19-4-4008 US purchasers' questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 19-4-4008; Expiration Date: 6/30/2020

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

FOREIGN PRODUCERS’/EXPORTERS’ 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. Nos. 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.

Name of firm      

Address      

Website      

Has your firm produced or exported steel propane cylinders (as defined on next page) at any time since January 1, 2016?

NO (Sign the certification below and promptly return only this page of the 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):

CHINA THAILAND

Return questionnaire via the 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 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 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

Phone:            

Signature Email address

Fax:      

PART I.—GENERAL INFORMATION

Background. -- 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.

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 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 Abu Kanu (202-205-2597, [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 20 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 China or Thailand involved in the production or export of steel propane cylinders, including auxiliary facilities operated in conjunction with (whether or not physically separate from) such facilities. Firms operating more than one establishment in China or Thailand should combine the data for all establishments into a single report.

     

I-3. Related producers.--Does your firm or any related firm produce, have the capability to produce, or have any plans to produce steel propane cylinders in the United States or other countries?

No	Yes	If yes, please name the firm(s) and countries below and, if U.S. producer(s), ensure that they complete the Commission’s U.S. producers’ questionnaire.
		     

I-4. Related U.S. importers.--Does your firm or any related firm import or have any plans to import steel propane cylinders from China and/or Thailand into the United States?

No	Yes	If yes, please name the firm(s) below and ensure that they complete the Commission’s U.S. importers’ questionnaire:
		     

I-5. U.S. importers.--Please provide the names, contacts, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses of the FIVE largest U.S. importers of your firm’s steel propane cylinders in 2018.

Importer’s name		Contact person	E­mail	Telephone	Share of your firm’s 2018 U.S. exports (%)
1	     	     	     	     	     
2	     	     	     	     	     
3	     	     	     	     	     
4	     	     	     	     	     
5	     	     	     	     	     

PART II.--TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION

Further information on this part of the questionnaire can be obtained from Abu Kanu (202-205-2597, [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-2a. Changes in operations.--Please indicate whether your firm has experienced any of the following changes in relation to the production of steel propane cylinders since January 1, 2016.

(check as many as appropriate)		(If checked, please describe; leave blank if not applicable)
	plant openings	     
	plant closings	     
	relocations	     
	expansions	     
	acquisitions	     
	consolidations	     
	prolonged shutdowns or production curtailments	     
	revised labor agreements	     
	other (e.g., technology)	     

II-2b. Anticipated changes in operations.--Does your firm anticipate any changes in the character of its operations or organization (as noted above) relating to the production of steel propane cylinders in the future?

No	Yes	If yes, supply details as to the time, nature, and significance of such changes and provide underlying assumptions.
		     

II-3a. Production using same machinery.-- Please report your firm’s production of products using the same equipment, machinery, or employees as used to produce steel propane cylinders, and the combined production capacity on this shared equipment, machinery, or employees in the periods indicated.

“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 then the "overall production capacity" numbers reported in this question should be exactly equal to the "average production capacity" numbers reported in question II-8. If, however, your firm does produce out-of-scope merchandise using the same machinery and equipment as scope mercandhise, then the "average production capacity" reported in question II-8 should exclude the portion of "overall production capacity" that was used to produce this out-of-scope merchandise.

“Production” --All production in your establishment(s) in China and/or Thailand, including production consumed internally within your firm.

II-3a. Production using same machinery.--Continued

Quantity (in pounds, tare weight)
Item	Calendar years
	2016	2017	2018
Overall production capacity1	     	     	     
Production of: Steel propane cylinders2	 0	 0	 0
Out-of-scope products 3	     	     	     
Total production using same machinery or workers	 0	 0	 0
1 Data reported for capacity (first line) should be greater than data reported for total production (last line). 2 Data entered for production of steel propane cylinders will populate here once reported in question II-7. 3 Please identify these products:      .

II-3b. Operating parameters.--The production capacity reported in II-3a is based on the following operating paramaters:

Hours 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. Capacity changes.--Please explain any changes in overall production in II-3a.

     

II-3e. Production constraints.--Please describe the constraint(s) that set the limit(s) on your firm’s production capacity.

     

II-3f. Product shifting.—

(i). Is your firm able to switch production capacity between steel propane cylinders and out of scope products using the same equipment and/or labor?

No	Yes	If yes (i.e., have produced other products or are able to produce other products)--Please identify other actual or potential products:
		     

(ii). 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 facilitate 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 steel propane cylinders?       percent.

II-5. Firm's estimated share of production in China or Thailand.--Please estimate the percentage of total production of steel propane cylinders in China or Thailand on the certification page accounted for by your firm’s production in 2018.       percent.

II-6. Firm's estimated share of country's exports.--Please estimate the percentage of total exports to the United States of steel propane cylinders from China or Thailand (as indicated on the certification page) accounted for by your firm’s exports in 2018.       percent.

II-7. U.S. DOT Certifications.--Please list the names and contact information for any other producer of steel propane cylinders that have DOT 4B, 4BA, or 4BW certifications in China or Thailand.

Firm name	Country	Contact person and phone number	Email
     	     	     	     
     	     	     	     
     	     	     	     

II-8. Third country trade actions.--Is the steel propane cylinders exported by your firm subject to antidumping/countervailing duty/safeguard findings, remedies, or proceedings?

No	Yes	If yes--List the products(s), countries affected, and the date of such findings/remedies/proceedings.
		     

II-9. Trade data.--Report your firm’s production capacity, production, shipments, and inventories related to the production of steel propane cylinders in your establishment(s) in China and/or Thailand during the specified periods. Do not include resales of steel propane cylinders 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-10.

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 China or Thailand, including production consumed internally within your firm.

“Shipments”--Shipments of products produced in your establishment(s) in China or Thailand. Quantities reported should be net of returns.

“Home market commercial shipments”--Shipments, other than internal consumption and

transfers to related firms, within China or Thailand.

“Home market internal consumption/transfers to related firms”--Shipments made to

related firms in China or Thailand, including product consumed internally by your firm.

“Export shipments”--Shipments to destinations outstide of the country indicacted on page 1 (China or Thailand), 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.

II-9. Trade data.--Continued.

Quantity (in pounds, tare weight)
Item	Actual experience			Projections1
	Calendar year			Calendar year
	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Average production capacity2 (A)	     	     	     	     	     
Beginning-of-period inventories (B)	     	     	     	     	     
Production (C)	     	     	     	     	     
Home market shipments: Internal consumption/ transfers (D)	     	     	     	     	     
Commercial shipments (E)	     	     	     	     	     
Exports to the United States (F)	     	     	     	     	     
Exports to all other markets3 (G)	     	     	     	     	     
Total exports (H) (should equal F+G)	 0	 0	 0	 0	 0
Total shipments (I) (should equal D+E+F+G)	 0	 0	 0	 0	 0
End-of-period inventories (J)	     	     	     	     	     
1 Please explain the basis for your firm’s projections:      . 2 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.      . 3 Identify principal other export markets:      .

RECONCILIATION OF SHIPMENTS, PRODUCTION, AND INVENTORY.--Generally, the data reported for the end-of-period inventories (i.e., line J) 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, E, F, and G). 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.

Item	Actual experience			Projections
	Calendar year			Calendar year
	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
B + C – D – E – F – G – J = should equal zero ("0") or provide an explanation.1	 0	 0	 0	 0	 0
1 Explanation if the calculated fields above are returning values other than zero (i.e., “0”) but are nonetheless accurate:      

II-10. Exports to the United States not produced by your firm.--Report your firm’s exports to the United States of steel propane cylinders that were produced in China or Thailand but not by your firm during the specified periods. Note these data should not be included in question II-8.

Quantity (in pounds, tare weight)
Item	Actual experience			Projections
	Calendar year			Calendar year
	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Exports of steel propane cylinders to the United States not produced by your firm1	     	     	     	     	     
1 List the producer(s):      .

II-11. Other explanations.--If your firm would like to further explain a response to a question in Part II for which a narrative box was not provided, 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.

     

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.

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 your 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, you are 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 you submit (see 19 CFR § 207.7). Service of the questionnaire must be made in paper form.