12-3-3045 Purchaser Questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 12-3-3045; Expiration Date: 6/30/2014
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

U.S. PURCHASERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
SILICOMANGANESE FROM BRAZIL, CHINA, AND UKRAINE

This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by no later than July 2, 2012
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 review of the antidumping duty orders concerning silicomanganese from Brazil, China and Ukraine
(inv. No. 731-TA-671-673 (Third Review)). The information requested in the questionnaire is requested under the
authority of the Tariff Act of 1930, title VII. This report is mandatory and failure to reply as directed can result in a
subpoena or other order to compel the submission of records or information in your possession (19 U.S.C. §
1333(a)).
Further information on this questionnaire can be obtained from Amelia Preece (202-205-3250,
amelia.preece@usitc.gov).

Name of firm
Address
State

City

Zip Code

World Wide Web address
Has your firm purchased silicomanganese (as defined in the instruction booklet) from any source (domestic or
foreign) at any time since January 1, 2006?

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 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 or reviews
conducted by the Commission on the same or similar merchandise.
I acknowledge that information submitted in this questionnaire response and throughout this proceeding 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 proceeding or related proceedings for which this information is submitted, or in internal audits and
proceedings 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

Date

Phone:
Signature

E-mail address
Fax

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review)

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 40 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.
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?

I-4.

No

Yes--List the following information.

Firm name

Address

Extent of
ownership

Related SUBJECT importers/exporters.--Does your firm have any related firms, either
domestic or foreign, that are engaged in importing silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and/or
Ukraine into the United States or that are engaged in exporting silicomanganese from Brazil,
China, and/or Ukraine to the United States?
No

Yes--List the following information.

Firm name

Address

Affiliation

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review)

Page 3

PART I.--GENERAL INFORMATION--Continued
I-5.

Related NONSUBJECT importers/exporters.--Does your firm have any related firms, either
domestic or foreign, that are engaged in importing silicomanganese from countries other than
Brazil, China, or Ukraine into the United States or that are engaged in exporting silicomanganese
from countries other than Brazil, China, or Ukraine to the United States?
No

Yes--List the following information.

Firm name and country

I-6.

I-7.

Address

Affiliation

Related producers.--Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, that are
engaged in the production of silicomanganese?
No

Yes--List the following information.

Firm name

Address

Affiliation

Business plan.--Does your company or any related firm have a business plan or any internal
documents that describe, discuss, or analyze expected market conditions for silicomanganese?
No

Yes--Please provide these documents. If you are not providing the requested
documents, please explain why not.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review)

Page 4

PART II.--PURCHASES
Contact information.-- Please identify the responsible individual and the manner by which Commission
staff may contact that individual regarding the confidential information submitted in this questionnaire.
Name:
Title:
Email:
Telephone:
Fax:
II-1.

Purchases.--Report, as indicated below, your firm’s purchases (either directly or through a sales
agent or broker) of silicomanganese. Report based on delivery date, not order date.

Quantity (in short tons) and value (in $1,000)
Item
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
Purchases of silicomanganese produced in-The United States:
Quantity
Value
Brazil:
Quantity
Value
China:
Quantity
Value
Ukraine:
Quantity
Value
All other countries:1
Quantity
Value
1
Please identify these countries:

II-2.

2011

Purchases from one country only.--If your firm has purchased silicomanganese from only one
country, please explain the reasons for doing so.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review)

Page 5

PART II.--PURCHASES--Continued
II-3.

Changes in purchasing patterns.-- Please indicate how the relative levels of your firm’s
purchases of silicomanganese from different sources (both domestic and foreign) have changed
since 2006.
Source of
purchases

Did not Decreased Increased Constant Fluctuated
purchase

Explanation for
trend

United States

Brazil

China

Ukraine

All other
countries

II-4.

Supplier identification.-- Please list your firm’s FIVE largest suppliers for silicomanganese
since 2006. Also, provide the share of the quantity of your firm’s total purchases of
silicomanganese that each of these suppliers accounted for in 2011.

No.

Supplier’s name

City and state

Share of quantity of
2011 purchases

1

%

2

%

3

%

4

%

5

%

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review)

Page 6

PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES
III-1.

Firm type.--Which of the following best describes your firm as a purchaser of silicomanganese
(check all that apply)?
End user (integrated steel producer basic oxygen furnaces)
End user (steel producer using electric arc furnaces)
Distributor
Other (Describe:

III-2.

)

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

Yes--Please describe

III-3.

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

III-4.

End uses.--If your firm is an end user of silicomanganese, list in order of quantity of
silicomanganese consumed, the top 3 products for which your firm purchases silicomanganese as
a component part or input. Please indicate what percentage of the total cost is accounted for by
silicomanganese and other inputs.
Share of total cost in each of the product(s)
you produce accounted for by
Product(s) you
produce

Silicomanganese
(percent)

Other inputs (percent)

Total

Steel (integrated mill)

%

%

100%

Steel (electric arc
furnace)

%

%

100%

%

%

100%

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review)

Page 7

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

Demand for end use products.-(a) If your firm is an end user of silicomanganese, has the demand for your firm’s final products
incorporating silicomanganese changed since 2006?
Increased

(b)

Decreased

Fluctuated

Has this had any effect on your firm’s demand for silicomanganese?
No

III-6.

No change

Yes

Explain

Changes in end uses.-- Have there been any changes in the end uses of silicomanganese since
2006? Do you anticipate any future changes?
Changes in end
uses

No

Yes

Explain

Changes since
2006
Anticipated
changes

III-7.

Substitutes.--Can other products be substituted for silicomanganese?
No

Substitute
1.
2.
3.

Yes--Please fill out the table.

End use in which this
substitute is used

Have changes in the prices of this substitute
affected the price for silicomanganese?
No Yes

Explanation

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review)

Page 8

PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-8.

Changes in substitutes.-- Have there been any changes in the number or types of products that
can be substituted for silicomanganese since 2006? Do you anticipate any future changes?
Changes in
substitutes

No Yes

Explain

Changes since
2006
Anticipated
changes

III-9.

Demand trends.-- Indicate how demand within the United States and outside of the United States
(if known) for silicomanganese has changed since January 1, 2006, and how you anticipate
demand will change in the future. Describe the principal factors that have affected, and that you
anticipate will affect, these changes in demand.

Market

No
Increase change Decrease Fluctuate

Factors

Demand since 2006
Within
the United
States
Outside
the United
States
Anticipated future demand
Within
the United
States
Outside
the United
States

III-10. Market studies.--Please provide as a separate attachment to this request any studies, surveys, etc.
that you are aware of that quantify and/or otherwise discuss silicomanganese supply (including
production capacity and capacity utilization) and demand in (1) the United States, (2) each of the
other major producing/consuming countries, including Brazil, China, and Ukraine, and (3) the
world as a whole. Of particular interest is such data from 2006 to the present and forecasts for the
future.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review)

Page 9

PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-11. Changes in factors affecting supply.--Have any changes occurred in any other factors affecting
supply (e.g., changes in availability or prices of energy or labor; transportation conditions;
production capacity and/or methods of production; technology; export markets; or alternative
production opportunities) that affected the availability of U.S.-produced silicomanganese in the
U.S. market since 2006?
No

Yes

Explain

III-12. Importance of purchasing domestic product.--Is buying a product that is produced in the
United States an important factor in your firm’s purchases of silicomanganese (check ALL that
apply)?
No
Yes-- Purchases of domestic product are required by law or regulation (for example,
government purchases under “Buy American” provisions). This involves
percent
of all our purchases of silicomanganese.
Yes--Purchases of domestic product are not required by law or regulation, but are by our
customers. This involves
percent of all our purchases of silicomanganese.
Yes--Purchases of domestic product are required for other reasons (please specify these
reasons below). This involves
percent of all our purchases of silicomanganese.

III-13. Conditions of competition.-(a)

Is the silicomanganese market subject to business cycles or conditions of competition
(including seasonal business) distinctive to silicomanganese?
No (skip to question III-14)

(b)

Yes-- Please describe and then answer part (b).

If yes, have there been any changes in the business cycles or conditions of competition
for silicomanganese since January 1, 2006?
No

Yes-- Please describe.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 10
PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-14. Decisions based on producer.--Does your firm, and to the extent that you know, do your
customers make purchasing decisions involving silicomanganese based on the producer of the
silicomanganese you purchase?

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

If at least sometimes, discuss
how your firm/customers
determine the producer and why
this information is important

Your firm
Your
customers

III-15. Decisions based on country-of-origin.--Does your firm, and to the extent that you know, do
your customers make purchasing decisions involving silicomanganese based on the country of
origin of the silicomanganese you purchase?

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

If at least sometimes, discuss
how your firm/customers
determine the source and why
this information is important

Your firm
Your
customers

III-16. Purchasing frequency.-(a)

How frequently do you make purchases (check one)?
Daily

(b)

Weekly

Monthly

Quarterly

Annually

Other

If other, specify

Do you expect this purchasing pattern to change in the next two years?
No

Yes-- How and why do you expect these changes to occur?

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 11
PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-17. Number of suppliers contacted.--How many suppliers do you generally contact before making a
purchase?
to
firms
III-18. Supplier negotiations.-(a)

Do purchases of silicomanganese usually involve negotiations between supplier and
purchaser?
No

(b)

Yes--Please describe these negotiations, noting whether purchasers
generally quote competing prices as part of the negotiation
process.

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

Yes--Specify the time period.

III-19. Change in suppliers.--Have you changed suppliers since 2006?
No

Yes-- Please list the supplier(s), whether the firm was added or dropped, the
reasons for the change, and how frequently you change suppliers.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 12
PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-20. New suppliers.-(a)

Are you aware of any new suppliers, either foreign or domestic, that have entered the
market since 2006?
No

(b)

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

Do you expect new silicomanganese suppliers to enter the U.S. market?
No

Yes--Please provide details.

III-21. Supplier qualification
(a) Do you require your suppliers to be or to become ASTM certified to sell silicomanganese to
your firm?
No

Yes--

percent of value of purchases in 2011

Yes--all purchases

(b) Do you require your suppliers to be or to become certified or qualified (other than ASTM
certified) to sell silicomanganese to your firm?
No

Yes--

percent of value of purchases in 2011

Yes--all purchases

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

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

days

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 13
PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-22. Failure to certify.--Since 2006, have any domestic or foreign producers failed in their attempts to
certify or qualify their silicomanganese with your firm 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.

III-23. Purchasing factors.--For the factors listed below, please rate each in terms of its importance in
your purchase decision for silicomanganese.
Very
important
Availability .......................................
Availability of grade B .....................
Availability of low carbon .................
Availability of other grades ..............
Delivery terms .................................
Delivery time ...................................
Discounts offered ............................
Extension of credit...........................
Lump size ........................................
Minimum qty requirements ..............
Packaging .......................................
Product consistency ........................
Quality meets industry standards....
Quality exceeds industry standards
Price ................................................
Product range..................................
Reliability of supply .........................
Technical support/service ...............
U.S. transportation costs .................
Other (specify):
........
........
........

Somewhat
important

Not
important

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 14
PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-24. Major purchasing factors.--Please list, in order of their importance, the three major factors
generally considered by your firm in deciding from whom to purchase silicomanganese for any
one order (examples include availability, extension of credit, contracts, price, quality, range of
supplier’s product line, traditional supplier, etc.).
1.
2.
3.
Other factors or comments:

III-25. Quality characteristics.--What characteristics does your firm consider when determining the
quality of silicomanganese?

III-26. Frequency of decisions based on price.--How often does your firm purchase the
silicomanganese that is offered at the lowest price?
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

III-27. Price leaders.— A price leader is defined as (1) one or more firms that initiate a price change,
either upward or downward, that is followed by other firms, or (2) one or more firms that have a
significant impact on prices. A price leader is not necessarily the lowest priced supplier.
Please list the names of any firms you considered price leaders in the silicomanganese market
since 2006. Describe how the firm(s) exhibited price leadership.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 15
PART III.-- MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES--Continued
III-28. Changes in U.S. industry.-(a)

Please identify and discuss any improvements/changes in the U.S. silicomanganese
industry since 2006 and explain the factors, including the order(s) under review, that
were responsible for each improvement/change.

(b)

Please discuss any improvements/changes that you anticipate in the future in the U.S.
silicomanganese industry. Identify the time period and causes for these
improvements/changes.

III-29. Effect of revocation.--What do you think will be the likely effects of any revocation of the
antidumping duty order for imports of silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine? As
appropriate, please discuss any potential effects of revocation of the antidumping duty order on
(1) the future activities of your firm and (2) the U.S. market as a whole. Please note the future
time period to which you are referring.
(1) Activities of your firm:

(2) Entire U.S. market:

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 16
PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS
IV-1.

Country knowledge.--Please indicate the countries of origin for silicomanganese for which your
firm has actual marketing/pricing knowledge.
United States

Brazil

China

Ukraine

Other countries (specify
IV-2.

)

Interchangeability by country-pair.--Is silicomanganese 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

Brazil

China

Ukraine

Other countries

United States
Brazil
China
Ukraine

For any country-pair producing silicomanganese that is sometimes or never interchangeable,
please explain the factors that limit or preclude interchangeable use:

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 17
PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS--Continued
IV-3.

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

Brazil

China

Ukraine

Other countries

United States
Brazil
China
Ukraine

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

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 18
PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS--Continued
IV-4.

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

IV-5.

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

Choice of product not based on price.--If you purchased silicomanganese 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.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 19
PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS--Continued
IV-6. Factor country comparisons.--For the factors listed below, please rate how silicomanganese
produced in each country you identified in your response to the first question in Part IV compares with
silicomanganese produced in each of the other countries you identified (including the United States and
both subject and nonsubject foreign countries).

Inferior

Comparable

product from
United States
compared to
product from
Ukraine

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

product from
United States
compared to
product from
China

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

Superior

product from
United States
compared to
product from
Brazil

Availability .......................................
Availability of grade B......................
Availability of low carbon .................
Availability of other grades ..............
Delivery terms .................................
Delivery time ...................................
Discounts offered ............................
Extension of credit...........................
Lump size ........................................
Minimum qty requirements ..............
Packaging .......................................
Product consistency ........................
Quality meets industry standards....
Quality exceeds industry standards
Price ................................................
Product range..........................................
Reliability of supply .................................
Technical support/service .......................
U.S. transportation costs1 .......................
Other (specify):

1

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

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 20
PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS--Continued

Continued.

Inferior

Comparable

Superior

compared to
product from

Inferior

compared to
product from

Comparable

compared to
product from

Superior

product from

Inferior

product from

Comparable

product from

Superior

IV-6.

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

1

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

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine (3rd Review) Page 21
PART IV.-- PRODUCT COMPARISIONS--Continued
IV-7.

Minimum quality.--How often does silicomanganese from the following countries meet
minimum quality specifications for your uses or your customers’ uses?
Source

Always

Usually

Sometimes

Rarely or
never

Don’t
know

United States
Brazil
China
Ukraine
South Africa
Georgia
Australia
Other (specify):

IV-8.

Change in price.-(a)

Since 2006, has there been a change in the price of silicomanganese? If so, has the price
of U.S.-produced silicomanganese changed more or less than the price of imported
silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine?
No change in price
Prices have changed by the same amount
Price of U.S.-produced silicomanganese has changed relative to the price of
silicomanganese from Brazil.
Price of U.S.-produced silicomanganese has changed relative to the price of
silicomanganese from China.
Price of U.S.-produced silicomanganese has changed relative to the price of
silicomanganese from Ukraine.

(b)

If the price of U.S.-produced silicomanganese has changed relative to the price of
silicomanganese from Brazil, China, and Ukraine, the price of U.S.-produced
silicomanganese is now relatively
Higher

Lower – than that from Brazil.

Higher

Lower – than that from China.

Higher

Lower – than that from Ukraine.