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pdfOMB No. 3117‐0016/USITC No. 20‐4‐4340; Expiration Date: 6/30/2023
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FOREIGN PRODUCERS’/EXPORTERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
FRESH, CHILLED, OR FROZEN BLUEBERRIES
This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by November 16, 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 Inv. No. 201‐TA‐77, fresh, chilled, and frozen blueberries (“blueberries”), under section 202 of the Trade
Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. § 2252). The information requested in the questionnaire is requested under the authority of
Section 202 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Name of firm
Address
Website
Has your firm produced or exported blueberries (as defined on next page) at any time since January 1, 2015?
NO
(Sign the certification below and promptly return only this page of the 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 a firm(s) located in (Check one):
Argentina
Canada
Chile
Mexico
Peru
Other: ________(please list country)
Return questionnaire via the Commission Drop Box by clicking on the following link:
https://dropbox.usitc.gov/oinv/. (PIN: BLUE)
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. I understand that the confidential business information that is
furnished may be transmitted to the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and may be included in a
confidential version of the report that the Commission transmits to the President and USTR for use in decision‐making related to
this proceeding.
Name of Authorized Official Title of Authorized Official
Date
Signature
Phone:
Email address
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire –Blueberries (Safeguard)
Page 2
PART I.‐‐GENERAL INFORMATION
Background. This investigation was instituted in response to a request filed on September 29, 2020, by
the United States Trade Representative (“USTR”). Import relief may be imposed by the President on U.S.
imports of blueberries as a result of this investigation if the Commission makes an affirmative injury
determination and recommends to the President that he impose relief. The President may impose relief
in the form of increased duties and/or other restrictions on imports of blueberries that are the subject
of an affirmative injury determination.
Questionnaires and other information pertinent to this proceeding are available at: LINK
Blueberries.—The blueberries covered by this proceeding are fresh, chilled, or frozen blueberries.
Fresh or chilled blueberries are currently imported under the following statistical reporting
numbers of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS): 0810.40.0029
(cultivated blueberries, including highbush, fresh or chilled); 0810.40.0026 (certified organic
blueberries, fresh or chilled); and 0810.40.0024 (wild blueberries, fresh or chilled).
Frozen blueberries are currently imported under HTS statistical reporting numbers
0811.90.2024 (wild blueberry, uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water, frozen);
0811.90.2030 (blueberries, certified organic, cultivated (including highbush), uncooked or
cooked by steaming or boiling in water, frozen); and 0811.90.2040 (blueberries, cultivated
(including highbush), uncooked or cooked by steaming or boiling in water, NESOI, frozen).
Before July 1, 2018, frozen blueberries imported under HTS statistical reporting numbers
0811.90.2030 and 0811.90.2040 were imported under a single HTS statistical reporting number,
0811.90.2028 (blueberries, cultivated (including highbush), uncooked or cooked by steaming or
boiling in water, frozen). For purposes of this questionnaire, frozen blueberries refers to frozen
whole blueberries, and does not include frozen further processed blueberries (e.g., frozen
puree).
The HTSUS provisions are for convenience and customs purposes; the written description of the
scope is dispositive.
Reporting of information.‐‐ If information is not readily available from your records, provide carefully
prepared estimates. If your firm is completing more than one questionnaire (i.e., a producer, importer,
purchaser and/or foreign producer questionnaire), you need not respond to duplicated questions.
Confidentiality.‐‐The commercial and financial data furnished in response to this questionnaire that
reveal the individual operations of your firm will be treated as confidential by the Commission to the
extent that such data are not otherwise available to the public and will not be disclosed except as may
be required by law (see 19 U.S.C. § 2252(i)). 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.
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 3
Release of information.‐‐The information provided by your firm in response to this questionnaire, as
well as any other confidential business 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 Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. § 2252(i)) and section 206.17 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR § 206.17). 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 Jason
Duncan (202‐205‐3432, [email protected]).
I‐1.
OMB statistics.‐‐Please report below the actual number of hours required and the cost in U.S.
dollars to your firm of completing this questionnaire.
Hours
Dollars
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 a country involved in the production or export of
blueberries, including auxiliary facilities operated in conjunction with (whether or not physically
separate from) such facilities. Firms operating more than one establishment in a country should
combine the data for all establishments into a single report.
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
I‐3.
I‐4.
I‐5.
Page 4
Related producers.‐‐Does your firm or any related firm produce, have the capability to produce,
or have any plans to produce blueberries in the United States or other countries?
No
Yes
If yes, Please name the firm(s) and country(ies) below and, if U.S.
producer(s), ensure that they complete the Commission’s producer
questionnaire.
Related U.S. importers.‐‐Does your firm or any related firm import or have any plans to import
blueberries into the United States?
No
Yes
If yes, Please name the firm(s) below and ensure that they complete the
Commission’s importer questionnaire.
U.S. importers.‐‐Please provide the names, contacts, email addresses, telephone numbers, and
street addresses (not P.O. boxes) of the FIVE largest U.S. importers of your firm’s blueberries in
2019.
No.
Importer’s name
Contact person
Email address
Area code and
telephone
number
Share of
your firm’s
2019 U.S.
exports
(%)
1
2
3
4
5
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 5
PART II.‐‐TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION
Further information on this part of the questionnaire can be obtained from Jason Duncan (202‐205‐
3432, [email protected]). Supply all data requested on a calendar‐year basis and any value
data in U.S. dollars.
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‐2a. Cultivated and wild blueberries.‐‐Please indicate which type of blueberry accounted for the
majority of your firm’s growing operations in 2019 (check one):
Cultivated
Wild
II‐2b. Organic and non‐organic blueberries.‐‐Please indicate which classification of blueberry
accounted for the majority of your firm’s growing operations in 2019 (check one):
Organic
Non‐organic
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 6
II‐3a. Changes in operations.‐‐Please indicate whether your firm has experienced any of the following
changes in relation to the production of blueberries since January 1, 2015.
Check as many as appropriate.
New acreage planted
If checked, please describe (e.g., year, number of
acres, nature of operation (growing, or growing with
packing and/or freezing), etc.); leave blank if not
applicable.
Acreage replaced with new bushes
Acreage taken out of production
Packing operation closing
Packing operation opening
Freezing operation openings
Freezing operation closings
Weather related events
Disease or pest‐related events
Other (e.g., technology)
II‐3b. COVID‐19 pandemic.‐‐ Since January 1, 2020, has the COVID‐19 pandemic or have any
government actions taken to contain the spread of the COVID‐19 virus resulted in changes in
relation to your firm's supply chain arrangements, production, shipments, and employment
relating to blueberries?
No
Yes
If yes, describe these changes including a separate discussion of the (a)
supply chain impact, (b) production and shipment impact, and (c)
employment impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic.
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
II‐4.
II‐5.
Page 7
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 blueberries in the
future?
No
Yes
If yes, Supply details as to the time, nature, and significance of such changes
and provide underlying assumptions, along with relevant portions of
business plans or other supporting documentation that address this issue.
Include in the response a specific projection of your firm’s capacity to
produce blueberries (in pounds) for 2020 and 2021.
Product shifting.—
(i).
Is your firm able to switch production (capacity) between blueberries and other 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 enhance or constrain such shifts.
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 8
Questions II‐6 through II‐10 apply only to firms with growing operations.
II‐6. Acreage and production: Growing operations.‐‐Please report your farm’s average acreage and
production of blueberries in each specified period. Report pounds net packed weight (i.e., with
weight of packing products removed).
“Average acreage” includes land measured in acres (use conversion of 1 hectare= 2.47105 acres
if applicable) planted with blueberry bushes or vines.
Calendar Year
January‐September
Item
Average blueberry acreage.‐‐
Bearing
Non‐bearing
Blueberry production.‐‐
Cultivated sold fresh/chilled
Wild sold fresh/chilled
Cultivated sold for processing
Wild sold for processing
Utilized production
Blueberries harvested, not sold
Total production
2019
2019
2020
Land use (acres)
Harvest data (pounds)
0
0
0
0
0
0
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
II‐7.
Page 9
Growth cycle.‐ Indicate your firm/farm crop cycle for blueberries. Indicate which months are
fruit bearing/growing months, which months are harvesting months, and which months your
firm's final product(s) are available in the U.S. market to end use customers.
Jan
Item
Blueberries.‐‐
Flowering or fruit
bearing periods
Period of harvesting
Period of availability in
the U.S. market to end
use customers.‐‐
Fresh
Frozen
II‐8.
Month
Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul
Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
Certified organic blueberry production.—
(a)
Certified organic production in 2019.‐‐ Please report the share of your production of
blueberries in 2019 which were certified organic: percent.
(b)
Year of certification.‐‐ In what year did your farm obtain certification for the growing of
organic blueberries? .
II‐9.
Product shifting.‐‐Does your farm grow/harvest other products on the same land used to grow
blueberries?
No
Yes‐‐ (i.e., have produced other products or are able to produce other products).
Please identify other actual or potential products: .
II‐10. Product shifting factors.‐‐Please describe the factors that affect your farm’s ability to shift
growing/harvesting capacity between blueberries and other products (e.g., time, cost, relative price
change, etc.), and the degree to which these factors enhance or constrain such shifts.
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 10
Question II‐11 applies only to firms with freezing operations.
II‐11. Production, capacity and inventory data: frozen blueberries.‐‐Report your firm’s production
capacity, production, and inventories related to the production of frozen blueberries in its U.S.
establishment(s) during the specified periods.
“Average production capacity” or “capacity” – The level of production that your
establishment(s) could reasonably have expected to attain during the specified periods. 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). Data entered
below should only relate to capacity to produce whole frozen blueberries, and not further
processing of frozen blueberries or other fruit products.
“Production” – All production in your U.S. establishment(s), including production consumed
internally within your firm and production for another firm under a toll agreement.
“Inventories”— Finished goods inventory, not raw materials or work‐in‐progress.
“IQF”— Individually quick frozen.
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.
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 11
II‐11. Production, capacity and inventory data: Frozen Blueberries.‐‐Continued
IQF machinery
Quantity (in pounds)
Calendar year
Item
Overall IQF capacity:
2015
1
2016
2017
January‐September
2018
2019
2019
2020
Other home market blueberries
Foreign‐origin blueberries
Other products1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
IQF production:
Own grown blueberries
Total IQF production
1
Please list these products:
Other than IQF machinery (Bulk freezing)
Quantity (in pounds)
Calendar year
Item
2015
Overall other freezing capacity:
1
2016
2017
January‐September
2018
2019
2019
2020
Other home market blueberries
Foreign‐origin blueberries
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Other freezing production:
Own grown blueberries
1
Other products
Total Bulk frozen production
1
Please list these products:
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 12
Questions II‐12 through II‐18 to all firms whether a grower, freezer, or an exporter of blueberries.
II‐12. Share of sales.‐‐What percentage of your firm’s total sales in its most recent fiscal year was
represented by sales of blueberries? percent.
II‐13. Firm's estimated share of production in the country identified by your firm on page 1.‐‐Please
estimate the percentage of total production of blueberries in the country specified on the
certification page accounted for by your firm’s production in 2019. percent.
II‐14. Firm's estimated share of country's exports.‐‐Please estimate the percentage of total exports to
the United States of blueberries from the country specified on the certification page accounted
for by your firm’s exports in 2019. percent.
II‐15. Third country trade actions.‐‐Is the blueberries 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‐16. Other export markets.‐‐Identify export markets (other than the United States) that your firm
has developed or where it has increased its sales of blueberries since January 1, 2015. Please
identify and discuss below.
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 13
II‐17. Shipment data.‐‐Report your firm’s shipments of blueberries in home market during the
specified periods.
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 country.
“Shipments”‐‐Shipments of products produced in your establishment(s). Quantities
reported should be net of returns.
“Home market”—Shipments made within your home market (as indicated on page 1 of of this
questionnaire).
“Export shipments”‐‐Shipments to destinations outside the your home market (as indicated on
page 1).
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.
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 14
II‐17. Trade data‐‐Continued.
Quantity (in pounds)
Actual Experience
Projections
Calendar year
Item
Fresh or chilled
blueberries.‐‐
Home market
shipments
2015
2016
2017
January‐September
2018
2019
2019
2020
Calendar year
2020
2021
Export shipments
to the United
States
to all other
markets1
Total exports
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Total shipments
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Frozen blueberries.‐‐
Home market
shipments
Export shipments
to the United
States
to all other
markets2
Total exports
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Total shipments
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
2
Identify your firm’s principal other export markets of fresh or chilled blueberries: .
Identify your firm’s principal other export markets of frozen blueberries: .
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 15
II‐18. End of period inventories.‐‐Report your firm’s end of period inventories based on the specified
product type on the specified date.
Quantity (pounds net packed weight)
Inventories as of
September 30
Inventories as of Dec 31
Item
End of period inventories.‐‐1
Fresh or chilled blueberries
Frozen blueberries
1
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2019
2020
Please describe any relevant trends regarding ending inventories of fresh or frozen blueberries: .
II‐19. 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.
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 16
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.
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 17
Confidential Business Information
Foreign Producers’/Exporters’ Questionnaire ‐‐Blueberries
Page 18
HOW TO FILE YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE RESPONSE
This questionnaire is available as a “fillable” form in MS Word format on the
Commission’s website at: LINK
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: BLUE
• E‐mail.—E‐mail the MS Word questionnaire to [email protected]; include a scanned copy of the
signed certification page (page 1). Submitters are strongly encouraged to encrypt nonpublic documents
that are electronically transmitted to the Commission to protect your sensitive information from
unauthorized disclosure. The USITC secure drop‐box system and the Electronic Document Information
System (EDIS) use Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140‐2 cryptographic algorithms to
encrypt data in transit. Submitting your nonpublic documents by a means that does not use these
encryption algorithms (such as by email) may subject your firm’s nonpublic information to unauthorized
disclosure during transmission. If you choose a non‐encrypted method of electronic transmission, the
Commission warns you that the risk of such possible unauthorized disclosure is assumed by you and not
by the Commission.
If your firm did not produce or export this product, please fill out page 1, print, sign, and submit a
scanned copy to the Commission.
Parties to this proceeding.—If your firm is a party to this proceeding, it is required to serve a copy of the
completed questionnaire on parties to the proceeding that are subject to administrative protective
order (see 19 CFR § 206.17). 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 § 206.17). Service of the questionnaire must be made in paper form.
| File Type | application/pdf |
| File Title | Microsoft Word - Foreign producer--Blueberries (201) |
| Author | jordan.harriman |
| File Modified | 2020-10-14 |
| File Created | 2020-10-14 |