16-3-3478 U.S. Purchasers' Questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 16-1-3478:; Expiration Date: 6/30/2017
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

U.S. PURCHASERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
NARROW WOVEN RIBBONS WITH WOVEN SELVEDGE FROM CHINA AND TAIWAN
This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by May 6, 2016
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 reviews of the countervailing duty order concerning narrow woven ribbons with woven selvedge
(“narrow woven ribbons”) imported from China and the antidumping duty orders concerning narrow woven ribbons
imported from China and Taiwan (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-467 and 731-TA-1164-1165 (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
firm’s 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
City

State

Zip Code

Website
Has your firm purchased narrow woven ribbons (as defined on next page) from any source (domestic or foreign)
at any time since January 1, 2010?

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: RIBBON)
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 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
investigation or other proceeding may be disclosed to and used: (i) by the Commission, its employees and Offices, and contract
personnel (a) for developing or maintaining the records of this or a related proceeding, or (b) in internal investigations, audits,
reviews, and evaluations relating to the programs, personnel, and operations of the Commission including under 5 U.S.C.
Appendix 3; or (ii) by U.S. government employees and contract personnel, solely for cybersecurity purposes. I understand that all
contract personnel will sign appropriate nondisclosure agreements.
Name of Authorized Official

Title of Authorized Official

Date

Phone:
Signature

Email address

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PART I.—GENERAL INFORMATION
Background. On September 1, 2010, the Department of Commerce issued a countervailing duty order
on imports of narrow woven ribbons from China and antidumping duty orders on imports of narrow
woven ribbons from China and Taiwan. On August 3, 2015, the Commission instituted reviews pursuant
to section 751(c) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1675(c)) (the Act) to determine whether
revocation of the orders on narrow on narrow woven ribbons from China and Taiwan would likely lead
to the continuation or recurrence of material injury to a domestic industry within a reasonably
foreseeable time. If both the Commission and Commerce make affirmative determinations, the orders
will remain in place. If either the Commission or Commerce makes a negative determination, the
Department of Commerce will revoke the orders. Questionnaires and other information pertinent to this
proceeding are available at
https://www.usitc.gov/investigations/701731/2015/narrow_woven_ribbons_woven_selvedge_china_a
nd/first_review_full.htm
Narrow Woven Ribbons with Woven Selvedge. The merchandise subject to the reviews is narrow
woven ribbons with woven selvedge, in any length, but with a width (measured at the narrowest span of
the ribbon) less than or equal to 12 centimeters, composed of, in whole or in part, man-made fibers
(whether artificial or synthetic, including but not limited to nylon, polyester, rayon, polypropylene, and
polyethylene teraphthalate), metal threads and/or metalized yarns, or any combination thereof.
Narrow woven ribbons subject to the reviews may:
(1) Also include natural or other nonman-made fibers;
(2) Be of any color, style, pattern, or weave construction, including but not limited to single-faced
satin, doublefaced satin, grosgrain, sheer, taffeta, twill, jacquard, or a combination of two or more
colors, styles, patterns, and/or weave constructions;
(3) Have been subjected to, or composed of materials that have been subjected to, various
treatments, including but not limited to dyeing, printing, foil stamping, embossing, flocking,
coating, and/or sizing;
(4) Have embellishments, including but not limited to applique´, fringes, embroidery, buttons, glitter,
sequins, laminates, and/or adhesive backing;
(5) Have wire and/or monofilament in, on, or along the longitudinal edges of the ribbon;
(6) Have ends of any shape or dimension, including but not limited to straight ends that are
perpendicular to the longitudinal edges of the ribbon, tapered ends, flared ends or shaped ends,
and the ends of such woven ribbons may or may not be hemmed;
(7) Have longitudinal edges that are straight or of any shape, and the longitudinal edges of such woven
ribbon may or may not be parallel to each other;
(8) Consist of such ribbons affixed to like ribbon and/or cut-edge woven ribbon, a configuration also
known as an ‘‘ornamental trimming;’’
(9) Be wound on spools; attached to a card; hanked (i.e., coiled or bundled); packaged in boxes, trays
or bags; or configured as skeins, balls, bateaus or folds; and/or;
(10) Be included within a kit or set such as when packaged with other products, including but not
limited to gift bags, gift boxes and/or other types of ribbon.
Narrow woven ribbons subject to these reviews include all narrow woven fabrics, tapes, and labels that
fall within this written description of the scope of these reviews.

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Excluded from the scope of these reviews are the following:
(1) Formed bows composed of narrow woven ribbons with woven selvedge;
(2) “Pull-bows” (i.e., an assemblage of ribbons connected to one another, folded flat and equipped with
a means to form such ribbons into the shape of a bow by pulling on a length of material affixed to
such assemblage) composed of narrow woven ribbons;
(3) Narrow woven ribbons comprised at least 20 percent by weight of elastomeric yarn (i.e., filament
yarn, including monofilament, of synthetic textile material, other than textured yarn, which does not
break on being extended to three times its original length and which returns, after being extended
to twice its original length, within a period of five minutes, to a length not greater than one and a
half times its original length as defined in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States
(“HTSUS”), Section XI, Note 13) or rubber thread;
(4) Narrow woven ribbons of a kind used for the manufacture of typewriter or printer ribbons;
(5) Narrow woven labels and apparel tapes, cut-to-length or cut-to-shape, having a length (when
measured across the longest edge-to-edge span) not exceeding eight centimeters;
(6) Narrow woven ribbons with woven selvedge attached to and forming the handle of a gift bag;
(7) Cut-edge narrow woven ribbons formed by cutting broad woven fabric into strips of ribbon, with or
without treatments to prevent the longitudinal edges of the ribbon from fraying (such as by
merrowing, lamination, sonobonding, fusing, gumming or waxing), and with or without wire running
lengthwise along the longitudinal edges of the ribbon;
(8) Narrow woven ribbons comprised at least 85 percent by weight of threads having a denier of 225 or
higher;
(9) Narrow woven ribbons constructed from pile fabrics (i.e., fabrics with a surface effect formed by
tufts or loops of yarn that stand up from the body of the fabric);
(10) Narrow woven ribbon affixed (including by tying) as a decorative detail to non-subject merchandise,
such as a gift bag, gift box, gift tin, greeting card or plush toy, or affixed (including by tying) as a
decorative detail to packaging containing non-subject merchandise;
(11) Narrow woven ribbon that is (a) affixed to non-subject merchandise as a working component of
such non-subject merchandise, such as where narrow woven ribbon comprises an apparel trimming,
book marker, bag cinch, or part of an identity card holder, or (b) affixed (including by tying) to
nonsubject merchandise as a working component that holds or packages such non-subject
merchandise or attaches packaging or labeling to such nonsubject merchandise, such as a “belly
band” around a pair of pajamas, a pair of socks or a blanket;
(12) Narrow woven ribbon(s) comprising a belt attached to and imported with an item of wearing
apparel, whether or not such belt is removable from such item of wearing apparel; and
(13) Narrow woven ribbon(s) included with non-subject merchandise in kits, such as a holiday ornament
craft kit or a scrapbook kit, in which the individual lengths of narrow woven ribbon(s) included in the
kit are each no greater than eight inches, the aggregate amount of narrow woven ribbon(s) included
in the kit does not exceed 48 linear inches, none of the narrow woven ribbon(s) included in the kit is
on a spool, and the narrow woven ribbon(s) is only one of multiple items included in the kit.
The merchandise subject to these reviews is imported under HTSUS statistical reporting numbers
5806.32.1020; 5806.32.1030; 5806.32.1050 and 5806.32.1060. Subject merchandise also may be
imported under subheadings 5806.31.00; 5806.32.20; 5806.39.20; 5806.39.30; 5808.90.00; 5810.91.00;
5810.99.90; 5903.90.10; 5903.90.25; 5907.00.60; and 5907.00.80 and under statistical categories
5806.32.1080; 5810.92.9080; 5903.90.3090; and 6307.90.9889. The HTSUS categories and subheadings
are provided for convenience and customs purposes; however, the written description of the
merchandise under review is dispositive.

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Purchaser.--Any firm engaged, either directly or through a parent company or subsidiary, in purchasing
narrow woven ribbons from another firm that produces, imports, or otherwise distributes narrow
woven ribbons.
Reporting of information.-- If information is not readily available from your records in exactly the form
requested, furnish carefully prepared estimates. If your firm is completing more than one questionnaire
in connection with this proceeding (i.e., a producer, importer, and/or purchaser questionnaire), you
need not respond to duplicated questions in the questionnaires.
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 of your files, worksheets, and
supporting documents used in the preparation of the questionnaire response. Please also retain a copy
of the final document that you submit.
Release of information.--The information provided by your firm in response to this questionnaire, as
well as any other business proprietary information submitted by your firm to the Commission in
connection with this proceeding, may become subject to, and released under, the administrative
protective order provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1677f) and section 207.7 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR § 207.7). This means that certain lawyers and
other authorized individuals may temporarily be given access to the information for use in connection
with this proceeding or other import-injury proceedings conducted by the Commission on the same or
similar merchandise; those individuals would be subject to severe penalties if the information were
divulged to unauthorized individuals.

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I-1.
OMB statistics.--Please report 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
25 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 your U.S. establishment(s) covered
by this questionnaire, if different from that listed on the cover page. Firms operating more than
one establishment should combine the data for all establishments into a single report.
“Establishment”--Each facility of a firm involved in the purchase of narrow woven ribbons,
including auxiliary facilities operated in conjunction with (whether or not physically separate
from) such facilities.

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
(percent)

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons
I-4.

Related SUBJECT importers/exporters.--Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic
or foreign, which import narrow woven ribbons from China and/or Taiwan into the United
States or which export narrow woven ribbons from China and/or Taiwan to the United States?
No

Yes--List the following information.

Firm name

I-5.

Address

Yes--List the following information.

Firm name and country

Address

Affiliation

Related producers.--Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, which
produce narrow woven ribbons?
No
Firm name

I-7.

Affiliation

Related NONSUBJECT importers/exporters.--Does your firm have any related firms, either
domestic or foreign, which import narrow woven ribbons from countries other than China
and/or Taiwan into the United States or which export narrow woven ribbons from countries
other than China and/or Taiwan to the United States?
No

I-6.

Page 6

Yes--List the following information.
Address

Affiliation

Importing behavior.— Since January 1, 2010, has your firm import narrow woven ribbons in
addition to purchasing domestic or imported narrow woven ribbons?
No

Yes—Fill out an importer’s questionnaire found at the website listed on page
2 of this questionnaire in addition to this questionnaire.

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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
Purchases.— Report your firm’s total U.S. purchases of narrow woven ribbons. (Do not include
imports for which your firm was the importer of record; such imports should be reported in your
U.S. importer’s questionnaire). Importer’s questionnaires can be found at
https://www.usitc.gov/investigations/701731/2015/narrow_woven_ribbons_woven_selvedge_
china_and/first_review_full.htm

II-1.

Note: Imports from Taiwan are subject to the antidumping except for those exported or
manufactured by the following companies in Taiwan: i) Dear Year Brothers Mfg. Co., Ltd.; ii)
Shienq Huong Enterprise Co., Ltd./Hsien Chan Enterprise Co., Ltd./Novelty Handicrafts Co., Ltd.
Purchases of narrow woven ribbons from these listed companies should be included in the
Taiwan (nonsubject) line. All others should be included in the Taiwan (subject) line.
Item

2015

Purchases of narrow woven ribbons produced in--

Quantity (in square yards)

United States
China
Taiwan (subject)
Taiwan (nonsubject)
All other countries1
Sources unknown
1

Please identify these countries:

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons
II-2.

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Changes in purchasing patterns.--Please indicate how the shares of your firm’s purchases of
narrow woven ribbons from different sources have changed since January 1, 2010.
Source of
purchases
United States

China
Taiwan
(subject)
Taiwan
(nonsubject)
All other
countries
Sources
unknown

Did not
purchase Decreased

Increased

Constant

Fluctuated

Explanation for trend

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II-3.

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

II-4.

Supplier identification.--Please list your firm’s FIVE largest suppliers for narrow woven ribbons
since January 1, 2010. Also, provide the share of the quantity of your firm’s total purchases of
narrow woven ribbons that each of these suppliers accounted for in 2015.

No.

Supplier’s name

City and state

Share of quantity of
2015 purchases

1

%

2

%

3

%

4

%

5

%

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

Firm type.--Which of the following best describes your firm as a purchaser of narrow woven
ribbons?
Firm type
Retailer of narrow woven ribbons
Industrial End User – Manufacturer incorporating narrow
woven ribbons (Describe:
)
Wholesaler/Distributor
Other (Describe:
)

(check all that apply)

If your firm is a distributor of narrow woven ribbons, please answer questions III-2 and III-3.
III-2.

Competition for sales.--Does your firm compete for sales to customers with the manufacturers
or importers from which your firm purchases narrow woven ribbons?
No

III-3.

Yes

If yes, please describe.

Types of customers.--What are the major types of consumers to which your firm sells narrow
woven ribbons?

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If your firm is an end user of narrow woven ribbons, please answer questions III-4 and III-5.
III-4.

End uses.--List the top 3 products your firm makes using narrow woven ribbons and estimate the
percent of your total production cost that is accounted for by narrow woven ribbons and by
other inputs (such as labor, energy, and other raw materials).
Share of total cost in each of the product(s) your
firm produces accounted for by
Product(s) your firm
produces

III-5.

Narrow woven ribbons

Total
(should
sum to
100.0%
across)

Other inputs

% +

%

=

0.0 %

% +

%

=

0.0 %

% +

%

=

0.0 %

Demand for end use products.-(a)

Has the demand for your firm’s final products incorporating narrow woven ribbons
changed since January 1, 2010?
Increased

(b)

No change

Decreased

Fluctuated

Has this had any effect on your firm’s demand for narrow woven ribbons?
No

Yes

Explain

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons
III-6.

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Substitutes.--Can other products be substituted for narrow woven ribbons?
No

Substitute

Yes--Please fill out the table.

End use in which this
substitute is used

Have changes in the price of this substitute
affected the price for narrow woven ribbons?
No Yes

Explanation

1.
2.
3.
III-7.

Demand trends.-- Indicate how demand within the United States and outside of the United
States (if known) for narrow woven ribbons has changed since January 1, 2010 and how you
anticipate demand will change in the future. Explain any trends and describe the principal
factors that have affected these changes in demand.

Market

Overall
increase

No
change

Overall
decrease

Fluctuate
with no
clear trend

Demand since January 1, 2010
Within
the United
States
Outside
the United
States
Anticipated future demand
Within
the United
States
Outside
the United
States

Explanation and factors

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons
III-8.

Country preferences.--Do you or your customers ever specifically order narrow woven ribbons
from one country in particular over other possible sources of supply?
No

III-9.

Page 13

Yes

If yes, identify the countries and explain.

Importance of purchasing domestic product.--Please fill out the table below, estimating the
percentage of your firm’s total 2015 purchases of narrow woven ribbons that required narrow
woven ribbons produced in the United States.
Estimated percentage of
your firm’s total 2015
purchases of narrow
woven ribbons

Purchases that did not require domestic product

%

Purchases that were required by law or regulation to be domestic product
(e.g., government purchases under “Buy American” provisions)

%

Purchases that were not required by law or regulation, but were required by
your customers to be domestic product

%

Purchases that were required to be domestic product for other reasons
(explain:
)

%

Total (should sum to 100.0%)

0.0 %

III-10. Product and marketing changes.—
(a)

Have there been any significant changes in the product range or product mix of narrow
woven ribbons since January 1, 2010? Do you anticipate any future changes?

Changes in
product range
or product mix No Yes
Changes since
January 1, 2010
Anticipated
changes

Explain

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III-10. Product and marketing changes (continued).-(b)

Have there been any significant changes in the prevalence of internet marketing of
narrow woven ribbons since January 1, 2010? Do you anticipate any future changes?
Internet
marketing

No
Increase change Decrease

Explain

Changes since
January 1,
2010
Anticipated
changes
(c)

Have there been any significant changes in other types of marketing of narrow woven
ribbons since January 1, 2010? Do you anticipate any future changes?

Changes in
product range
or product mix
Changes since
January 1, 2010
Anticipated
changes

No

Yes

Explain

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III-11. Conditions of competition.-(a)

Does the market for narrow woven ribbons experience seasonal increases and
decreases in demand throughout the year or other business cycles distinctive to narrow
woven ribbons?

No (skip to
Q. III-10(d))

(b)

Yes

If yes, describe.

Is the narrow woven ribbons market subject other conditions of competition distinctive
to narrow woven ribbons?

No (skip to
Q. III-11)

(e)

Yes

If yes, please describe the magnitude and timing of the variation,
and note if/how your firm’s sourcing behavior (e.g., country
sources) changes based on the time of year.

Have there been any changes seasonal demand variations for narrow woven ribbons
since January 1, 2010?
No

(d)

If yes, please describe the magnitude and timing of the variation.

Are your firm’s sales of narrow woven ribbons affected by these seasonal variations?

No

(c)

Yes

Yes

If yes, please describe.

Have there been any changes in the business cycles or conditions of competition for
narrow woven ribbons since January 1, 2010?
No

Yes

If yes, describe.

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III-11. Conditions of competition (continued).-(f)

How has the availability of counterfeit licensed NWR product changed since January 1,
2010?

Increased

(g)

No

(i)

Decreased

Explain

How has the prevalence of internet auctions changed since January 1, 2010?

Increased

(h)

No change

No change

Decreased

Explain

Have you conducted any internet auctions to purchase NWR since January 1, 2010?
Yes

Explain

Did competition from online Internet sellers of subject NWR increase since January 1,
2010?
No

Yes

Explain

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III-12. Decisions based on producer and country-of-origin.--How often does your firm, and if known,
do your customers, make purchasing decisions involving narrow woven ribbons based on its
producer or country of origin?
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

If at least sometimes, explain.

Decision based on producer
Your firm
Your
customers
Decision based on country of origin
Your firm
Your
customers
III-13. Availability of supply.--Has the availability of narrow woven ribbons in the U.S. market changed
since January 1, 2010?
Availability in the U.S.
Please explain, noting the countries and reasons for the
market
No Yes changes.
U.S.-produced product
Subject imports
Nonsubject imports
III-14. Supply constraints.--Has any firm refused, declined, or been unable to supply your firm with
narrow woven ribbons since January 1, 2010 (examples include suppliers 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, or being otherwise delayed or experience difficulties in your suppliers meeting
shipment or delivery date commitments as a result of any supply constraints or shortage in
capacity, etc.)?
No

Yes

If yes, please describe.

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III-15. Availability of specific product types.--Are certain grades/types/sizes of narrow woven ribbons
only available from certain country sources?
No

Yes

If yes, please identify the countries and the grade/type/size.

III-16. Purchasing frequency.-(a)

How frequently does your firm make purchases of narrow woven ribbons (check one)?
Daily

(b)

Weekly

Monthly

Quarterly

Annually

Other

If other, specify

Has this purchasing frequency changed since January 1, 2010?
No

Yes

If yes, please describe.

III-17. Number of suppliers contacted.--How many suppliers does your firm generally contact before
making a purchase? Between
and
firms
III-18. Supplier negotiations.--Does your firm’s purchases of narrow woven ribbons usually involve
negotiations between supplier and purchaser?

No

Yes

If yes, explain the factors your firm generally negotiates and note whether
your firm quotes competing prices during negotiations.

III-19. Change in suppliers.--Has your firm changed suppliers since January 1, 2010?

No

Yes

If yes, please list the supplier(s), whether the firm was added or dropped,
and the reasons for the change.

III-20. New suppliers.--Are you aware of any new suppliers, either foreign or domestic, that have
entered the market since January 1, 2010?
No

Yes

If yes, please identify the firms.

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III-21. Supplier qualification.--Do you require your suppliers to be or to become certified or qualified
to sell narrow woven ribbons to your firm?
If yes, provide the following information.
• The number of days to qualify a new supplier.
• A general description of the certification or qualification process. Also, a brief
description of the factors that you consider when qualifying a new supplier (e.g., quality
of product, reliability of supplier, etc.).

No

Yes

Number
of days Process and factors

III-22. Failure to certify.--Since January 1, 2010, have any domestic or foreign producers failed in their
attempts to certify or qualify their narrow woven ribbons with your firm or have any producers
lost their approved status?

No

Yes

If yes, please identify these firms, the countries where they are located,
and the reasons why they failed the certification/qualification.

III-23. Major purchasing factors.--Please list, in order of their importance, the main factors your firm
considers in deciding from whom to purchase narrow woven ribbons (examples include
availability, extension of credit, contracts, price, quality, range of supplier’s product line,
traditional supplier, etc.).
1.
2.
3.
Please list any other factors that are very important in your purchase decisions:

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III-24. Purchasing factors.--Please rate the importance of the following factors in your firm’s
purchasing decisions for narrow woven ribbons.

Factor

Very
important

Somewhat
important

Not
important

Availability
Availability of fancy ribbons
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Design innovation/fashion trends
Discounts offered
Extension of credit
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging
Price
Product consistency
Product range
Quality exceeds industry standards
Quality meets industry standards
Reliability of supply
Technical support/service
U.S. transportation costs
III-25. Quality characteristics.--What characteristics does your firm consider when determining the
quality of the narrow woven ribbons you purchase?

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U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons

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III-26. Minimum quality.--How often does narrow woven ribbons 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
China (subject)
Taiwan (subject)
Taiwan (nonsubject)
Other:
III-27. Frequency of decisions based on price.--How often does your firm purchase the narrow woven
ribbons that is offered at the lowest price?
Always

Usually

Sometimes

Never

III-28. Choice of product not based on price.--If you purchased narrow woven ribbons from one
country source although a comparable product was available from another country source at a
lower price, please explain your reasons for doing so (please specify by country).

III-29. 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 narrow woven ribbons
market since January 1, 2010.
Firm(s)

Describe how the firm(s) exhibited price leadership

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons

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III-30. Switching to imports.—
(a)

Since January 2010, did your firm switch any of its purchases from U.S.-produced narrow
woven ribbons to imports of narrow woven ribbons from China and/or Taiwan?
Respond for each listed country.
Yes
(also respond to parts (b) and
(c))

Source

No
(If “No” for all countries, skip to
next question)

China
Taiwan (subject)
Taiwan
(nonsubject)
(b)

If you responded “Yes” to part (a), was the imported product priced lower than the
domestic product?
Source

Yes

No

China
Taiwan (subject)
Taiwan
(nonsubject)
(c)

If you responded “Yes” to part (a) above, was price a primary reason for the shift?

Source

China
Taiwan
(subject)
Taiwan
(nonsubject)

Yes

If Yes, estimate the quantity
of purchases that your firm
shifted to imports since
January 2010 because of price
(square yards)

No

If No, please indicate the
reason for the shift

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons

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III-31. U.S. producers and import competition.—
(a)

Since January 1, 2010, in connection with a sale or offer to sell narrow woven ribbons to
your firm, did U.S. producers reduce their prices of domestically produced narrow
woven ribbons in order to compete with lower-priced imports of narrow woven ribbons
from subject countries? Respond for each listed country.
Source

Yes (also respond to
question part (b))

No (If “No” for all countries,
skip to next question)

Don’t know

China
Taiwan
(subject)
Taiwan
(nonsubject)
(b)

If your firm responded “yes” to any of the above countries, please provide an estimate
of the reduction in U.S. producers’ prices, and any additional explanations, such as
timing (e.g., months/years), frequency of price reductions, or other market/competitive
factors.

Source

Estimated
reduction in U.S.
prices
(percent)

China

%

Taiwan
(subject)

%

Taiwan
(nonsubject)

%

Additional explanation, including such information as
timing (e.g., months/years), frequency of price
reductions, or other market/competitive factors

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons

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PART IV.—COUNTRY COMPARISONS
IV-1.

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

IV-2.

China

Taiwan
(subject)

Taiwan
(nonsubject)

Other
countries

Other countries (specify)

Interchangeability.--Is narrow woven ribbons 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

China

Taiwan
(subject)

Taiwan
(nonsubject)

Other countries

United States
China (subject)
Taiwan (subject)
Taiwan (nonsubject)
For any country-pair producing narrow woven ribbons that is sometimes or never
interchangeable, identify the country-pair and explain the factors that limit or preclude
interchangeable use:

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons
IV-3.

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Factors other than price.--Are differences other than price (e.g., quality, availability,
transportation network, product range, technical support, etc.) between narrow woven ribbons
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

China

Taiwan
(subject)

Taiwan
(nonsubject)

Other countries

United States
China (subject)
Taiwan (subject)
Taiwan (nonsubject)
For any country-pair for which factors other than price always or frequently are a significant
factor in your firm’s sales of narrow woven ribbons, identify the country-pair and report the
advantages or disadvantages imparted by such factors:

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons
IV-4.

Page 26

Factor country comparisons.--For the factors listed below, please rate how narrow woven
ribbons produced in each country you identified in your response to the first question in Part IV
compares with narrow woven ribbons produced in each of the other countries you identified.

If you are unfamiliar with the product from a particular country, please leave the boxes for those
country comparisons blank.

Availability
Availability of fancy ribbons
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Design innovation/fashion trends
Discounts offered
Extension of credit
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging
Price1
Product consistency
Product range
Quality exceeds industry standards
Quality meets industry standards
Reliability of supply
Technical support/service
U.S. transportation costs1
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.

Inferior

Comparable

Product from
United States
compared to
product from
Taiwan (nonsubject)

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

Product from
United States
compared to
product from
Taiwan (subject)

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

Factor

Superior

Product from
United States
compared to
product from
China

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons
IV-4.

Page 27

Continued.

If you are unfamiliar with the product from a particular country, please leave the boxes for those
country comparisons blank.

Inferior

Comparable

Product from
China
compared to
product from
Taiwan
(nonsubject)

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

Product from
China
compared to
product from
Taiwan (subject)

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

Factor

Superior

Product from
United States
compared to
product from
Nonsubject
countries

Availability
Availability of fancy ribbons
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Design innovation/fashion trends
Discounts offered
Extension of credit
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging
Price1
Product consistency
Product range
Quality exceeds industry standards
Quality meets industry standards
Reliability of supply
Technical support/service
U.S. transportation costs1
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 - Narrow Woven Ribbons
IV-4.

Page 28

Continued.

If you are unfamiliar with the product from a particular country, please leave the boxes for those
country comparisons blank.

Inferior

Comparable

Product from
Taiwan (subject)
compared to
product from
Nonsubject
countries

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

Product from
Taiwan (subject)
compared to
product from
Taiwan
(nonsubject)

Superior

Inferior

Comparable

Factor

Superior

Product from
China
compared to
product from
Nonsubject
countries

Availability
Availability of fancy ribbons
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Design innovation/fashion trends
Discounts offered
Extension of credit
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging
Price1
Product consistency
Product range
Quality exceeds industry standards
Quality meets industry standards
Reliability of supply
Technical support/service
U.S. transportation costs1
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 - Narrow Woven Ribbons
IV-4.

Page 29

Continued.

If you are unfamiliar with the product from a particular country, please leave the boxes for those
country comparisons blank.

Inferior

Comparable

Factor

Superior

Product from
Taiwan (nonsubject)
compared to product from
Other nonsubject countries

Availability
Availability of fancy ribbons
Delivery terms
Delivery time
Design innovation/fashion trends
Discounts offered
Extension of credit
Minimum quantity requirements
Packaging
Price1
Product consistency
Product range
Quality exceeds industry standards
Quality meets industry standards
Reliability of supply
Technical support/service
U.S. transportation costs1
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 - Narrow Woven Ribbons

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PART V.—FURTHER INFORMATION
V-1.

Other explanations.--If your firm would like to further explain a response to any question that
did not provide a narrative response box, please note the question number and the explanation
in the space provided below.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Purchasers’ Questionnaire - Narrow Woven Ribbons

Page 31

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/701731/2015/narrow_woven_ribbons_woven_sel
vedge_china_and/first_review_full.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: RIBBON

• E-mail.—E-mail the MS Word questionnaire to craig.thomsen@usitc.gov; 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 does not purchase 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 (202205-1803). A certificate of service must accompany the completed questionnaire your firm submits (see
19 CFR § 207.7). Service of the questionnaire must be made in paper form.