definition of flatrolled products), and angles, shapes and sections.
Exclusions for Japan: Effective for entries entered, or withdrawn for warehouse, for consumption on or
after February 1, 2010, the term does not include one stainless steel bar product under Grade 304 and
two types of stainless steel bar products under Grade 440C.
(1) The Grade 304 product meets the following descriptions: round cross-section, cold finished,
chrome plated (plating thickness 10 microns or greater), hardness of plating a minimum 750 HV
on the Vickers Scale, maximum roundness deviation of 0.020 mm (based on circularity tolerance
described in JIS B 0021 (1984)), in actual (measured) lengths from 2000 mm to 3005 mm, in
nominal outside diameters ranging from 6 mm to 30 mm (diameter tolerance for any size from
minus 0.010 mm to minus 0.053 mm). Tolerance can be defined as the specified permissible
deviation from a specified nominal dimension; for example if the nominal outside diameter of
the product entering is 6 mm, then the actual measured sizes should fall within 5.947 mm to
5.990 mm;
(2) The first Grade 440C product meets the following descriptions: round cross-section, cold
finished, heat treated through induction hardening, minimum Rockwell hardness of 56 Hardness
of 56 HRC, maximum roundness deviation of 0.007 mm (based on circularity tolerance described
in JIS B 0021 (1984)), in actual (measured) lengths from 500 mm to 3005 mm, in nominal outside
diameters ranging from 3 mm to 38.10 mm (diameter tolerance for any size from 0.00 mm to
minus 0.150 mm). Tolerance can be defined as the specified permissible deviation from a
specified nominal dimension; for example if the nominal outside diameter of the product
entering is 3 mm, then the actual measured sizes should fall within 2.850 mm to 3.000 mm;
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
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(3) The second Grade 440C product meets the following descriptions: round cross-section, cold
finished, chrome plated (plating thickness 5 microns or greater), heat treated through induction
hardening, minimum Rockwell Hardness of 56 HRC, maximum roundness deviation of 0.007 mm
(based on circularity tolerance described in JIS B 0021 (1984)), in actual (measured) lengths from
2000 mm to minus 3005 mm, (diameter tolerance for any size from minus 0.004 mm to minus
0.020 mm). Tolerance can be defined as the specified permissible deviation from a specified
nominal dimension; for example if the nominal outside diameter of the product entering is 6
mm, then the actual measured sizes should fall within 5.980 mm to 5.996 mm. Except as
specified above, the term does not include Stainless steel semi-finished products, cut length flatrolled products (i.e., cut-length rolled products which if less than 4.75 mm in thickness have a
width measuring at least 10 times the thickness, or if 4.75 mm or more in thickness having a
width which exceeds 150 mm and measures at least twice the thickness), wire (i.e., cold-formed
products in coils, of any uniform solid cross section along their whole length, which do not
conform to the definition of flat-rolled products), and angles, shapes and sections.
Stainless steel bar is currently imported under statistical reporting numbers 7222.10.00, 7222.11.00,
7222.19.00, 7222.20.00, and 7222.30.00 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,
purchaser and/or foreign producer 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
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.
Valid number error messages.--If you are completing this form in a country that uses periods (“.”) to
delineate multiples of 1000 (e.g., one million would appear as $1.000.000 rather than $1,000,000), you
may be unable to enter in numbers greater than 999 in numeric form fields. The solution to this data
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
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entry issue is to temporarily change your operating system’s number formatting to be consistent with
the U.S. number formatting system while you complete this form. Detailed instructions on how to
resolve this issue is provided at the end of this questionnaire and is available upon request from Kristina
Lara (202-205-3386, [email protected]).
I-1.
OMB statistics.--Please report below 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
30 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 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 establishment(s) covered by this
questionnaire. If your firm is publicly traded, please specify the stock exchange and trading
symbol.
“Establishment”-- Each facility of a firm in Brazil, India, Japan, and Spain involved in the
production or export of stainless steel bar, including auxiliary facilities operated in conjunction
with (whether or not physically separate from) such facilities. Firms operating more than one
establishment in Brazil, India, Japan, and Spain should combine the data for all establishments
into a single report.
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
I-3.
Page 5
U.S. importers.--Please provide the names, contacts, email addresses, and telephone numbers
of the FIVE largest U.S. importers of your firm’s stainless steel bar in 2017.
No.
1
2
3
4
5
Importer’s name
Contact person
Email address
Share of
Area code
your firm’s
and
2017 U.S.
telephone
exports
number
(%)
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
I-4.
U.S. or other country production.--Does your firm or any related firm produce, have the
capability to produce, or have any plans to produce stainless steel bar in the United States or
other countries?
No
I-5.
Yes--Please name the firm(s) below and ensure that they complete the
Commission’s importer questionnaire.
Agreement for distribution with a US producer.--Does your firm have an agreement relating to
the exclusive marketing rights or sales of stainless steel bar with any U.S. producer of stainless
steel bar?
No
I-7.
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.
U.S. importation.--Does your firm or any related firm import or have any plans to import
stainless steel bar into the United States?
No
I-6.
Page 6
Yes--List the products(s) and describe the scope of the agreement.
Business plan.--In Parts II and III of this questionnaire we request a copy of your company’s
business plan. Does your company or any related firm have a business plan or any internal
documents that describe, discuss, or analyze expected future market conditions for stainless
steel bar?
No
Yes--Please provide the requested documents. If you are not providing the
requested documents, please explain why not.
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
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PART II.--TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION
Further information on this part of the questionnaire can be obtained from Kristina Lara (202-205-3386,
[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 stainless steel bar since January 1, 2012.
Check as many as appropriate.
Plant openings
Plant closings
Relocations
Expansions
Acquisitions
Consolidations
Prolonged shutdowns or
production curtailments
Revised labor agreements
Other (e.g., technology)
If checked, please describe; leave blank if not
applicable.
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
II-2b.
Page 8
Anticipated changes in operations.—Does your firm anticipate any changes in the character of
its operations or organization relating to the production of stainless steel bar in the future?
No
Yes
If 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
documentations that address this issue. Include in your
response a specific projection of your firm’s capacity to
produce stainless steel bar (in short tons) for 2018 and 2019.
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
II-3a.
Page 9
Production using same machinery.-- Please report your firm’s production of products made on
the same equipment and machinery used to produce stainless steel bar, and the combined
production capacity on this shared equipment and machinery.
“Overall production capacity” or “capacity” –The level of production that your
establishment(s) could reasonably have expected to attain during the specified periods for all
products manufactured in that establishment using the same manufacturing equipment.
Assume normal operating conditions (i.e., using equipment and machinery in place and ready to
operate; normal operating levels (hours per week/weeks per year) and time for downtime,
maintenance, repair, and cleanup).
Note.--If your firm does not produce any out-of-scope merchandise on the same machinery and
equipment as scope merchandise (i.e., you have reported no data for "other products" in this
question) then the "overall production capacity" numbers reported in this question should be
exactly equal to the "average production capacity" numbers reported in question II-11. If,
however, your firm does produce out-of-scope merchandise using the same machinery and
equipment as scope mercandhise (i.e., you have reported data for "other products" in this
question), then the "average production capacity" reported in question II-11 should exclude the
portion of "overall production capacity" that was used to produce this out-of-scope
merchandise (i.e., "average production capacity" in question II-11 should be smaller than
"overall production capacity" in this question).
“Production” --All production in your establishment(s) in Brazil, India, Japan, and Spain,
including production consumed internally within your firm.
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
II-3a.
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Production using same machinery.—Continued
Quantity (in short tons)
Calendar years
Item
2015
2016
January-March
2017
2017
2018
Overall production capacity
Production of:
Stainless steel bar1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Out-of-scope production:
SS wire rod
SS angles
Tool and high speed steels
Other products2
Total
1
2
Data entered for production of stainless steel bar will populate here once reported in question II-11.
Please identify these products:
.
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
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II-3b.
Operating parameters.--The production capacity reported in II-3a is based on operating
per week,
weeks per year.
II-3c.
Capacity calculation.--Please describe the methodology used to calculate overall production
capacity reported in II-3a, and explain any changes in reported capacity.
II-3d.
Production constraints.--Please describe the constraint(s) that set the limit(s) on your firm’s
production capacity.
II-3e.
Product shifting.
(i).
Is your firm able to switch production (capacity) between stainless steel bar and other
products using the same equipment and/or labor?
No
(ii).
hours
Yes-- (i.e., have produced other products or are able to produce other
products). Please identify other actual or potential products.
Please describe the factors that affect your firm’s ability to shift production capacity
between products (e.g., time, cost, relative price change, etc.), and the degree to which
these factors enhance or constrain such shifts.
II-4.
Share of sales.--What percentage of your firm’s total sales in its most recent fiscal year was
represented by sales of stainless steel bar?
percent.
II-5.
Firm's estimated share of production in country.--Please estimate the percentage of total
production of stainless steel bar in the country specified on the certification page accounted for by
your firm’s production in 2017.
percent.
II-6.
Firm's estimated share of country's exports.--Please estimate the percentage of total exports to
the United States of stainless steel bar from the country specified on the certification page
accounted for by your firm’s exports in 2017.
percent.
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
II-7.
Page 12
Third country trade actions.--Is the stainless steel bar exported by your firm subject to
antidumping/countervailing duty/safeguard findings, remedies, or proceedings?
No
Yes--List the products(s), countries affected, and the date of such
findings/remedies/proceedings.
II-8.
Other export markets.--Identify export markets (other than the United States) that your firm
has developed or where it has increased its sales of stainless steel bar since 2012. Please identify
and discuss below.
II-9
Significance of antidumping duty order.--Describe the significance of the existing antidumping
duty orders covering imports of stainless steel bar from Brazil, India, Japan, and Spain in terms
of its effect on your firm’s production capacity, production, home market shipments, exports to
the United States and other markets, and inventories. You may wish to compare your firm’s
operations before and after the imposition of the order.
II-10.
Likely impact of revocation.--Would your firm anticipate any changes in the character of its
operations or organization, including its production capacity, production, U.S. shipments,
inventories, purchases, employment, revenues, costs, profits, cash flow, capital expenditures,
research and development expenditures, or asset values relating to the production of stainless
steel bar in the future if the antidumping duty orders on stainless steel bar from Brazil, India,
Japan, and Spain were to be revoked?
No
Yes
If 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
documentations that address this issue. Include in your
response a specific projection of your firm’s capacity to
produce stainless steel bar (in short tons) for 2018 and 2019.
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
II-11.
Page 13
Trade data.--Report your firm’s production capacity, production, shipments, and inventories
related to the production of stainless steel bar in your establishment(s) in Brazil, India, Japan,
and Spain during the specified periods. Do not include resales of stainless steel bar that your
firm did not produce in this question; those data to the degree they are exported to the United
States should only be reported in question II-13.
Do not submit data by manufacturing facility if they are in the same country. If your firm has
multiple manufacturing establishments within one country, you are required to combine data
for those establishments within one foreign producer questionnaire response.
Do not submit data on multiple countries combined. The establishments reported here should
all be located in the country of the firm’s address reported on the certification page.
Multinational companies with production in multiple subject countries should submit separate
foreign producer questionnaire responses for each subject country.
“Average production capacity” or “capacity” –The level of production that your
establishment(s) could reasonably have expected to attain during the specified periods for all
products manufactured in that establishment using the same manufacturing equipment.
Assume normal operating conditions (i.e., using equipment and machinery in place and ready to
operate; normal operating levels (hours per week/weeks per year) and time for downtime,
maintenance, repair, and cleanup; and a typical or representative product mix).
“Production” --All production in your establishment(s) in Brazil, India, Japan, and Spain,
including production consumed internally within your firm.
“Shipments”--Shipments of products produced in your establishment(s) in Brazil, India, Japan,
and Spain. Quantities reported should be net of returns. Report net values (i.e., gross sales
values less all discounts, allowances, rebates, prepaid freight, and the value of returned goods)
in U.S. dollars, f.o.b. your point of shipment in Brazil, India, Japan, and Spain.
“Home market commercial shipments”--Shipments, other than internal consumption and
transfers to related firms, within Brazil, India, Japan, and Spain.
“Home market internal consumption/transfers to related firms”--Shipments made to
related firms in Brazil, India, Japan, and Spain, including product consumed internally by your
firm.
“Export shipments”--Shipments to destinations outside Brazil, India, Japan, and Spain, including
shipments to related firms.
“Inventories”--Finished goods inventory, not raw materials or work-in-progress.
Note: As requested in Part I of this questionnaire, please keep all supporting documents/records
used in the preparation of the trade data, as Commission staff may contact your firm regarding
questions on the trade data. The Commission may also request that your company submit copies
of the supporting documents/records (such as production and sales schedules, inventory records,
etc.) used to compile these data.
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
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Trade data.--Continued.
II-11.
Quantity (in short tons) and Value (in 1,000 dollars)
Calendar year
Item
2015
2016
January to March
2017
2017
2018
1
Average production capacity (A)
Beginning-of-period inventories (B)
Production (C)
Home market shipments:
Internal consumption/ transfers
quantity (D)
value (E)
Commercial shipments
quantity (F)
value (G)
Export shipments:
to the United States:
quantity (H)
value (I)
2
to the European Union:
quantity (J)
value (K)
3
to Asia:
quantity (L)
value (M)
to all other markets:
quantity (N)
4
value (O)
Total Exports
quantity (P)
value (Q)
Total shipments
quantity (R)
value (S)
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
End-of-period inventories (T)
1
The production capacity 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:
2
Identify your firm’s principal European Union export markets:
.
3
Identify your firm’s principal Asian export markets:
.
4
Identify your firm’s principal other export markets:
.
.
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
II-11.
Page 15
Trade data.—Continued.
RECONCILIATION OF SHIPMENTS, PRODUCTION, AND INVENTORY.--Generally, the data reported
for the end-of-period inventories (i.e., line T) should be equal to the beginning-of-period
inventories (i.e., line B), plus production (i.e., line C), less total shipments (i.e., lines D, F, H, J, L,
and N). Please ensure that any differences are not due to data entry errors in completing this
form, but rather actually reflect your firm’s records; and also provide any likely explanations for
any differences (e.g., theft, loss, damage, record systems issues, etc.) if they exist.
Calendar year
Item
2015
B + C – D – F – H –J – L – N – T=
should equal zero ("0") or
provide an explanation.1
1
2016
0
January to March
2017
0
2017
0
2018
0
Explanation if the calculated fields above are returning values other than zero (i.e., “0”) but are nonetheless accurate:
II-12.
0
.
Shipments by grade.--Report your firm’s total production in 2017 by AISI (or equivalent) grade.
Quantity (in short tons) and Value (in 1,000 dollars)
Calendar Year 2017
AISI (or equivalent) Grade
Quantity
AISI grade 303 (U)
AISI grade 304/304L (V)
AISI grade 316/316L (W)
AISI grade 410 (X)
AISI grade 416 (Y)
1
Other (Z)
0
Total shipments
1
List the grade(s) for which you entered data in the “other” category
RECONCILIATION OF SHIPMENTS BY GRADE AND TOTAL SHIPMENTS REPORTED IN 2017.—The
total production by grade reported (i.e., lines U, V, W, X, Y, and Z) should be equal to the total
production (i.e., line C) reported in 2017 for question II-11. If the calculated fields below return
values other than zero (i.e., “0”), the data reported must be revised prior to submission to the
Commission.
Calendar year
Item
U+V+W+X+Y+Z-C = should equal zero (“0”), if not revise.
2017
0
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
II-13.
Page 16
Exports to related firms.--Report your firm’s exports to all destination markets of stainless steel
bar that your firm produced and shipped to related companies. Note these data should be a
subset of total exports (i.e., quantity data in line AA should be a subset of line P; and value data
in line AB should be a subset of line Q).
Quantity (in short tons) and Value (in 1,000 dollars)
Calendar year
Item
2015
2016
January to March
2017
2017
2018
Exports of stainless steel bar to
1
related companies .—
Quantity (AA)
Value (AB)
1
List the related companies and indicate what the related companies used this merchandise for (e.g., downstream
production and if so what products, or distribution "as is" as in stainless steel bar, et cetera).
.
RECONCILIATION OF TOTAL EXPORTS AND EXPORTS TO RELATED FIRMS The quantity reported
for total exports in question II-11 (line P) should be greater than or equal to the exports of
stainless steel bar to related companies reported in line (AA) in this question. If the calculated
fields below return a negative value, the data reported must be revised prior to submission to
the Commission.
Calendar year
Item
P ≥ AA, if not revise.
2015
2016
0
January to March
2017
0
2017
0
2018
0
0
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
II-14.
Page 17
Exports to the United States not produced by your firm.--Report your firm’s exports to the
United States of stainless steel bar that was produced in Brazil, India, Japan, and Spain but not
by your firm during the specified periods. Note these data should not be included in question II11.
Quantity (in short tons) and Value (in 1,000 dollars)
Calendar year
Item
2015
2016
January to March
2017
2017
2018
Exports of stainless steel bar to the
United States not produced by
1
your firm .—
1
Quantity
Value
1
List the producer(s).
II-15. Other explanations.--If your firm would like to further explain a response to a question in Part II
that did not provide a narrative box, please note the question number and the explanation in the space
provided below. Please also use this space to highlight any issues your firm had in providing the data in
this section, including but not limited to technical issues with the MS Word questionnaire.
.
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Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
Page 18
PART III.--MARKET FACTORS
Further information on this part of the questionnaire can be obtained from Lauren Gamache (202-2053489, [email protected]).
III-1.
Contact information.--Please identify the responsible individual and how Commission staff may
contact the individual regarding the confidential information submitted in part III.
Name
Title
Email
Telephone
Fax
III-2.
Contract versus spot.--Approximately what share of your firm’s sales of stainless steel bar to
U.S. customers in 2017 was on a (1) long-term contract basis, (2) annual contract basis, (3) shortterm contract basis, and (4) spot sales basis?
Share of your
2017 sales
Long-term
contracts
(multiple
deliveries for
more than 12
months)
%
Type of sale
Short-term
Annual
contracts
contracts
(multiple
(multiple
deliveries for
deliveries for 12
less than 12
months)
months)
%
Total
(should
sum to
100.0%)
Spot sales
(for a single
delivery)
%
%
0.0
%
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
III-3.
Page 19
Contract provisions.--Please fill out the table regarding your firm’s typical sales contracts with
U.S. customers for stainless steel bar (or check “not applicable” if your firm does not sell on a
long-term, short-term and/or annual contract basis).
Typical sales
contract provisions
Item
Average contract
duration
No. of
days
Price renegotiation
(during contract
period)
Yes
Short-term contracts
(multiple deliveries
for less than 12
months)
Annual contracts
(multiple
deliveries for 12
months)
Long-term contracts
(multiple deliveries for
more than 12 months)
365
No
Quantity
Fixed quantity
and/or price
Price
Both
Indexed to raw
material costs
Yes
Meet or release
provision
Yes
No
No
Not applicable
III-4.
Lead times.--What is your firm’s share of sales from inventory and produced to order and what
is the typical lead time between a customer’s order and the date of delivery for your firm’s sales
of stainless steel bar?
Source
Share of 2017 sales
From inventory
%
Produced to order
%
Total (should sum to 100.0%)
0.0 %
Lead time (Average
number of days)
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
III-5.
Page 20
Raw materials.--Indicate how stainless steel bar raw materials prices have changed since
January 1, 2012, and how you expect they will change in the future.
Raw
materials
prices
Fluctuate
Explain, noting how raw material
with no
price changes have affected your
clear
firm’s selling prices for stainless steel
Overall
No
Overall
increase change decrease trend
bar.
Changes since
January 1,
2012
Anticipated
changes
III-6.
Changes in factors affecting supply.--Have any changes occurred in any other factors affecting
supply (e.g., changes in availability or prices of energy or labor; transportation conditions;
production capacity and/or methods of production; technology; export markets; or alternative
production opportunities) that affected the availability of Brazil, India, Japan, and Spainproduced stainless steel bar in the U.S. market since January 1, 2012?
No
III-7.
Yes
If yes, please describe.
Availability of SUBJECT import supply.-- Do you anticipate any changes in terms of the
availability of Brazil, India, Japan, and Spain-produced stainless steel bar in the U.S. market in
the future?
If you anticipate changes in supply, please identify the changes,
No
including the time period and the impact of such changes on
Increase change Decrease shipment volumes and prices.
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
Page 21
III-8.
Product shifting.--Describe how easily your firm can shift its sales of stainless steel bar between
the U.S. market and alternative country markets. In your discussion, please describe any
contracts, other sales arrangements, or other constraints (including any third-country trade
barriers such as tariffs, quotas, or other non-tariff barriers) that would prevent or retard your
firm from shifting stainless steel bar between the U.S. and alternative country markets within a
12-month period.
III-9.
Product range.--Is the product range, product mix, or marketing of stainless steel bar in your
firm’s home market different from that of stainless steel bar for export to the United States or
to third-country markets?
No
Yes
If yes, please explain.
III-10. Product changes.--Have there been any significant changes in the product range, product mix,
or marketing of stainless steel bar in your firm’s home market, for export to the United States,
or for export to third-country markets since January 1, 2012? Do you anticipate any future
changes?
Changes in
product range,
product mix, or
marketing
No Yes
Changes since
January 1, 2012
Anticipated
changes
Explain
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
Page 22
III-11. Substitutes. -(a)
Can other products be substituted for stainless steel bar?
No
Yes--Please fill out the table.
End use in which this
substitute is used
Substitute
Have changes in the price of this substitute
affected the price for stainless steel bar?
No Yes
Explanation
1.
2.
3.
(b)
Have there been any changes in the number or types of products that can be
substituted for stainless steel bar since January 1, 2012? Do you anticipate any future
changes?
Changes in
substitutes
No Yes
Explain
Changes since
January 1, 2012
Anticipated
changes
III-12. Interchangeability.--Is the stainless steel bar produced by your firm and sold in its home market
interchangeable (i.e., can be used in the same applications) with your firm’s stainless steel bar
sold to the United States and/or to third-country markets?
Yes
No
If no, identify the market(s) and any differences in the products.
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
Page 23
III-13. End uses.—
(a)
Describe the end uses of the stainless steel bar that your firm manufactures and sells to
your firm’s home market. If these end uses differ from those of the stainless steel bar
your firm sells to the U.S. market or to third-country markets, explain.
(b)
Have there been any changes in the end uses of stainless steel bar since January 1,
2012? Do you anticipate any future changes?
Changes in end
uses
No
Yes
Explain
Changes since
January 1, 2012
Anticipated
changes
III-14. Demand trends.--Indicate how demand in the following markets for stainless steel bar has
changed since January 1, 2012, and how you anticipate demand will change in the future.
Explain any trends and describe the principal factors that have affected, and that you anticipate
will affect, these changes in demand.
Your firm’s market
Overall
increase
Fluctuate
No
Overall
with no
change decrease clear trend
Demand since January 1, 2012
Home market
United States
Other markets
Anticipated future demand
Home market
United States
Other markets
Explanation and factors
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
Page 24
III-15. Price differences.--Please compare market prices of stainless steel bar in your firm’s home
market, the United States, and third-country markets.
III-16. Description of home market.--Describe briefly your firm’s home market for stainless steel bar,
including the number of, and competition between, producers.
III-17. Import competition.--Does your firm face competition from imports of stainless steel bar in
your firm’s home market?
No
Yes
If yes, please identify the country sources of these imports.
III-18. Market studies.--Please provide as a separate attachment to this request any studies, surveys,
etc. that you are aware of that quantify and/or otherwise discuss stainless steel bar supply
(including production capacity and capacity utilization) and demand in (1) the United States, (2)
each of the other major producing/consuming countries, including Brazil, India, Japan, and
Spain, and (3) the world as a whole. Of particular interest is such data from 2015 to the present
and forecasts for the future.
III-19. Effect of 232 investigation of steel on conditions of competition.-(a) Are you familiar with the 232 investigation or the imposition of tariffs on imported steel
products?
No (skip to III-20)
Yes (complete part b)
(b) Did the announcement of the 232 investigation in April 2017 or the imposition of tariffs on
imported steel products in March 2018 impact on the conditions of competition for stainless
steel bar?
No
Announcement of the 232 investigation in
April 2017
Imposition of tariffs on imported steel
products in March 2018
Yes If yes, describe.
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
Page 25
III-20. Other explanations.--If your firm would like to further explain a response to a question in Part III
that did not provide a narrative response box, please note the question number and the
explanation in the space provided below. Please also use this space to highlight any issues your
firm had in providing the data in this section, including but not limited to technical issues with
the MS Word questionnaire.
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
Page 26
Correcting Valid number error messages.--If you are completing a Commission
questionnaire in a country that uses periods (“.”) to delineate multiples of 1000 (e.g., one million would
appear as $1.000.000 instead of as $1,000,000), you may be unable to enter in numbers greater than
999 in numeric form fields. This issues stem from your computer number formatting setting (e.g., not
the MS Word document itself, but the computer from which you are opening up the document). In the
United States commas (,) delineate multiples of 1000 and periods (.) delineate fractions less than one.
Many EU countries use the reverse where multiples of 1000 are delineated with periods (.) and
fractions less than one are delineated with commas (,). The US International Trade Commission’s
questionnaires are set-up in the United States with the U.S. number formatting. When this formatting
interacts with a computer set to EU number formatting, we believe this may cause this issue.
The solution to this data entry issue is to temporarily change your operating system’s number
formatting to be consistent with the U.S. number formatting system while you complete the
questionnaire.
To temporarily change your computer’s number settings to U.S. settings, please do the following (for
Microsoft Windows Operating system):
•
•
•
•
•
START
Control Panel
Region and Language (under Clock, Language, and Region category)
Format tab
Change the Format from your existing one (e.g. “Italian (Italy)”) to “English (United States)” (see
screen shots below)
When you do this the number “twelve million dollars and thirty five cents” would change from
$12.000.000,35 (Italy format) to $12,000,000.35 (U.S. format), and then there will be no conflict with
the USITC foreign producer questionnaire form. When you finish reporting the data then you can close
the questionnaire and switch back to Italy settings.
Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire – Stainless Steel Bar (Fourth Review)
Page 27
HOW TO FILE YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSE
This questionnaire is available as a “fillable” form in MS Word format on the
Commission’s website at:
https://www.usitc.gov/investigations/701731/2017/stainless_steel_bar_brazil_india_ja
pan_and_spain/fourth_review_full.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: SSBAR
• E-mail.—E-mail the MS Word questionnaire 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 produce or export 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, it 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 (202205-1803). A certificate of service must accompany the completed questionnaire you submit (see 19 CFR
§ 207.7). Service of the questionnaire must be made in paper form.
| File Type | application/pdf |
| File Title | Foreign producer questionnaire - sunst |
| Author | Duncan, Russell |
| File Modified | 2018-04-03 |
| File Created | 2018-04-03 |