19-3-4007 US purchasers' questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 19-3-4007; Expiration Date: 6/30/2020

(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

U.S. PURCHASERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE

STEEL PROPANE CYLINDERS FROM CHINA AND THAILAND

This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by March 25, 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 duty and antidumping investigations concerning steel propane cylinders from China and Thailand (Inv. No. 701-TA-607 and 731-TA-1417 and 1419 (Final)). The information requested in the questionnaire is requested under the authority of the Tariff Act of 1930, title VII. This report is mandatory and failure to reply as directed can result in a subpoena or other order to compel the submission of records or information in your possession (19 U.S.C. § 1333(a)). Further information on this questionnaire can be obtained from Amelia Preece (202-205-3250, [email protected]).

Name of firm      

Address      

City       State    Zip Code      

Website      

Has your firm purchased steel propane cylinders (as defined on next page) from any source (domestic or foreign) at any time since January 1, 2016?

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: PROP)

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, the undersigned, acknowledge that information submitted in response to this request for information and throughout this proceeding or other proceedings 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

PART I.—GENERAL INFORMATION

This proceeding was instituted in response to a petition filed on May 22, 2018, by Worthington Industries, (Columbus, Ohio) and Manchester Tank & Equipment Company, (Franklin, Tennessee). Antidumping and countervailing 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 determinations of dumping and/or subsidization. Questionnaires and other information pertinent to this proceeding are available at https://www.usitc.gov/investigations/701731/2018/steel_propane_cylinders_china_and_thailand/final.htm.

Steel propane cylinders for purposes of these investigations are steel cylinders for compressed or liquefied propane gas meeting the requirements of, or produced to meet the requirements of, U.S. Department of Transportation (“USDOT”) Specifications 4B, 4BA, or 4BW, or Transport Canada Specification 4BM, 4BAM, or 4BWM, or a UN pressure receptacle meeting standard ISO 4706, and range from 2.5 pound nominal gas capacity (approximate 4-6 pound tare weight) to 42 pound nominal gas capacity (approximate 28-32 pound tare weight), with up to 100 pound water capacity (“Steel Propane Cylinders”). Steel Propane Cylinders may be certified to USDOT Specification 4B, 4BA, or 4BW either before or after importation. Steel Propane Cylinders have two or fewer ports and may be imported assembled or unassembled (i.e., welded or brazed before or after importation), with or without out all components (including collars, valves, gauges, tanks, foot rings, and overfill prevention devices), and coated or uncoated.  Also included within the scope are parts of steel propane cylinders, unfinished propane cylinders, collars, and foot rings for steel propane cylinders.

These petitions also cover steel propane cylinders that meet, are produced to meet, or are certified as meeting, other U.S. or Canadian government, international, or industry standards (including, for example, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (“ASME”), or American National Standard Institute (“ANSI”)), if they also meet, are produced to meet, or are certified as meeting USDOT Specification 4B, 4BA, or 4BW, or Transport Canada Specification 4BM, 4BAM, or 4BWM, or a UN pressure receptacle meeting standard ISO 4706.

Subject merchandise also includes steel propane cylinders that have been further processed in a third country, including but not limited to attachment of collars, foot rings, or handles by welding or brazing, heat treatment, painting, testing, certification, or any other processing that would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the scope of the petitions if performed in the country of manufacture of the in-scope Steel Propane Cylinders.

Specifically excluded are seamless steel propane cylinders and propane cylinders made from stainless steel (i.e., steel containing at least 10.5 percent chromium by weight and less than 1.2 percent carbon by weight), aluminum, or composite fiber material. 

The merchandise subject to these investigations is properly classified under statistical reporting numbers 7311.00.0060 and 7311.00.0090 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS).  Although the HTSUS statistical reporting numbers are provided for convenience and customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise is dispositive.

Purchaser.‑‑Any firm engaged, either directly or through a parent company or subsidiary, in purchasing steel propane cylinders from another firm that produces, imports, or otherwise distributes steel propane cylinders.

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 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. Establishments covered.--Provide the name and address of your 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 response.

“Establishment”‑‑Each facility of a firm involved in the purchase of steel propane cylinders, including auxiliary facilities operated in conjunction with (whether or not physically separate from) such facilities.

     

I-2. Ownership.--Is your firm owned, in whole or in part, by any other firm?

No Yes--List the following information.

Firm name	Address	Extent of ownership (percent)
     	     	     
     	     	     

I-3. Related importers/exporters.--Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, which import steel propane cylinders into the United States or which export steel propane cylinders to the United States?

No Yes--List the following information.

Firm name	Country	Affiliation
     	     	     
     	     	     

I-4. Related producers.--Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, which produce steel propane cylinders?

No Yes--List the following information.

Firm name	Country	Affiliation
     	     	     
     	     	     

PART II.--PURCHASES

Contact information.--Please identify the responsible individual and the manner by which Commission staff may contact that individual regarding the confidential information submitted in this questionnaire.

Name	     
Title	     
Email	     
Telephone	     

II-1. Purchases and imports.--Report separately your firm’s purchases and your firm's imports of steel propane cylinders.

“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.

Item	2016	2017	2018
	Quantity (in pounds, tare weight)
Purchases of steel propane cylinders produced in-- United States (i.e., produced by Manchester or Worthington)	     	     	     
China	     	     	     
Thailand	     	     	     
All other countries1	     	     	     
Sources unknown	     	     	     
Total purchases	 0	 0
Imports2 of steel propane cylinders from-- China	     	     	     
Thailand	     	     	     
All other countries1	     	     	     
Total imports	 0	 0
1 Please identify these countries:       2 Please download and complete the U.S. importers' questionnaire from the case page linked on page 2.

II-2. Purchases of imports from U.S. producers.--Have you ever purchased imported steel propane cylinders from Manchester or Worthington?

No	Yes	If yes, please explain why you purchased imports rather than U.S. produced steel propane cylinders from them.
		     

II-3. Changes in purchasing patterns.--Please indicate how the shares of your firm’s purchases of steel propane cylinders manufactured in different sources have changed since January 1, 2016.

Source of purchases	Did not purchase	Decreased	Increased	Constant	Fluctuated	Explanation for trend
United States (i.e., Manchester or Worthington)						     
China						     
Thailand						     
All other countries						     
Sources unknown						     

II-4. Country knowledge.--Please indicate the countries of origin with which your firm has experience or information for steel propane cylinders manufactured in those countries.

United States (i.e., Manchester or Worthington)	China	Thailand	Other countries	Other countries (specify)
				     

II-5. Supplier identification.--Please list your firm’s FIVE largest suppliers for steel propane cylinders since January 1, 2016. Also, provide the length of time you have purchased from each supplier and the share of the quantity of your firm’s total purchases of steel propane cylinders that each of these suppliers accounted for in 2018.

No.	Supplier’s name	City and state	Number of years purchased from the firm	Share of quantity of 2018 purchases
1	     	     	     	     	%
2	     	     	     	     	%
3	     	     	     	     	%
4	     	     	     	     	%
5	     	     	     	     	%

PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES

III-1. Firm type.--Which of the following best describes your firm as a purchaser of steel propane cylinders (check all that apply)?

RV manufacturer	Retailer	Gas exchanger	Distributor to RV manufacturer	Distributor other than to RV manufacturer	Other	Describe other
						     

If your firm is a distributor of steel propane cylinders, please answer questions III-2 and III-3.

III-2. Competition for sales.--Does your firm compete for sales to customers with the manufacturers or importers from which your firm purchases steel propane cylinders?

No	Yes	If yes, please describe.
		     

III-3. Types of customers.--What are the major types of purchasers to which your firm sells steel propane cylinders?

     

If your firm is an end user of steel propane cylinders, please answer questions III-4 and III-5.

III-4. End uses.--List the top 3 products your firm makes using steel propane cylinders and estimate the percent of your total production cost that is accounted for by steel propane cylinders in the manufacture of those products and by other inputs (such as labor, energy, and other raw materials).

Product(s) your firm produces	Share of total cost in each of the product(s) your firm produces accounted for by						Total (should sum to 100.0% across)
	Steel propane cylinders			Other inputs
     	     	%	+	     	%	=	 0.0	%
     	     	%	+	     	%	=	 0.0	%
     	     	%	+	     	%	=	 0.0	%

III-5. Demand for end use products.--

(a) Has the demand for your firm’s final products incorporating steel propane cylinders changed since January 1, 2016?

Increased	No change	Decreased	Fluctuated

(b) Has this had any effect on your firm’s demand for steel propane cylinders?

No	Yes	Explain
		     

III-6. Substitutes.--Can other products be substituted for steel propane cylinders?

No Yes--Please fill out the table.

Substitute		End use in which this substitute is used	Have changes in the price of this substitute affected the price for steel propane cylinders?
			No	Yes	Explanation
1.	     	     			     
2.	     	     			     
3.	     	     			     

III-7. Demand trends.--Indicate how demand within the United States and outside of the United States (if known) for steel propane cylinders has changed since January 1, 2016. Explain any trends and describe the principal factors that have affected these changes in demand.

Market	Overall increase	No change	Overall decrease	Fluctuate with no clear trend	Explanation and factors
Within the United States					     
Outside the United States					     

III-8. Country preferences.--Do you or your customers ever specifically order steel propane cylinders from one country in particular over other possible sources of supply?

No	Yes	If yes, identify the countries and explain.
		     

III-9. Importance of purchasing domestic product.--Please fill out the table below, estimating the percentage of your firm’s total 2018 purchases of steel propane cylinders that required steel propane cylinders produced in the United States.

	Estimated percentage of your firm’s total 2018 purchases of steel propane cylinders
Purchases that did not require domestic product	     	%
Purchases that were required by law or regulation to be domestic product (e.g., government purchases under “Buy American” provisions)	     	%
Purchases that were not required by law or regulation, but were required by your customers to be domestic product	     	%
Purchases that were required to be domestic product for other reasons (explain:         )	     	%
Total (should sum to 100.0%)	 0.0	%

III-10. Conditions of competition.--

1. Is the steel propane cylinder market subject to business cycles (other than general economy-wide conditions) and/or other conditions of competition distinctive to steel propane cylinders?

Check all that apply.		Please describe.
	No	Skip to question III-11.
	Yes-Business cycles (e.g., seasonal business)	     
	Yes-Other distinctive conditions of competition	     

2. Have there been any changes in the business cycles or conditions of competition for steel propane cylinders since January 1, 2016?

No	Yes	If yes, describe.
		     

III-11. Decisions based on producer and country-of-origin.--How often does your firm and, if known, do your customers make purchasing decisions involving steel propane cylinders based on the producer or country of origin of the steel propane cylinders?

Item	Always	Usually	Sometimes	Never	If at least sometimes, explain.
Decision based on producer
Your firm					     
Your customers					     
Decision based on country of origin
Your firm					     
Your customers					     

III-12. Decision based on other products.—

1. Are your purchase sourcing decisions influenced by the availability of products outside the scope of the investigations from the same source? (e.g. other equipment, other types of cylinders, etc.)

No	Yes	If yes, please explain and identify the other product(s) and the supplier.
		     

2. Have domestic producers used access to a product outside the scope of the investigations to encourage purchases of steel propane cylinders from the producers?

No	Yes	If yes, please explain.
		     

III-13. Availability of supply.--Has the availability of steel propane cylinders in the U.S. market changed since January 1, 2016?

Availability in the U.S. market	No	Yes	Please explain, noting the producers and/or countries and reasons for the changes.
U.S.-produced product (i.e., Manchester or Worthington)			     
Subject imports			     
Nonsubject imports			     

III-14. Supply constraints.--Has any firm refused, declined, or been unable to supply your firm with steel propane cylinders since January 1, 2016 (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, being unable to meet timely shipment commitments, etc.)?

No	Yes	If yes, please describe.
		     

III-15. Availability of specific product types.--Are certain grades/types/sizes of steel propane cylinders only available from certain country’s sources or countries’ sources?

No	Yes	If yes, please identify the countries and the grade/type/size.
		     

III-16. Purchasing frequency.--

1. How frequently does your firm make purchases of steel propane cylinders (check one)?

Daily	Weekly	Monthly	Quarterly	Annually	Other	If other, specify
						     

2. Has this purchasing frequency changed since January 1, 2016?

No	Yes	If yes, please describe.
		     

III-17. Raw material prices.—

1. Is your firm familiar with the prices for raw materials used in the production of steel propane cylinders?

No – skip to III-18	Yes – please answer (b)

2. Has information on raw material prices affected your firm’s negotiations or contracts to purchase steel propane cylinders since 2016?

No	Yes	Explain
		     

III-18. Number of suppliers contacted.--How many suppliers does your firm generally contact before making a purchase? Between       and       firms

III-19. Supplier negotiations.--Do your firm’s purchases of steel propane cylinders usually involve negotiations between supplier and purchaser?

No	Yes	If yes, explain the factors your firm generally negotiates and note whether your firm quotes competing prices during negotiations.
		     

III-20. Change in suppliers.--Has your firm changed suppliers since January 1, 2016?

No	Yes	If yes, please list the relevant supplier(s), whether the firm was added or dropped, and the reasons for the change.
		     

III-21. New suppliers.--Are you aware of any new suppliers, either foreign or domestic, that have entered the market since January 1, 2016?

No	Yes	If yes, please identify the firms.
		     

III-22. Supplier qualification.--Do you require your suppliers to be or to become certified or qualified (other than DOT certification) to sell steel propane cylinders to your firm?

If yes, provide the following information.

• The number of days to qualify a new supplier.

• A general description of the certification or qualification process. Also, a brief description of the factors that you consider when qualifying a new supplier (e.g., quality of product, reliability of supplier, your own specification, etc.).

No	Yes	Number of days	Process and factors
		     	     

III-23. Failure to certify.--Since January 1, 2016, have any domestic or foreign producers failed in their attempts to certify or qualify their steel propane cylinders 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, and the reasons why they failed the certification/qualification.
		     

III-24. Major purchasing factors.--Please list, in order of their importance, the main factors your firm considers in deciding from whom to purchase steel propane cylinders (examples include availability, extension of credit, contracts, price, quality, range of supplier’s product line, traditional supplier, etc.).

1.	     
2.	     
3.	     
Please list any other factors that are very important in your purchase decisions:      

III-25. Purchasing factors.--Please rate the importance of the following 21 factors in your firm’s purchasing decisions for steel propane cylinders.

Factor	Very important	Somewhat important	Not important
Availability
Able to purchase less than full truckloads
Customer service
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Discounts offered
Innovative features
Just in time delivery
Logistics
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging (freight container)
Packaging (pallet packing configuration
Payment terms
Price
Product consistency
Product range
Quality meets industry standards
Quality exceeds industry standards
Reliability of supply
Tanks have indicators for level of propane
Tanks manufactured to your specifications
Technical support/service
Thickness of cylinder walls
U.S. transportation costs
UV resistant paint

III-26. Quality characteristics.--What characteristics does your firm consider when determining the quality of steel propane cylinders?

     

III-27. Minimum quality.--How often do steel propane cylinders manufactured in the following countries meet minimum quality specifications for your uses or your customers’ uses?

Source	Always	Usually	Sometimes	Rarely or never	Don’t know
United States (i.e., Manchester or Worthington)
China
Thailand
Other:      

III-28. Frequency of decisions based on price.--How often does your firm purchase the steel propane cylinders that are offered at the lowest price?

Always	Usually	Sometimes	Never

III-29. Price leaders.--A price leader is defined as (1) one or more firms that initiate a price change, either upward or downward, that is followed by other firms, or (2) one or more firms that have a significant impact on prices. A price leader is not necessarily the lowest-priced supplier.

Please list the names of any firms you considered price leaders in the steel propane cylinders market since January 1, 2016.

Firm(s)	Describe how the firm(s) exhibited price leadership
     	     

III-30. Average lead time.—

1. Please report the average lead-time in number of days of the steel propane cylinders you purchased from U.S. producers and importers in 2018.

Purchases from U.S. producers (i.e., Manchester or Worthington)				Purchases from importers
Quoted days		Actual days		Quoted days		Actual days
     	days	     	days	     	days	     	days

2. Please report changes in lead times since January 2016 for U.S.-produced and imported product and explain any impact the changes in lead had on your firms sales or product since January 2016.

No change	Changes in U.S. producers’ (i.e., Manchester or Worthington) lead time	Change in imports from Thailand and China in lead times	Explain the impact changes in lead times has had on your firm’s sales or product.
	     	     	     

III-31. Most favored purchaser agreement.--Does your firm have any most favored purchaser agreements or other agreements with a U.S. producer or importer that guarantees that the price at which you purchase steel propane cylinders will be at the lowest price offered by that seller?

No	Yes	If yes, please identify the sellers, and the conditions of these agreements.
		     

III-32. Purchasing subject imports rather than domestic products.

1. Since January 1, 2016, did your firm purchase imports of steel propane cylinders produced in China and Thailand instead of U.S.-produced (i.e., Manchester or Worthington) steel propane cylinders?  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
Thailand

2. If you responded “Yes” to part (a), was the imported product priced lower than the domestic product? If you respond “No,” please explain why you purchased imports.

Source	Yes	No (if no please explain why you purchased imports)	If not, reason your firm purchased imports
China			     
Thailand			     

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

Source	Yes	If Yes, estimate the quantity of imports purchased instead of domestic product since January 1, 2016 (in pounds tare weight)	No	If No, please indicate the reason your firm purchased imports instead of domestic product
China		     		     
Thailand		     		     

III-33. U.S. producers and import competition.—

(a) Since January 1, 2016, in connection with a sale or offer to sell steel propane cylinders to your firm, did U.S. producers (i.e., Manchester or Worthington) reduce their prices of domestically produced steel propane cylinders in order to compete with lower-priced imports of steel propane cylinders 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
Thailand

(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. producers’ prices (percent)		Additional explanation, including such information as timing (e.g., months/years), frequency of price reductions, or other market/competitive factors
China	     	%	     
Thailand	     	%	     

(c) Did any U.S. producer offer product imported from the following countries at a lower price instead of reducing their price for U.S. produced product?

Source	Yes	No	Explain and name the U.S. producer
China			     
Thailand			     

PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS

IV-1. Interchangeability.—Are steel propane cylinders 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	Thailand	Other countries
United States (i.e., Manchester or Worthington)
China
Thailand
For any country-pair producing steel propane cylinders which is sometimes or never interchangeable, please identify the country-pair and explain the factors that limit or preclude interchangeable use:      

IV-2. Factors other than price.--Are differences other than price (e.g., quality, availability, transportation network, product range, technical support, etc.) between steel propane cylinders 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	Thailand	Other countries
United States (i.e., Manchester or Worthington)
China
Thailand
For any country-pair for which factors other than price always or frequently are a significant factor in your firm’s purchases of steel propane cylinders, identify the country-pair and report the advantages or disadvantages imparted by such factors:      

IV-3. Factor country comparisons.--For the 21 factors listed below, please rate how steel propane cylinders produced in each country you identified in your response to the first question in Part IV compares with steel propane cylinders produced in each of the other countries you identified.

If you are unfamiliar with the product from a particular country, please leave the boxes for those country comparisons blank.

Factor	Product from United States (i.e., Manchester or Worthington) compared to product from China			Product from United States (i.e., Manchester or Worthington) compared to product from Thailand			Product from China compared to product from Thailand
	Superior	Comparable	Inferior	Superior	Comparable	Inferior	Superior	Comparable	Inferior
Availability
Able to purchase less than full truckloads
Customer service
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Discounts offered
Innovative features
Just in time delivery
Logistics
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging (freight container)
Packaging (pallet packing configuration)
Payment terms
Price1
Product consistency
Product range
Quality meets industry standards
Quality exceeds industry standards
Reliability of supply
Tanks have indicators for level of propane
Tanks manufactured to your specifications
Technical support/service
Thickness of cylinder walls
U.S. transportation costs1
UV-resistant paint
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.

IV-3. Continued.

If you are unfamiliar with the product from a particular country, please leave the boxes for those country comparisons blank.

Factor	Product from United States (i.e., Manchester or Worthington) compared to product from Nonsubject countries			Product from China compared to product from Nonsubject countries			Product from Thailand compared to product from Nonsubject countries
	Superior	Comparable	Inferior	Superior	Comparable	Inferior	Superior	Comparable	Inferior
Availability
Able to purchase less than full truckloads
Customer service
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Discounts offered
Innovative features
Just in time delivery
Logistics
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging (freight container)
Packaging (pallet packing configuration)
Payment terms
Price1
Product consistency
Product range
Quality meets industry standards
Quality exceeds industry standards
Reliability of supply
Tanks have indicators for level of propane
Technical support/service
Thickness of cylinder walls
U.S. transportation costs1
UV-resistant paint
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.

PART V.—ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

V-1. Other explanations.--If your firm would like to further explain a response to any question for which a narrative response box was not provided, please note the question number and the explanation in the space provided below.

     

V-2. 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 response or send to the Office of Investigations, USITC, 500 E St. SW, Washington, DC 20436.

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/701731/2018/steel_propane_cylinders_china_and_thailand/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: PROP

• 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 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, 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 (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.