10-3-2876 US purchaser questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 10-3-2786; Expiration Date: 6/30/2011
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

U.S. PURCHASERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
CERTAIN MAGNESIA CARBON BRICKS FROM CHINA AND MEXICO

This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by no later than June 14, 2010
See page 4 of the Instruction Booklet 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 investigation concerning certain magnesia carbon bricks from China and its
antidumping investigations concerning certain magnesia carbon bricks from China and Mexico (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-468
and 731-TA-1166-1167 (Final)). The information requested in the questionnaire is requested under the authority of the
Tariff Act of 1930, title VII. This report is mandatory and failure to reply as directed can result in a subpoena or other
order to compel the submission of records or information in your possession (19 U.S.C. § 1333(a)). Further information
on this questionnaire can be obtained from Craig Thomsen (202-205-3226, craig.thomsen@usitc.gov).

Name of firm
Address
State

City

Zip Code

World Wide Web address
Has your firm purchased certain magnesia carbon bricks (as defined in the instruction booklet) from any source
(domestic or foreign) at any time since January 1, 2007?

NO

(Sign the certification below and promptly return only this page of the questionnaire to the Commission)

YES

(Read the instruction booklet carefully, complete all parts of the questionnaire, and return the entire
questionnaire to the Commission so as to be received by the date indicated above)

CERTIFICATION
I certify that the information herein supplied in response to this questionnaire is complete and correct to the best of my knowledge
and belief and understand that the information submitted is subject to audit and verification by the Commission.
By submitting this certification I also grant consent for the Commission, and its employees and contract personnel, to use the
information provided in this questionnaire and throughout this investigation in any other import-injury investigations conducted
by the Commission on the same or similar merchandise.
I acknowledge that information submitted in this questionnaire response and throughout this investigation may be used by the
Commission, its employees, and contract personnel who are acting in the capacity of Commission employees, for developing or
maintaining the records of this investigation or related proceedings for which this information is submitted, or in internal audits
and investigations relating to the programs and operations of the Commission pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Appendix 3. I understand that
all contract personnel will sign non-disclosure agreements.

Name of Authorized Official

Title of Authorized Official
Phone: (

Date

)

Signature

E-mail address
Fax (

)

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

Page 2

PART I.—GENERAL INFORMATION
The questions in this questionnaire have been reviewed with market participants to ensure that issues of
concern are adequately addressed and that data requests are sufficient, meaningful, and as limited as
possible. Public reporting burden for this questionnaire is estimated to average 25 hours per response,
including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering the data needed,
and completing and reviewing the questionnaire. Send comments regarding the accuracy of this burden
estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the
burden, to the Office of Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW,
Washington, DC 20436.
If your firm has multiple plants, please combine responses for all plants into one questionnaire
response. If your answers vary by plant for any questions, please indicate this whenever
appropriate and report how each plant would answer that question.
I-1a.

OMB statistics.--Please report the actual number of hours required and the cost to your firm of
preparing the reply to this questionnaire and completing the form.
hours

dollars

I-1b.

OMB feedback.--We are interested in any comments you may have for improving this
questionnaire in general or the clarity of specific questions. Please attach such comments to your
response or send them to the above address.

I-2.

Establishments covered.--Provide the name and address of establishment(s) covered by this
questionnaire (see page 3 of the instruction booklet for reporting guidelines). If your firm is
publicly traded, please specify the stock exchange and trading symbol.

I-3.

Ownership.--Is your firm owned, in whole or in part, by any other firm?
No

Firm name

Yes--List the following information.

Address

Extent of
ownership

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART I.--GENERAL INFORMATION--Continued
I-4.

I-5.

Related SUBJECT importers/exporters.--Does your firm have any related firms, either
domestic or foreign, which are engaged in importing certain magnesia carbon bricks from China
and Mexico into the United States or which are engaged in exporting certain magnesia carbon
bricks from China and Mexico to the United States?
No

Yes--List the following information.

Firm name

Address

Related NONSUBJECT importers/exporters.--Does your firm have any related firms, either
domestic or foreign, which are engaged in importing certain magnesia carbon bricks from
countries other than China and Mexico into the United States or which are engaged in exporting
certain magnesia carbon bricks from countries other than China and Mexico to the United States?
No

Yes--List the following information.

Firm name and country

I-6.

Affiliation

Address

Affiliation

Related producers.--Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, which
are engaged in the production of certain magnesia carbon bricks?
No

Yes--List the following information.

Firm name

Address

Affiliation

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART II.--PURCHASES
Contact information (Purchases).--Who should be contacted regarding the information requested in
parts II to IV?
Company contact:
Name and title
(
)
Phone number
II-1.

E-mail address

Purchases.
(a) Report, as indicated below, your firm or plant’s purchases (either directly or through a sales
agent or broker) of certain magnesia carbon bricks. Report based on delivery date, not order
date.
Quantity (in tons) and value (in $1,000)

Item
Purchases of certain magnesia carbon
bricks produced in-The United States:
Quantity
Value
China:
Quantity
Value
Mexico:
Quantity
Value
All other countries:1
Quantity
Value

2007

2008

2009

Jan.-Mar.
2010

Total:
Quantity
Value
1
Please identify these countries:

(b) Does your firm track suppliers and/or the country of origin of certain magnesia carbon bricks
for liability, quality control, or any other purpose. Please note if your answer varies by plant.
No

Yes--Please describe

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART II.--PURCHASES--Continued
II-2.

Changes in purchasing patterns.—Please indicate how the relative levels of your firm or plant’s
purchases of certain magnesia carbon bricks from different sources (both domestic and foreign)
have changed in the last three years.
Source of purchases
The United States

Trend

Explanation of trend

Decreased
Increased
Constant
Fluctuated

China

Decreased
Increased
Constant
Fluctuated

Mexico

Decreased
Increased
Constant
Fluctuated

All other countries

Decreased
Increased
Constant
Fluctuated

If there have been other changes in your firm or plant’s sourcing patterns since January 1, 2007,
such as the use of different suppliers, please describe these changes and the reasons for the
changes.

II-3.

Purchases from one country only.--If your firm has purchased certain magnesia carbon bricks
from only one country, please explain the reasons for doing so. Please note if your answer varies
by plant.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART II.--PURCHASES--Continued
II-4.

Inventories.--Report, as indicated below, your firm or plant’s purchases (either directly or
through a sales agent or broker) of certain magnesia carbon bricks. Report based on delivery
date, not order date.
Quantity (in tons) and value (in $1,000)

Item
Inventories of certain magnesia carbon
bricks produced in-The United States:
Quantity
Value
China:
Quantity
Value
Mexico:
Quantity
Value
All other countries:1
Quantity
Value
Total:
Quantity
Value
1
Please identify these countries:

2007

2008

2009

Jan.-Mar.
2010

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART II.--PURCHASES--Continued
II-5.

Supplier identification.--Please identify below the names and addresses of your firm’s FIVE
largest suppliers for certain magnesia carbon bricks since January 1, 2007. Please also provide
the name and telephone number of a contact person and the share of the quantity of your firm or
plant’s total shipments of certain magnesia carbon bricks that each of these suppliers accounted
for in 2009.
Supplier’s
name

No.
1

2

3

4

5

Street address (not P.O.
box), city, state, and zip
code

Contact person

Share of
2009
Telephone number
or e-mail address purchases
(%)

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES
If your firm has multiple plants, please combine responses for all plants into one questionnaire
response. If your answers vary by plant for any questions, please indicate this whenever
appropriate and report how each plant would answer that question.
III-1.

Firm type.--Which of the following best describes your firm or plant as a purchaser of certain
magnesia carbon bricks (check all that apply)?
End user or consumer
Distributor
Other (Describe:

III-2.

)

Competition for sales.--If you are a distributor or reseller of certain magnesia carbon bricks, do
you compete for sales to your customers with the manufacturers or importers from which you
purchase certain magnesia carbon bricks?
No

Yes--Please describe

III-3.

Types of customers.--If your firm or plant is a distributor or reseller of certain magnesia carbon
bricks, what are the major types of consumers to which you sell certain magnesia carbon bricks?

III-4.

End uses.
(a) If your firm or plant is an end user/consumer of certain magnesia carbon bricks, list in order
of quantity of certain magnesia carbon bricks consumed, the cost accounted for in a complete
reline of a steel furnace or refining vessel. Please indicate what percentage of the total cost is
accounted for by certain magnesia carbon bricks (and NOTE: these percentages should not
add to 100 percent).

Type of furnace or vessel

Share of reline cost accounted for by
magnesia carbon bricks (percent)

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-4.

End uses.--continued
(b) For the top 3 products you produce using certain magnesia carbon bricks as an input, please
indicate what percentage of the total cost is accounted for by certain magnesia carbon bricks
(and NOTE: these percentages should not add to 100 percent).

Product(s) you produce

Share of product cost accounted for
by magnesia carbon bricks (percent)

(c) How much of your demand for certain magnesia carbon bricks is due to demand created by
the following situations?
A full reline
A partial reline
Other:
Total

III-5.

100%

Demand for end use products.-(a)

If your firm or plant is a consumer of certain magnesia carbon bricks, has the demand for
your firm or plant’s final products which use certain magnesia carbon bricks as an input
changed since January 1, 2007?
Increased

(b)

Fluctuated

No change

Has this had any effect on your firm or plant’s demand for certain magnesia carbon
bricks?
No

(c)

Decreased

Yes--Please describe.

If so, has the change in your firm or plant’s demand resulted in any change in your
willingness to accept price increases from your suppliers of certain magnesia carbon
bricks or had any other effect on the prices of such bricks?
No

Yes--Please describe.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-5.

Demand for end use products.--continued
(d)

Since January 1, 2007, has your firm experienced any routine downtimes for equipment
that uses certain magnesia carbon bricks?
No

(e)

Since January 1, 2007, has your firm experienced any routine downtimes for equipment
that uses certain magnesia carbon bricks?
No

III-6.

Yes--Please describe the effect this had on your demand for certain
magnesia carbon bricks.

Yes--Please describe the effect this had on your demand for certain
magnesia carbon bricks.

Substitutes.-(a) Can other products be substituted for certain magnesia carbon bricks?
No

Yes--Please complete (b).

(b) Please list in order of importance any products that may be substituted for certain magnesia
carbon bricks. For each possible substitute, please give examples of applications and end uses for
which they are substitutes and indicate whether changes in the price of the substitute affect the
price for certain magnesia carbon bricks, to what degree, and the time lag for any such effect.

Substitute

Description

Have changes in the prices of this
substitute affected the price for certain
magnesia carbon bricks?

1.

No

Yes--Please explain.

2.

No

Yes--Please explain.

3.

No

Yes--Please explain.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-7.

Demand trends.-(a)

How has the demand within the United States for certain magnesia carbon bricks changed
since January 1, 2007? What principal factors affect changes in demand?
Increased

(b)

Fluctuated

No change

How has the demand outside the United States (if known) for certain magnesia carbon
bricks changed since January 1, 2007? What principal factors affect changes in demand?
Increased

III-8.

Decreased

Decreased

Fluctuated

No change

Importance of purchasing domestic product.--Is buying a product that is produced in the
United States an important factor in your firm or plant’s purchases of certain magnesia carbon
bricks (check ALL that apply)?
Yes--Purchases of domestic product are required by law or regulation (for example,
government purchases under “Buy American” provisions). This involves
percent of
all purchases of certain magnesia carbon bricks.
Yes--Purchases of domestic product are not required by law or regulation, but are by your
customers. This involves
percent of all purchases of certain magnesia carbon
bricks.
Yes--Purchases of domestic product are required for other reasons (please specify these
reasons below). This involves
percent of all purchases of certain magnesia carbon
bricks.
Yes--Purchases of domestic product are not required by law or regulation, but are preferred by
our firm or plant. This involves
percent of all purchases of certain magnesia carbon
bricks.
No.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-9

Conditions of competition.-(a)

Is the certain magnesia carbon bricks market subject to business cycles or conditions of
competition distinctive to certain magnesia carbon bricks?
No

(b)

Yes--Please explain and estimate the duration of any such cycle.

Has the emergence of new markets for certain magnesia carbon bricks since January 1,
2007 affected the business cycles or conditions of competition distinctive to certain
magnesia carbon bricks?
No

Yes--Please explain any such changes.

III-10. Decisions based on producer.--Does your firm or plant, and to the extent that you know, do your
customers make purchasing decisions involving certain magnesia carbon bricks based on the
producer of the certain magnesia carbon bricks you purchase?
Your firm or plant:

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

Your customers:

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

If at least sometimes, please discuss how your firm or plant or your customers determine the
producer and why this information is important.
Your firm or plant:

Your customers:

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-11. Decisions based on country-of-origin.--Does your firm or plant, and to the extent that you
know, do your customers make purchasing decisions involving certain magnesia carbon bricks
based on the country of origin of the certain magnesia carbon bricks you purchase?
Your firm or plant:

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

Your customers:

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

If at least sometimes, please discuss how your firm or plant or your customers determine the
source and why this information is important.
Your firm or plant:

Your customers:

III-12. Purchasing frequency.-(a)

How frequently do you make purchases?
Daily
Other (specify)

Weekly

Monthly

Quarterly

Annually

)

(b)

Have you made significant changes in your purchasing patterns (e.g., frequency) since
January 1, 2007?
No
Yes—Please describe.

(c)

Have you made significant changes in the frequency with which you negotiate prices for
certain magnesia carbon bricks and other refractories with your suppliers since January 1,
2007?
No
Yes—Please describe.

III-13. Number of suppliers contacted.--How many suppliers do you generally contact before making a
purchase?
firms

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-14. Supplier negotiations.-(a)

Do purchases of certain magnesia carbon bricks usually involve negotiations between
supplier and purchaser?
No

(b)

Does your firm or plant tend to vary its purchases from a given supplier within a
specified time period based on the price offered for that period?
No

(c)

Yes--Specify the time period.

Does your firm or plant have a contract with one or more magnesia carbon brick
suppliers under which you pay a per-ton or per-heat price for the provision (and
installation) of complete linings for ladles or furnaces?
No

(d)

Yes--Please describe these negotiations. In your response, please
comment on whether purchasers generally quote competing
prices as part of the negotiation process.

Yes--Please list the supplier(s) and explain how the contracts work.

Does your firm or plant purchase certain magnesia carbon bricks from a supplier or
suppliers from which you also purchase other refractory products?
No

Yes—Please explain what role, if any, the prices of refractories
products other than certain magnesia carbon bricks have in
your purchase decision for certain magnesia carbon bricks,
including the percentage of a typical total order that is
attributable to certain magnesia carbon bricks.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-15. Change in suppliers.--Have you changed suppliers since January 1, 2007?
No

Yes--Please list the supplier or suppliers and indicate whether the firm was
added or dropped as a supplier. Also give the reasons for the change
and how frequently you change suppliers.

III-16. New suppliers.--Are you aware of any new suppliers, either foreign or domestic, that have
entered the market since January 1, 2007?
No

Yes --Please identify the firms and indicate how you became aware of them.

III-17. Supplier qualification
(a) Do you require your suppliers to be or to become certified or qualified to sell certain magnesia
carbon bricks to your firm or plant?
No

Yes--

percent of purchases in 2009

Yes--all purchases

(b) Please provide a general description of the certification or qualification process. Briefly
describe the factors that you consider when qualifying a new supplier (e.g., quality of product,
reliability of supplier, etc.)

(c) How long does it take to qualify a new supplier?

days.

III-18. Failure to certify.--Since January 1, 2007, have any domestic or foreign producers failed in their
attempts to certify or qualify their certain magnesia carbon bricks with your firm or plant or have
any producers lost their approved status?
No

Yes--Please identify these firms, the countries where they are located, and the
reasons why they failed the certification/qualification process.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-19. Purchasing factors.--For the factors listed below, please rate each in terms of its importance in
your purchase decision for certain magnesia carbon bricks.
Very
important
Availability .......................................
Delivery terms .................................
Delivery time ...................................
Discounts offered ............................
Extension of credit...........................
Minimum qty requirements..............
Packaging .......................................
Price ................................................
Product consistency ........................
Product range..................................
Quality meets industry standards....
Quality exceeds industry standards
Reliability of supply .........................
Technical support/service ...............
U.S. transportation costs.................
Other (specify):
........
........
........

Somewhat
important

Not
important

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued

III-20. Major purchasing factors.--Please list, in order of their importance, the three major factors
generally considered by your firm or plant in deciding from whom to purchase PRODUCT for
any one order (examples include current availability, extension of credit, prearranged contracts,
price, quality exceeding specifications or industry standards, range of supplier’s product line,
traditional supplier, etc.).
1.
2.
3.
Other factors or comments:

III-21. Quality characteristics.--What characteristics does your firm or plant consider when
determining the quality of certain magnesia carbon bricks?

III-22 Importance of price and performance.--How important is the price/performance ratio of the
certain magnesia carbon bricks you purchase in terms of cost per ton of steel produced or cost per
heat, compared to price alone?
Very important

Somewhat important

Not at all important

Please explain:

III-23. Frequency of decisions based on price.--How often does your firm or plant purchase the certain
magnesia carbon bricks that is offered at the lowest price?
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

III-24. Price leaders.--Please list the names of any firms you considered price leaders in the certain
magnesia carbon bricks market since January 1, 2007. A price leader is defined as (1) one or
more firms that initiate a price change, either upward or downward, that is followed by other
firms, or (2) one or more firms that have a significant impact on prices. A price leader does not
necessarily have to be the lowest priced supplier. For those firms identified as a price leader,
please specify the time period in which a price change was communicated, whether the price
change was upward or downward, and whether it covered a specific geographic region or a
specific product type. Please describe how the firm(s) exhibited price leadership.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS

IV-1.

Country knowledge.--Please indicate the countries of origin for certain magnesia carbon bricks
for which your firm or plant has actual marketing/pricing knowledge.
United States
China
Mexico
Other countries (Please specify

IV-2.

)

Interchangeability by country-pair.--Are certain magnesia carbon bricks produced in the
United States and in other countries interchangeable (i.e., can they physically be used in the same
applications)? Please indicate below, using “A” to indicate that the products from a specified
country-pair are always interchangeable, “F” to indicate that the products are frequently
interchangeable, “S” to indicate that the products are sometimes interchangeable, “N” to indicate
that the products are never interchangeable, and “0” to indicate no familiarity with products from
a specified country-pair.1
Country-pair

China

Mexico

Brazil

Other countries

United States
China
Mexico
Brazil
1

For any country-pair producing certain magnesia carbon bricks which is sometimes or never
interchangeable, please explain the factors that limit or preclude interchangeable use:

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

Page 19

PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued
IV-3.

Factors other than price.--Are differences other than price (i.e., quality, availability,
transportation network, product range, technical support, etc.) between certain magnesia carbon
bricks produced in the United States and in other countries a significant factor in your firm’s
purchases of the products? Please indicate below, using “A” to indicate that such differences are
always significant, “F” to indicate that such differences are frequently significant, “S” to indicate
that such differences are sometimes significant, “N” to indicate that such differences are never
significant, and “0” to indicate no familiarity with products from a specified country-pair.1
Country-pair

China

Mexico

Brazil

Other countries

United States
China
Mexico
Brazil
1

For any country-pair for which factors other than price always or frequently are a significant factor in
your firm’s purchases of magnesia carbon bricks, identify the country-pair and report the advantages or
disadvantages imparted by such factors:

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued
IV-4.

Country preferences.--Do you or your customers ever specifically order certain magnesia
carbon bricks from one country in particular over other possible sources of supply?
No

IV-5.

Yes--Please identify all relevant countries (including the United States and
both subject and nonsubject foreign countries) from which you or your
customers prefer to order, and indicate why certain magnesia carbon
bricks from these countries is preferred over product from other
countries (please note the specific product in your response).

Availability of merchandise.--Are certain grades/types/sizes of certain magnesia carbon bricks
available from only a single source (domestic or foreign, including both subject and nonsubject
countries)?
No

Yes--Please identify the source and the grade/type/size.

IV-6.

Choice of product not based on price.--If you purchased certain magnesia carbon bricks from
one source although a comparable product was available from another source at a lower price,
please explain your reasons for doing so (please specify by country, including the United States
and both subject and nonsubject foreign countries). Possibilities might include transaction
characteristics such as length of time to fill orders, minimum order size, reliability of supply, etc.

IV-7.

Commingling.--Since January 1, 2007, has your firm or plant commingled certain magnesia
carbon bricks from different suppliers and/or countries?
No

Yes--Please describe the sources of the commingled product, how often they
are commingled, and the grade/type/size.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued
IV-8. Factor country comparisons.--For the factors listed below, please rate how certain magnesia
carbon bricks produced in each country you identified in your response to the first question in Part IV
compares with certain magnesia carbon bricks produced in each of the other countries you identified
(including the United States and both subject and nonsubject foreign countries).

Availability ...............................................
Delivery terms .........................................
Delivery time ...........................................
Discounts offered ....................................
Extension of credit...................................
Minimum quantity requirements..............
Packaging................................................
Price1 .......................................................
Product consistency ................................
Product range..........................................
Quality meets industry standards............
Quality exceeds industry standards ........
Reliability of supply .................................
Technical support/service .......................
U.S. transportation costs1 .......................
Other (specify):

1

A rating of superior on price and U.S. transportation costs indicatees that the first country generally
has lower prices/U.S. transportation costs than the second country.

Inferior

Comparable

product from
China
compared to
product from
Mexico

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

product from
United States
compared to
product from
Mexico

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

Quality

Superior

product from
United States
compared to
product from
China

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued
Continued.

Availability ...............................................
Delivery terms .........................................
Delivery time ...........................................
Discounts offered ....................................
Extension of credit...................................
Minimum quantity requirements..............
Packaging................................................
Price1 .......................................................
Product consistency ................................
Product range..........................................
Quality meets industry standards............
Quality exceeds industry standards ........
Reliability of supply .................................
Technical support/service .......................
U.S. transportation costs1 .......................
Other (specify):

Inferior

Comparable

Superior

compared to
product from

Inferior

compared to
product from

Comparable

compared to
product from

Superior

product from

Inferior

product from

Comparable

Quality

product from

Superior

IV-8.

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire – Certain Magnesia Carbon Bricks

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PART IV.—PRODUCT COMPARISONS--Continued

IV-9.

Minimum quality.-(a) How often does domestically produced certain magnesia carbon bricks meet minimum
quality specifications for your uses or your customers’ uses?
Always

(b)

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

How often does imported subject certain magnesia carbon bricks meet minimum quality
specifications for your uses or your customers’ uses?
Source

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never

China
Mexico

(c)

How often does imported nonsubject certain magnesia carbon bricks (i.e., certain
magnesia carbon bricks from countries other than China and Mexico) meet minimum
quality specifications for your uses or your customers’ uses?
Source
Brazil

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely

Never