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pdfOMB No. 3117‐0016/USITC No. 19‐2‐4138; Expiration Date: 6/30/2020
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U.S. IMPORTERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous from Canada
This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by January 8, 2020
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 antidumping duty investigation concerning sodium sulfate anhydrous from Canada (Inv. No. 731‐TA‐
1446 (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 firm’s possession (19 U.S.C. § 1333(a)).
Name of firm
Address
City
State
Zip Code
Website
Has your firm imported sodium sulfate anhydrous (as defined on next page) from any country 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: SSAF)
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
Signature
Phone
Email address
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 2
PART I.—GENERAL INFORMATION
Background.‐‐This proceeding was instituted in response to a petition filed on March 28, 2019, by
Cooper Natural Resources, Inc., Fort Worth, Texas; Elementis Global LLC, East Windsor, New Jersey; and
Searles Valley Minerals, Inc., Overland Park, Kansas. Antidumping duties may be assessed on the subject
imports as a result of these proceedings if the Commission makes an affirmative determination of injury,
threat, or material retardation, and if the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) makes an
affirmative determination of dumping. Questionnaires and other information pertinent to this
proceeding are available at
https://www.usitc.gov/investigations/701731/2019/sodium_sulfate_anhydrous_canada/final.htm
Sodium sulfate anhydrous covered by this investigation includes sodium sulfate (Na2 SO4) (Chemical
Abstracts Service (CAS) Number 7757‐82‐6) that is anhydrous (i.e., containing no water), regardless of
purity, grade, color, production method, and form of packaging, in which the percentage of particles
between 20 mesh and 100 mesh, based on U.S. mesh series screens, ranges from 10‐95% and the
percentage of particles finer than 100 mesh, based on U.S. mesh series screens, ranges from 5‐90%.
Excluded from the scope of this investigation are specialty sodium sulfate anhydrous products, which
are products whose particle distributions fall outside the described ranges. Glauber's salt (Na2 SO4∙10H2
O), also known as sodium sulfate decahydrate, an intermediate product Start Printed Page 60377in the
production of sodium sulfate anhydrous that has no known commercial uses, is not included within the
scope of the investigation, although some end‐users may mistakenly refer to sodium sulfate anhydrous
as Glauber's salt. Other forms of sodium sulfate that are hydrous (i.e., containing water) are also
excluded from the scope of the investigation.
Sodium sulfate anhydrous is currently imported under statistical reporting number 2833.11.5010 of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS). It may also be imported under HTSUS
statistical reporting numbers 2833.11.1000, 2833.11.5050, and 2833.19.0000. The HTSUS provisions and
CAS registry number are for convenience and customs purposes; the written description of the scope is
dispositive.
Importer.‐‐Any person or firm engaged, either directly or through a parent company or subsidiary, in
importing sodium sulfate anhydrous (as defined above) into the United States from a foreign
manufacturer or through its selling agent.
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
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 3
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 Keysha
Martinez (202‐205‐2136, [email protected]).
D‐GRIDS tool.‐‐The Commission has a tool that firms can use to move data from their own MS Excel
compilation files into self‐contained data tables within this MS Word questionnaire, thereby reducing
the amount of cell‐by‐cell data entry that would be required to complete this form. This tool is a macro‐
enabled MS Excel file available for download from the Commission's generic questionnaires webpage
(https://www.usitc.gov/trade_remedy/question.htm) called the "D‐GRIDs tool." Use of this tool to help
your firm complete this questionnaire is optional. Firms opting to use the D‐GRIDs tool to populate their
data into this questionnaire will need the D‐GRIDs specification sheet PDF file specific to this proceeding
(available on the case page which is linked under the "Background" above) which includes the necessary
references relating to this questionnaire, as well as the macro‐enable MS Excel D‐GRIDs tool itself from
the generic questionnaires page. More detailed instructions on how to use the D‐GRIDs tool are
available within the D‐GRIDs tool itself.
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
40 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.
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
I‐2a.
Page 4
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 involved in the importation of sodium sulfate anhydrous,
including auxiliary facilities operated in conjunction with (whether or not physically separate
from) such facilities.
I‐2b.
I‐2c.
I‐3.
Stock symbol information.‐‐ If your firm or parent firm is publicly traded, please specify the
stock exchange and trading symbol: .
External counsel.‐‐ If your firm or parent firm is represented by external counsel in relation to
this proceeding, please specify the name of the law firm and the lead attorney(s).
Law firm: .
Lead attorney(s): .
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)
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
I‐4.
I‐5.
Related importers/exporters.‐‐Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or
foreign, that are engaged in importing sodium sulfate anhydrous from Canada into the United
States or that are engaged in exporting sodium sulfate anhydrous from Canada to the United
States?
No
Yes‐‐List the following information.
Firm name
Country
Affiliation
Related producers.‐‐Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, that are
engaged in the production of sodium sulfate anhydrous?
No
Yes‐‐List the following information.
Page 5
Firm name
Country
Affiliation
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
I‐6.
Page 6
Importing operations.‐‐Please indicate the nature of your firm’s importing operations on
sodium sulfate anhydrous. More than one answer may be applicable.
Importer of record
I‐7.
Takes title to the
imported product(s)
Consignee of the
imported products(s)
Customs broker or
freight forwarder
Consignee.‐‐If your firm is an importer of record of sodium sulfate anhydrous but is not the
consignee, please list the consignees below (firm name, address, telephone number, and
individual to contact).
Firm name
Address
Contact person
and phone
number
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
I‐8.
Page 7
FTZ, TIB, or bonded warehouses.‐‐Please indicate whether your firm enters sodium sulfate
anhydrous into, or withdraws such merchandise from, foreign trade zones or bonded
warehouses. Also indicate whether your firm imports sodium sulfate anhydrous under the TIB
(temporary importation under bond) program.
“Foreign trade zone” is a designated location in the United States where firms utilize special
procedures that allow delayed or reduced customs duty payments on foreign merchandise, as
well as other savings. A foreign trade zone must be designated as such pursuant to the rules
and procedures set forth in the Foreign‐Trade Zones Act.
“Bonded warehouse” is a secured facility supervised by U.S. customs, where dutiable landed
imports are stored pending their re‐export, or release after payment of import duties, taxes, and
other charges. A bonded warehouse must be designed as such pursuant to the rules and
procedures set forth in 19 U.S.C. § 1555.
“Temporary Importation under Bond (“TIB”) program” is a procedure whereby imported
merchandise may be entered under certain conditions for a limited time into the United States
free of duty. Under the program, an importer posts a bond for twice the amount of duty, taxes,
etc. that would otherwise be owed on the importation and agrees to export or destroy the
merchandise within a specified time or pay liquidated damages. This program is restricted to
certain categories of merchandise listed in subheadings 9813.00.05 through 9813.00.75 of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).
Item
I‐9.
No
Yes
Foreign trade zones
Bonded warehouses
Temporary importation under bond
Other trade actions.‐‐To your knowledge, have the products subject to this proceeding been the
subject of any other import relief proceedings in the United States or in any other countries?
No
Yes
If yes, Yes–Please specify.
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
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PART II.‐‐TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION
Further information on this part of the questionnaire can be obtained from Keysha Martinez (202‐205‐
2136, [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
II‐2. Changes in operations.‐‐Please indicate whether your firm has experienced any of the following
changes in relation to the importation of sodium sulfate anhydrous since January 1, 2016.
(check as many as appropriate)
(If checked, please describe; leave blank if not applicable)
Office/warehouse openings
Office/warehouse closings
Relocations
Expansions
Acquisitions
Consolidations
Prolonged shutdowns or
importation curtailments
Revised labor agreements
Other (e.g., technology)
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
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II‐3a. Arranged imports.‐‐Has your firm imported or arranged for the importation of sodium sulfate
anhydrous for delivery after September 30, 2019?
“Arranged imports” are imports for which your firm has placed an order with a foreign supplier
for subject merchandise, but delivery of those imports is not scheduled to occur until after the
date listed above.
No
Yes
If yes, fill out the table below.
Period
Source
Oct‐Dec 2019
Jan‐Mar 2020
Apr‐Jun 2020
Jul‐Sept 2020
Quantity (in short tons)
Canada
All other sources
II‐3b. Imports in the 12 month period preceding the petition.‐‐Has your firm imported sodium sulfate
anhydrous from any source between March 1, 2018 and February 28, 2019? (i.e., the last 10
months in 2018 and first 2 months in 2019 combined)
No
Yes
If yes, report the quantity of such import below by source.
Quantity (in short tons)
Source
Canada
All other sources
II‐4.
March 2018 through February 2019
Reasons for importing if producer.‐‐If your firm also produces sodium sulfate anhydrous in the
United States, please indicate the reasons for importing this product. If your firm’s reasons differ
by source, please elaborate.
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
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Definitions
“Imports” –Those products identified for Customs purposes as imports for consumption for
which your firm was the importer of record (i.e., was responsible for paying any import duty) or
consignee (i.e., to which the merchandise was first delivered).
“Import quantities” –Quantities reported should be net of returns.
“Import values”—Values reported should be landed, duty‐paid values at the U.S. port of entry,
including ocean freight and insurance costs, brokerage charges, and import duties (i.e., all
charges except inland freight in the United States).
“U.S. commercial shipments”— Shipments made within the United States as a result of an arm’s
length commercial transaction in the ordinary course of business. 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.
“Internal consumption” –Product consumed internally by your firm. Such transactions are
valued at fair market value.
“Transfers to related firms” –Shipments made to related firms. Such transactions are valued at
fair market value.
“Related firm” –A firm that your firm solely or jointly owned, managed, or otherwise controlled;
a firm that solely or jointly owned, managed, or otherwise controlled your firm; and/or a firm
that was solely or jointly owned, managed, or otherwise controlled by a firm that also solely or
jointly owned, managed, or otherwise controlled your firm.
“Export shipments”— Shipments to destinations outside the United States, 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.
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
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II‐5a. U.S. imports from Canada.–Report your firm’s imports and your firm’s shipments and
inventories of sodium sulfate anhydrous imported from Canada by your firm during the
specified periods.
Canada
Quantity (in short tons), value (in dollars)
Calendar years
Item
2016
2017
January‐September
2018
2018
2019
Beginning‐of‐period inventories
(quantity) (A)
Imports:1
Quantity (B)
Value (C)
U.S. shipments:
Commercial shipments:
Quantity (D)
Value (E)
Internal consumption:2
Quantity (F)
2
Value (G)
Transfers to related firms:
Quantity (H)
2
Value (I)
2
3
Export shipments:
Quantity (J)
Value (K)
End‐of‐period inventories
(quantity) (L)
1
Please identify the foreign producers, if known: . Please identify the HTS statistical reporting numbers used for
U.S. Customs purposes: .
2
Internal consumption and transfers to related firms must be valued at fair market value. If your firm uses a different
basis for valuing these transactions in your records, please specify that basis (e.g., cost, cost plus, etc.): . However,
the data provided above in this table should be based on fair market value.
3
Identify your firm’s principal export markets: .
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 12
II‐5a. U.S. imports from Canada.–Continued
RECONCILIATION OF SHIPMENTS, IMPORTS, AND INVENTORIES.‐‐Generally, the data reported for the
end‐of‐period inventories (i.e., line L) should be equal to the beginning‐of‐period inventories (i.e., line
A), plus imports (i.e., line B), less total shipments (i.e., lines D, F, H, and J). 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 years
Reconciliation
2016
A + B – D – F – H – J ‐L = should equal
zero ("0") or provide an explanation.1
2017
0
January‐September
2018
0
0
2018
2019
0
0
1
Explanation if the calculated fields above are returning values other than zero (i.e., “0”) but are nonetheless
accurate: .
II‐5b. Channels of distribution: Canada.‐‐Report your firm’s U.S. shipments (i.e., inclusive of
commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to related firms) of imports
from Canada by channel of distribution.
Canada
Quantity (in short tons); Value (in dollars)
Calendar years
Item
Channels of distribution:
U.S. shipments:
To distributors
Quantity (M)
2016
2017
January‐September
2018
2018
2019
Value (N)
To end users
Quantity (O)
Value (P)
RECONCILIATION OF CHANNELS.‐‐Please ensure that the quantities and values reported for channels of
distribution (i.e., lines M through P) in each time period equal the quantity and value reported for U.S.
shipments (i.e., lines D through I) in each time period. 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 years
Reconciliation
2016
2017
January‐September
2018
2018
2019
Quantity: M + O – D – F – H = zero
("0"), if not revise.
0
0
0
0
0
Value: N + P – E – G – I = zero ("0"), if
not revise.
0
0
0
0
0
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
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II‐6a. Imports from all other sources.–Report your firm’s imports and your firm’s shipments and
inventories of sodium sulfate anhydrous imported from all other sources by your firm during
the specified periods.
All other sources
(list sources:
)
Quantity (in short tons), value (in dollars)
Calendar years
Item
2016
Beginning‐of‐period inventories
(quantity) (A)
2017
January‐September
2018
2018
2019
Imports:
Quantity (B)
Value (C)
1
U.S. shipments:
Commercial shipments:
Quantity (D)
Value (E)
2
Internal consumption:
Quantity (F)
2
Value (G)
Transfers to related firms:
Quantity (H)
2
Value (I)
2
3
Export shipments:
Quantity (J)
Value (K)
End‐of‐period inventories
(quantity) (L)
1
Please identify the foreign producers, if known: . Please identify the HTS statistical reporting numbers used for
U.S. Customs purposes: .
2
Internal consumption and transfers to related firms must be valued at fair market value. If your firm uses a different
basis for valuing these transactions in your records, please specify that basis (e.g., cost, cost plus, etc.): . However,
the data provided above in this table should be based on fair market value.
3
Identify your firm’s principal export markets: .
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
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II‐6a. Imports from all other sources.–Continued
RECONCILIATION OF SHIPMENTS, IMPORTS, AND INVENTORIES.‐‐Generally, the data reported for the
end‐of‐period inventories (i.e., line L) should be equal to the beginning‐of‐period inventories (i.e., line
A), plus imports (i.e., line B), less total shipments (i.e., lines D, F, H, and J). 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 years
Reconciliation
2016
A + B – D – F – H – J ‐L = should equal
zero ("0") or provide an explanation.1
2017
0
January‐September
2018
0
0
2018
2019
0
0
1
Explanation if the calculated fields above are returning values other than zero (i.e., “0”) but are nonetheless
accurate: .
II‐6b. Channels of distribution: All other sources.—Report your firm’s U.S. shipments (i.e., inclusive
of commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to related firms) of imports
from all other sources by channel of distribution.
All other sources
Quantity (in short tons); Value (in dollars)
Calendar years
Item
Channels of distribution:
U.S. shipments:
To distributors
Quantity (M)
2016
2017
January‐September
2018
2018
2019
Value (N)
To end users
Quantity (O)
Value (P)
RECONCILIATION OF CHANNELS.‐‐Please ensure that the quantities and values reported for channels of
distribution (i.e., lines M through P) in each time period equal the quantity and value reported for U.S.
shipments (i.e., lines D through I) in each time period. 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 years
Reconciliation
2016
2017
January‐September
2018
2018
2019
Quantity: M + O – D – F – H = zero
("0"), if not revise.
0
0
0
0
0
Value: N + P – E – G – I = zero ("0"), if
not revise.
0
0
0
0
0
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
II‐7.
Page 15
Transfers to related firms.‐‐ If your firm reported transfers to related firms in any of the data
tables in part II, please identify the firm(s) and indicate the nature of the relationship between
your firm and the related firms (e.g., joint venture, wholly owned subsidiary) and whether the
transfers were priced at market value or by a non‐market formula.
II‐8.
Other explanations.‐‐If your firm would like to further explain a response to a question in Part II
for which a narrative response 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.
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
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PART III.‐‐PRICING AND MARKET FACTORS
Further information on this part of the questionnaire can be obtained from Amelia Preece (202‐205‐
3250, [email protected]).
III‐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 III.
Name
Title
Email
Telephone
PRICE DATA
III‐2. This question requests quarterly quantity and value data for your firm’s commercial shipments
to unrelated U.S. customers since January 1, 2016 of the following products your firm imported
from Canada:
Product 1.—Sodium sulfate anhydrous in bulk, hopper cars (approximately 100 short tons)
Product 2.—Sodium sulfate anhydrous in bulk, trucks (approximately 25 short tons)
Product 3.—Sodium sulfate anhydrous in 2,000 pound supersacs
Product 4.—Sodium sulfate anhydrous in 50 pound bags
Please report the values as f.o.b., U.S. border (i.e., the price once the product clears customs), and
delivered price (which includes all logistical and transportation costs) in the appropriate columns.
Values should reflect the final net amount paid to your firm (i.e., should be net of all deductions for
discounts or rebates).
During January 2016‐September 2019, did your firm import from Canada and sell to unrelated
U.S. customers any of the above listed products (or any products that were competitive with
these products)?
Yes.‐‐Please complete the following pricing data tables as appropriate.
No.‐‐Skip to question III‐3.
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III‐2a. Price data.‐‐Report below the quarterly price data1 for pricing products2 imported from Canada
and sold by your firm to distributors.
Canada – Sales to Distributors
Report data in short tons and dollars.
(Quantity in short tons, value in dollars)
Product 1
Value –
Value –
f.o.b.3
delivered4
Quantity
Product 2
Value –
f.o.b.3
Value –
Period of shipment
Quantity
delivered4
2016:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2017:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2018:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2019:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
1 Net values (i.e., gross sales values less all discounts, allowances, rebates, prepaid freight, and the value of returned
goods).
2 Pricing product definitions are provided on the first page of Part III.
3 F.o.b., U.S. border, price once cleared through customs.
4 Delivered price, inclusive of all transportation and logistical costs.
Note.‐‐If your firm’s product does not exactly meet the product specifications but is competitive with the specified product,
provide a description of your firm’s product. Also, please explain any anomalies in your firm’s reported pricing data.
Product 1:
Product 2:
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
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III‐2a. Price data.‐‐Continued
Canada – Sales to Distributors
Report data in short tons and dollars.
(Quantity in short tons, value in dollars)
Product 3
Value –
Value –
f.o.b.3
delivered4
Quantity
Product 4
Value –
f.o.b.3
Value –
Period of shipment
Quantity
delivered4
2016:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2017:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2018:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2019:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
1 Net values (i.e., gross sales values less all discounts, allowances, rebates, prepaid freight, and the value of returned
goods).
2 Pricing product definitions are provided on the first page of Part III.
3 F.o.b., U.S. border, price once cleared through customs.
4 Delivered price, inclusive of all transportation and logistical costs.
Note.‐‐If your firm’s product does not exactly meet the product specifications but is competitive with the specified product,
provide a description of your firm’s product. Also, please explain any anomalies in your firm’s reported pricing data.
Product 3:
Product 4:
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 19
III‐2b. Price data.‐‐Report below the quarterly price data1 for pricing products2 imported from Canada
and sold by your firm to end users.
Canada – Sales to End Users
Report data in short tons and dollars.
(Quantity in short tons, value in dollars)
Product 1
Value –
Value –
Quantity
f.o.b.3
delivered4
Quantity
Product 2
Value –
f.o.b.3
Value –
Period of shipment
delivered4
2016:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2017:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2018:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2019:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
1 Net values (i.e., gross sales values less all discounts, allowances, rebates, prepaid freight, and the value of returned
goods).
2 Pricing product definitions are provided on the first page of Part III.
3 F.o.b., U.S. border, price once cleared through customs.
4 Delivered price, inclusive of all transportation and logistical costs.
Note.‐‐If your firm’s product does not exactly meet the product specifications but is competitive with the specified product,
provide a description of your firm’s product. Also, please explain any anomalies in your firm’s reported pricing data.
Product 1:
Product 2:
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 20
III‐2b. Price data.‐‐Continued
Canada – Sales to End Users
Report data in short tons and dollars.
(Quantity in short tons, value in dollars)
Product 3
Value –
Value –
f.o.b.3
delivered4
Quantity
Product 4
Value –
Period of shipment
Quantity
Value – f.o.b.3 delivered4
2016:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2017:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2018:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
October‐December
2019:
January‐March
April‐June
July‐September
1 Net values (i.e., gross sales values less all discounts, allowances, rebates, prepaid freight, and the value of returned
goods).
2 Pricing product definitions are provided on the first page of Part III.
3 F.o.b., U.S. border, price once cleared through customs.
4 Delivered price, inclusive of all transportation and logistical costs.
Note.‐‐If your firm’s product does not exactly meet the product specifications but is competitive with the specified product,
provide a description of your firm’s product. Also, please explain any anomalies in your firm’s reported pricing data.
Product 3:
Product 4:
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 21
III‐2c. Price data checklist.‐‐Please check that the pricing data in questions III‐2(a) and III‐2(b) have
been correctly reported.
Are the price data reported above:
√ if Yes
In dollars (not $1,000)?
Net of all discounts and rebates?
Have returns credited to the quarter in which the sale occurred?
Less than reported commercial shipments in part II in each year?
III‐2d. Pricing data preparation.‐‐Please indicate how your firm quotes prices and how your firm
prepared the price data in questions III‐2(a) to III‐2(b).
Quote f.o.b, U.S. border price.‐‐My firm quotes on an f.o.b., U.S. border price. My firm
reported the actual f.o.b. price and reported a constructed delivered price.
Quote delivered.‐‐My firm quotes on a delivered price, including any transportation
and logistical costs. My firm reported the actual delivered price and reported a
constructed f.o.b. price.
III‐2e. Pricing data methodology.‐‐Please describe the method and the kinds of documents/records
that were used to compile your price data. In particular, please describe in detail the method
that was used to convert an actual price to a constructed price, depending on your firm’s answer
to Question III‐2d above.
Note: As requested in Part I of this questionnaire, please keep all supporting documents/records used in
the preparation of the price data, as Commission staff may contact your firm regarding questions on the
price data. The Commission may also request that your company submit copies of the supporting
documents/records (such as sales journal, invoices, etc.) used to compile these data.
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
III‐3.
Page 22
Price setting.‐‐How does your firm determine the prices that it charges for sales of sodium
sulfate anhydrous (check all that apply)? If your firm issues price lists, please submit sample
pages of a recent list.
Transaction
by
transaction
Contracts
III‐4.
Set
price
lists
Other
If other, describe
Discount policy.‐‐Please indicate and describe your firm’s discount policies (check all that apply).
Quantity
discounts
Annual
total
volume
discounts
III‐5.
No
discount
policy
Other
Describe
Pricing terms.‐‐ On what basis are your firm’s prices of imported sodium sulfate anhydrous from
Canada usually quoted (check one)?
Delivered
F.o.b.
III‐6.
If f.o.b., specify point
Contract versus spot.‐‐Approximately what share of your firm’s sales of sodium sulfate
anhydrous imported from Canada in 2018 was on a (1) short‐term contract basis, (2) annual
contract basis, (3) long‐term contract basis, and (4) spot sales basis?
Item
Share of 2018
sales
Short‐term
contracts
(multiple
deliveries for
less than 12
months)
%
Type of sale
Long‐term
Annual
contracts
contracts
(multiple
(multiple
deliveries for
deliveries for 12
more than 12
months)
months)
%
%
Spot sales
(for a single
delivery)
%
Total
(should
sum to
100.0%)
0.0
%
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
III‐7.
Page 23
Contract provisions.— Please fill out the table regarding your firm’s typical sales contracts for
sodium sulfate anhydrous imported from Canada (or check “not applicable” if your firm does
not sell on a short‐term, annual and/or long‐term contract basis).
Short‐term contracts Annual contracts
(multiple
(multiple deliveries
deliveries for 12
for less than 12
months)
months)
Long‐term contracts
(multiple deliveries
for more than 12
months)
Typical sales
contract provisions
Item
Average contract
duration
No. of
days
Price renegotiation
(during contract
period)
Yes
No
Quantity
Price
Both
Yes
No
Fixed quantity
and/or price
Indexed to raw
material costs1
Not applicable
365
1
Please identify the indexes used: .
III‐8.
Lead times.‐‐What is your firm’s share of sales of sodium sulfate anhydrous imported from
Canada 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 sodium sulfate anhydrous?
Lead time
(Average number
Source
Share of 2018 sales
of days)
From your firm’s U.S. inventory
%
From foreign manufacturers’ inventory
%
Produced to order
%
Total (should sum to 100.0%)
0.0 %
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
III‐9.
Page 24
Shipping information.—
(a)
(b)
(c)
(d)
What is the approximate percentage of the cost of sodium sulfate anhydrous imported
from Canada that is accounted for by U.S. inland transportation and logistical costs?
percent.
Who generally arranges the transportation to your firm’s customers’ locations?
Your firm Purchaser (check one)
When your firm sells sodium sulfate anhydrous imported from Canada, from where is it
shipped?
Point of importation Storage facility (check one)
Indicate the approximate percentage of your firm’s sales of sodium sulfate anhydrous
imported from Canada that are delivered the following distances from your firm’s U.S.
point of shipment.
Distance from your firm’s U.S. point of shipment
Share
Within 100 miles
%
101 to 1,000 miles
%
Over 1,000 miles
%
Total (should sum to 100.0%)
0.0 %
III‐10. Geographical shipments.‐‐In which U.S. geographic market area(s) has your firm sold sodium
sulfate anhydrous imported from subject countries since January 1, 2016 (check all that apply)?
Canada
Geographic area
Share of volume
Northeast.–CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and VT.
%
Midwest.–IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, and WI.
%
Southeast.–AL, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, and WV.
%
Central Southwest.–AR, LA, OK, and TX.
%
Mountains.–AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, and WY.
%
Pacific Coast.–CA, OR, and WA.
%
Other.–All other markets in the United States not previously listed,
including AK, HI, PR, and VI.
%
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 25
III‐11. End uses.‐‐List the end uses of the sodium sulfate anhydrous that your firm imports. For each
end‐use product, what percentage of the total cost is accounted for by sodium sulfate
anhydrous and other inputs?
Share of total cost of end‐use product
accounted for by
Total
(should sum to
Sodium sulfate
100.0% across)
End‐use product
anhydrous
Other inputs
%
%
0.0 %
%
%
0.0 %
%
%
0.0 %
III‐12. Substitutes.‐‐Can other products be substituted for sodium sulfate anhydrous?
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 sodium sulfate
anhydrous?
No Yes
Explanation
1.
2.
3.
III‐13. Demand trends.‐‐Indicate how demand within the United States and outside of the United
States (if known) for sodium sulfate anhydrous has changed since January 1, 2016. Explain any
trends and describe the principal factors that have affected these changes in demand.
Overall
No
Overall Fluctuate with
increase change decrease no clear trend
Market
Explanation and factors
Within the United States
Outside the United States
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 26
III‐14. Product changes.‐‐Have there been any significant changes in the product range, product mix or
marketing of sodium sulfate anhydrous since January 1, 2016?
No
Yes
If yes, please describe.
III‐15. Conditions of competition.—
(a) Is the sodium sulfate anhydrous market subject to business cycles (other than general
economy‐wide conditions) and/or other conditions of competition distinctive to sodium
sulfate anhydrous?
Check all that apply.
Please describe.
No
Skip to question III‐16.
Yes‐Business cycles (e.g.
seasonal business)
Yes‐Other distinctive
conditions of competition
(b) If yes, have there been any changes in the business cycles or conditions of competition for
sodium sulfate anhydrous since January 1, 2016?
No
Yes
If yes, describe.
III‐16. Supply constraints.‐‐Has your firm refused, declined, or been unable to supply sodium sulfate
anhydrous 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.
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 27
III‐17. Raw materials.‐‐How have sodium sulfate anhydrous raw material prices changed since January
1, 2016?
Fluctuate
Explain, noting how raw material price changes
Overall
No
Overall
with no have affected your firm’s selling prices for sodium
increase change decrease clear trend
sulfate anhydrous.
III‐18. Natural vs synthetic interchangeability.‐‐How frequently are natural SSA interchangeable with
synthetic SSA (i.e., can they physically be used in the same applications)?
Always
Usually
Sometimes
Rarely or never
Please explain:
III‐19. Role of Giles and Saltex in prices.—Explain how Giles and Saltex affect the price of sodium
sulfate anhydrous?
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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 28
III‐20. Interchangeability.‐‐Is sodium sulfate anhydrous 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
United States
Canada
Canada
Other countries
For any country‐pair producing sodium sulfate anhydrous that is sometimes or never
interchangeable, identify the country‐pair and explain the factors that limit or preclude
interchangeable use:
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 29
III‐21. Factors other than price.‐‐Are differences other than price (e.g., quality, availability,
transportation network, product range, technical support, etc.) between sodium sulfate
anhydrous produced in the United States and in other countries a significant factor in your firm’s
sales 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
United States
Canada
Canada
Other countries
For any country‐pair for which factors other than price always or frequently are a significant
factor in your firm’s purchases of sodium sulfate anhydrous, identify the country‐pair and
report the advantages or disadvantages imparted by such factors:
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 30
III‐22. Customer identification.‐‐List the names and contact information for your firm’s 10 largest U.S.
customers for sodium sulfate anhydrous since January 1, 2016. Indicate the share of the
quantity of your firm’s total shipments of sodium sulfate anhydrous that each of these
customers accounted for in 2018.
Customer’s name
City
State
Share of 2018
sales (%)
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
III‐23. Other explanations.‐‐If your firm would like to further explain a response to a question in Part III
for which a narrative response 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.
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 31
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 questionnaire. When you finish reporting the data then you can close the questionnaire and switch
back to Italy settings.
Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire – Sodium Sulfate Anhydrous (Final)
Page 32
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/701731/2019/sodium_sulfate_anhydrous_canada
/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: SSAF
• 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 import 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 you submit (see 19 CFR
§ 207.7). Service of the questionnaire must be made in paper form.
| File Type | application/pdf |
| File Title | Microsoft Word - US importers--SSA(F) |
| Author | keysha.martinez |
| File Modified | 2019-11-19 |
| File Created | 2019-11-19 |