19-2-4022 US importers' questionnaire

Information collections for import injury investigations (producers, importers, purchasers, and foreign producer questionnaires and institution notices for 5-year reviews)

US importers--Steel racks (F)

Steel racks from China (Inv. nos. 701-TA-608 and 731-TA-1420)

OMB: 3117-0016

⚠️ Notice: This form may be outdated. More recent filings and information on OMB 3117-0016 can be found here:

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OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 19-2-4022; Expiration Date: 6/30/2020
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

U.S. IMPORTERS’ QUESTIONNAIRE
STEEL RACKS FROM CHINA
This questionnaire must be received by the Commission by May 1, 2019
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 countervailing duty and antidumping investigations concerning steel racks from China (Inv. Nos. 701TA- 608 and 731-TA-1420 (Final)). The information requested in the questionnaire is requested under the authority of
the Tariff Act of 1930, title VII. This report is mandatory and failure to reply as directed can result in a subpoena or other
order to compel the submission of records or information in your firm’s possession (19 U.S.C. § 1333(a)).

Name of firm
Address
City

State

Zip Code

Website
Has your firm imported steel racks (as defined on next page) from any country at any time since January 1,
2016?

(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: RACKS)
CERTIFICATION
I certify that the information herein supplied in response to this questionnaire is complete and correct to the best of my
knowledge and belief and understand that the information submitted is subject to audit and verification by the Commission. By
means of this certification I also grant consent for the Commission, and its employees and contract personnel, to use the
information provided in this questionnaire and throughout this proceeding in any other import-injury proceedings conducted by
the Commission on the same or similar merchandise.
I, the undersigned, acknowledge that information submitted in response to this request for information and throughout this
proceeding or other proceedings may be disclosed to and used: (i) by the Commission, its employees and Offices, and contract
personnel (a) for developing or maintaining the records of this or a related proceeding, or (b) in internal investigations, audits,
reviews, and evaluations relating to the programs, personnel, and operations of the Commission including under 5 U.S.C.
Appendix 3; or (ii) by U.S. government employees and contract personnel, solely for cybersecurity purposes. I understand that all
contract personnel will sign appropriate nondisclosure agreements.

Name of Authorized Official

Title of Authorized Official

Date

Phone:
Signature

Email address

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PART I.—GENERAL INFORMATION
Background.--This proceeding was instituted in response to a petition filed on June 20, 2018, by Bulldog
Rack Company, Weirton, West Virginia; Hannibal Industries, Inc., Los Angeles, California; Husky Rack and
Wire, Denver, North Carolina; Ridg-U-Rak, Inc., North East, Pennsylvania; SpaceRAK, A Division of
Heartland Steel Products, Inc., Marysville, Michigan; Speedrack Products Group, Ltd., Sparta, Michigan;
Steel King Industries, Inc., Stevens Point, Wisconsin; Tri-Boro Shelving & Partition Corp., Farmville,
Virginia; and UNARCO Material Handling, Inc., Springfield, Tennessee. Countervailing and/or
antidumping duties may be assessed on the subject imports as a result of these proceedings if the
Commission makes an affirmative determination of injury, threat, or material retardation, and if the U.S.
Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) makes an affirmative determination of subsidization and/or
dumping. Questionnaires and other information pertinent to this proceeding are available at
https://www.usitc.gov/investigations/701731/2018/steel_racks_china/preliminary.htm.
Steel racks covered by these investigations are steel racks and parts thereof, assembled, to any extent,
or unassembled, including but not limited to, vertical components (e.g., uprights, posts, or
columns), horizontal or diagonal components (e.g., arms or beams), braces, frames, locking devices (e.g.,
end plates and beam connectors), and accessories (including, but not limited to, rails, skid channels, skid
rails, drum/coil beds, fork clearance bars, pallet supports, row spacers, and wall ties).
Subject steel racks and parts thereof are made of steel, including, but not limited to, cold and/or
hot-formed steel, regardless of the type of steel used to produce the components and may, or may not,
include locking tabs, slots, or bolted, clamped, or welded connections. Subject steel racks have the
following physical characteristics:
(1) Each steel vertical and horizontal load bearing member (e.g., arms, beams, posts, and
columns) is composed of steel that is at least 0.044 inches thick;
(2) Each steel vertical and horizontal load bearing member (e.g., arms, beams, posts, and
columns) is composed of steel that has a yield strength equal to or greater than 36,000 pounds
per square inch;
(3) The width of each steel vertical load bearing member (e.g., posts and columns) exceeds two
inches; and
(4) The overall depth of each steel roll-formed horizontal load bearing member (e.g., beams)
exceeds two inches.
In the case of steel horizontal load bearing members other than roll-formed (e.g., structural beams, Zbeams, or cantilever arms), only the criteria in subparagraphs (1) and (2) apply to these horizontal load
bearing members. The depth limitation in subparagraph (4) does not apply to steel horizontal load
bearing members that are not roll-formed.
Steel rack components can be assembled into structures of various dimensions and configurations by
welding, bolting, clipping, or with the use of devices such as clips, end plates, and beam connectors,
including, but not limited to the following configurations: 1) racks with upright frames perpendicular to
the aisles that are independently adjustable, with positive-locking beams parallel to the aisle spanning
the upright frames with braces; and 2) cantilever racks with vertical components parallel to the aisle and
cantilever beams or arms connected to the vertical components perpendicular to the aisle. Steel racks
may be referred to as pallet racks, storage racks, stacker racks, retail racks, pick modules, selective racks,
or cantilever racks and may incorporate moving components and be referred to as pallet-flow racks,
carton-flow racks, push-back racks, movable-shelf racks, drive-in racks, and drive-through racks. While
steel racks may be made to ANSI MH16.l or ANSI MH16.3 standards, all steel racks and parts thereof

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meeting the description set out herein are covered by the scope of these investigations, whether or not
produced according to a particular standard.
The scope includes all steel racks and parts thereof meeting the description above, regardless of
(1) other dimensions, weight, or load rating;
(2) vertical components or frame type (including structural, roll-form, or other);
(3) horizontal support or beam/brace type (including but not limited to structural, roll-form, slotted,
unslotted, Z-beam, C-beam, L-beam, step beam, and cantilever beam);
(4) number of supports;
(5) number of levels;
(6) surface coating, if any (including but not limited to paint, epoxy, powder coating, zinc, or
other metallic coatings);
(7) rack shape (including but not limited to rectangular, square, corner, and cantilever);
(8) the method by which the vertical and horizontal supports connect (including but not limited
to locking tabs or slots, bolting, clamping, and welding); and
(9) whether or not the steel rack has moving components (including but not limited to rails, wheels,
rollers, tracks, channels, carts, and conveyors).
Subject merchandise includes merchandise matching the above description that has been finished or
packaged in a third country. Finishing includes, but is not limited to, coating, painting, or assembly,
including attaching the merchandise to another product, or any other finishing or assembly operation
that would not remove the merchandise from the scope of these investigations if performed in the
country of manufacture of the steel racks and parts thereof. Packaging includes packaging the
merchandise with or without another product or any other packaging operation that would not remove
the merchandise from the scope of these investigations if performed in the country of manufacture of
the steel racks and parts thereof.
Steel racks and parts thereof are included in the scope of these investigations whether or not imported
attached to, or included with, other parts or accessories such as wire decking, nuts, and bolts. If steel
racks and parts thereof are imported attached to, or included with, such non-subject merchandise, only
the steel racks and parts thereof are included in the scope.
The scope of these investigations does not cover: 1) decks, i.e., shelving that sits on or fits into the
horizontal supports to provide the horizontal storage surface of the steel racks; 2) wire shelving units,
i.e., units made from wire that incorporate both a wire deck and wire horizontal supports (taking the
place of the horizontal beams and braces) into a single piece with tubular collars that slide over the
posts and onto plastic sleeves snapped on the posts to create a finished unit; 3) pins, nuts, bolts,
washers, and clips used as connecting devices; and 4) non-steel components.
Specifically excluded from the scope of these investigations are any products covered by Commerce’s
existing antidumping and countervailing duty orders on boltless steel shelving units prepackaged for sale
from the People’s Republic of China. See Boltless Steel Shelving Units Prepackaged for Sale From the
People’s Republic of China: Antidumping Duty Order, 80 Fed. Reg. 63,741 (October 21, 2017); Boltless
Steel Shelving Units Prepackaged for Sale From the People’s Republic of China: Amended Final
Affirmative Countervailing Duty Determination and Countervailing Duty Order, 80 Fed. Reg. 63,745
(October 21, 2017).
Also excluded from the scope of these investigations are bulk-packed parts or components of boltless
steel shelving units that were specifically excluded from the scope of the Boltless Steel Shelving Orders
because such bulk-packed parts or components do not contain the steel vertical supports (i.e., uprights

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and posts) and steel horizontal supports (i.e., beams, braces) packaged together for assembly into a
completed boltless steel shelving unit.

Such excluded components of boltless steel shelving are defined as:
(1) boltless horizontal supports (beams, braces) that have each of the following characteristics: (a) a
length of 95 inches or less, (b) made from steel that has a thickness of 0.068 inches or less, and (c) a
weight capacity that does not exceed 2500 lbs per pair of beams for beams that are 78” or shorter, a
weight capacity that does not exceed 2200 lbs per pair of beams for beams that are over 78” long but
not longer than 90”, and/or a weight capacity that does not exceed 1800 lbs per pair of beams for
beams that are longer than 90”;
(2) shelf supports that mate with the aforementioned horizontal supports; and
(3) boltless vertical supports (upright welded frames and posts) that have each of the following
characteristics: (a) a length of 95 inches or less, (b) with no face that exceeds 2.90 inches wide, and (c)
made from steel that has a thickness of 0.065 inches or less.
Excluded from the scope of these investigations are: (1) wall-mounted shelving and racks, defined as
shelving and racks that suspend all of the load from the wall, and do not stand on, or transfer load to,
the floor; (2) ceiling-mounted shelving and racks, defined as shelving and racks that suspend all of the
load from the ceiling and do not stand on, or transfer load to, the floor; and (3) wall/ceiling mounted
shelving and racks, defined as shelving and racks that suspend the load from the ceiling and the wall and
do not stand on, or transfer load to, the floor. The addition of a wall or ceiling bracket or other device to
attach otherwise subject merchandise to a wall or ceiling does not meet the terms of this exclusion.
Also excluded from the scope of these investigations is scaffolding that complies with ANSI/ASSE
A10.8 - 2011 – Scaffolding Safety Requirements, CAN/CSA S269.2-M87 (Reaffirmed 2003) – Access
Scaffolding for Construction Purposes, and/or Occupational Safety and Health Administration
regulations at 29 C.F.R. Part 1926 subpart L – Scaffolds.
Also excluded from the scope of these investigations are tubular racks such as garment racks and drying
racks, i.e., racks in which the load bearing vertical and horizontal steel members consist solely of: (1)
round tubes that are no more than two inches in diameter; (2) round rods that are no more than two
inches in diameter; (3) other tubular shapes that have both an overall height of no more than two inches
and an overall width of no more than two inches; and/or (4) wire.
Also excluded from the scope of these investigations are portable tier racks. Portable tier racks must
meet each of the following criteria to qualify for this exclusion:
(1) They are freestanding, portable assemblies with a fully welded base and four freely inserted and
easily removable corner posts;
(2) They are assembled without the use of bolts, braces, anchors, brackets, clips, attachments, or
connectors;
(3) One assembly may be stacked on top of another without applying any additional load to the product
being stored on each assembly, but individual portable tier racks are not securely attached to one
another to provide interaction or interdependence; and
(4) The assemblies have no mechanism (e.g., a welded foot plate with bolt holes) for anchoring the
assembly to the ground.
Also excluded from the scope of these investigations are accessories that are independently bolted to
the floor and not attached to the rack system itself, i.e., column protectors, corner guards, bollards, and
end row and end of aisle protectors.

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Merchandise covered by these investigations is currently classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of
the United States (HTSUS) under the following subheadings: 7326.90.8688, 9403.20.0080, and
9403.90.8041. Subject merchandise may also enter under subheadings 7308.90.3000, 7308.90.6000,
7308.90.9590, and 9403.20.0090. The HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and U.S.
Customs purposes only. The written description of the scope is dispositive.
Importer.--Any person or firm engaged, either directly or through a parent company or subsidiary, in
importing steel racks (as defined above) into the United States from a foreign manufacturer or through
its selling agent.
Reporting of information.--If information is not readily available from your records, provide carefully
prepared estimates. If your firm is completing more than one questionnaire (i.e., a producer, importer,
and/or purchaser questionnaire), you need not respond to duplicated questions.
Confidentiality.--The commercial and financial data furnished in response to this questionnaire that
reveal the individual operations of your firm will be treated as confidential by the Commission to the
extent that such data are not otherwise available to the public and will not be disclosed except as may
be required by law (see 19 U.S.C. § 1677f). Such confidential information will not be published in a
manner that will reveal the individual operations of your firm; however, general characterizations of
numerical business proprietary information (such as discussion of trends) will be treated as confidential
business information only at the request of the submitter for good cause shown.
Verification.-- The information submitted in this questionnaire is subject to audit and verification by the
Commission. To facilitate possible verification of data, please keep all files, worksheets, and supporting
documents used in the preparation of the questionnaire response. Please also retain a copy of the final
document that you submit.
Release of information.--The information provided by your firm in response to this questionnaire, as
well as any other business proprietary information submitted by your firm to the Commission in
connection with this proceeding, may become subject to, and released under, the administrative
protective order provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1677f) and section 207.7 of the
Commission’s Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR § 207.7). This means that certain lawyers and
other authorized individuals may temporarily be given access to the information for use in connection
with this proceeding or other import-injury proceedings conducted by the Commission on the same or
similar merchandise; those individuals would be subject to severe penalties if the information were
divulged to unauthorized individuals.
Valid number error messages.--If you are completing this form in a country that uses periods (“.”) to
delineate multiples of 1000 (e.g., one million would appear as $1.000.000 rather than $1,000,000), you
may be unable to enter in numbers greater than 999 in numeric form fields. The solution to this data
entry issue is to temporarily change your operating system’s number formatting to be consistent with
the U.S. number formatting system while you complete this form. Detailed instructions on how to
resolve this issue is provided at the end of this questionnaire and is available upon request from Stamen
Borisson (202-205-3125, stamen.borisson@usitc.gov).
D-GRIDS tool.--The Commission has a tool that firms can use to move data from their own MS Excel
compilation files into self-contained data tables within this MS Word questionnaire, thereby reducing
the amount of cell-by-cell data entry that would be required to complete this form. This tool is a macroenabled MS Excel file available for download from the Commission's generic questionnaires webpage

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(https://www.usitc.gov/trade_remedy/question.htm) called the "D-GRIDs tool." Use of this tool to help
your firm complete this questionnaire is optional. Firms opting to use the D-GRIDs tool to populate their
data into this questionnaire will need the D-GRIDs specification sheet PDF file specific to this proceeding
(available on the case page which is linked under the "Background" above) which includes the necessary
references relating to this questionnaire, as well as the macro-enable MS Excel D-GRIDs tool itself from
the generic questionnaires page. More detailed instructions on how to use the D-GRIDs tool are
available within the D-GRIDs tool itself.
I-1.

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

Dollars

The questions in this questionnaire have been reviewed with market participants to ensure that
issues of concern are adequately addressed and that data requests are sufficient, meaningful,
and as limited as possible. Public reporting burden for this questionnaire is estimated to average
40 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering data, and
completing and reviewing the questionnaire.
We welcome comments regarding the accuracy of this burden estimate, suggestions for
reducing the burden, and any suggestions for improving this questionnaire. Please attach such
comments to your response or send to the Office of Investigations, USITC, 500 E St. SW,
Washington, DC 20436.
I-2.

Establishments covered.--Provide the name and address of establishment(s) covered by this
questionnaire. If your firm is publicly traded, please specify the stock exchange and trading
symbol.
“Establishment”--Each facility of a firm involved in the importation of steel racks, including
auxiliary facilities operated in conjunction with (whether or not physically separate from) such
facilities.

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

I-3.

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

Firm name

I-4.

Page 7

Yes--List the following information

Address

Extent of
ownership
(percent)

Related importers/exporters.--Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or
foreign, that are engaged in importing steel racks from China into the United States or that are
engaged in exporting steel racks from China to the United States?
No
Firm name

Yes--List the following information.
Country

Affiliation

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

I-5.

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

Yes--List the following information.

Firm name

I-6.

Country

Affiliation

Importing operations.--Please indicate the nature of your firm’s importing operations on steel
racks. More than one answer may be applicable.

Importer of record

I-7.

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Takes title to the
imported product(s)

Consignee of the
imported products(s)

Customs broker or
freight forwarder

Consignee.--If your firm is an importer of record of steel racks but is not the consignee, please
list the consignees below (firm name, address, telephone number, and individual to contact).

Firm name

Address

Contact person
and phone
number

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

I-8.

Page 9

FTZ, TIB, or bonded warehouses.--Please indicate whether your firm enters steel racks into, or
withdraws such merchandise from, foreign trade zones or bonded warehouses. Also indicate
whether your firm imports steel racks under the TIB (temporary importation under bond)
program.
“Foreign trade zone” is a designated location in the United States where firms utilize special
procedures that allow delayed or reduced customs duty payments on foreign merchandise, as
well as other savings. A foreign trade zone must be designed as such pursuant to the rules and
procedures set forth in the Foreign-Trade Zones Act.
“Bonded warehouse” is a secured facility supervised by U.S. customs, where dutiable landed
imports are stored pending their re-export, or release after payment of import duties, taxes, and
other charges. A bonded warehouse must be designed as such pursuant to the rules and
procedures set forth in 19 U.S.C. § 1555.
“Temporary Importation under Bond (“TIB”) program” is a procedure whereby imported
merchandise may be entered under certain conditions for a limited time into the United States
free of duty. Under the program, an importer posts a bond for twice the amount of duty, taxes,
etc. that would otherwise be owed on the importation and agrees to export or destroy the
merchandise within a specified time or pay liquidated damages. This program is restricted to
certain categories of merchandise listed in subheadings 9813.00.05 through 9813.00.75 of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTS).
Item

Yes

Foreign trade zones
Bonded warehouses
Temporary importation under bond

I-9.

Other trade actions.--To your knowledge, have the products subject to this proceeding been the
subject of any other import relief proceedings in the United States or in any other countries?
No

Yes

If yes, Yes–Please specify.

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PART II.--TRADE AND RELATED INFORMATION
Further information on this part of the questionnaire can be obtained from Stamen Borisson (202-2053125 stamen.borisson@usitc.gov). Supply all data requested on a calendar-year basis.
II-1.

Contact information.--Please identify the responsible individual and the manner by which
Commission staff may contact that individual regarding the confidential information submitted
in part II.
Name
Title
Email
Telephone

II-2.

Changes in operations.--Please indicate whether your firm has experienced any of the following
changes in relation to the importation of steel racks since January 1, 2016.
(check as many as appropriate)
Office/warehouse openings

Office/warehouse closings

Relocations

Expansions

Acquisitions

Consolidations

Prolonged shutdowns or
importation curtailments
Revised labor agreements

Other (e.g., technology)

(If checked, please describe; leave blank if not applicable)

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II-3a.

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Arranged imports.--Has your firm imported or arranged for the importation of steel racks for
delivery after March 31, 2019?
“Arranged imports” are imports for which your firm has placed an order with a foreign supplier
for subject merchandise, but delivery of those imports is not scheduled to occur until after the
date listed above.
No

Yes
If yes, fill out the table below.

Period
Source

Apr-Jun 2019

Jul-Sept 2019

Oct-Dec 2019

Jan-Mar 2020

Quantity (in pounds)
China
Mexico
All other sources
II-3b.

Imports in the 12 month period preceding the petition.--Has your firm imported steel racks
from any source between June 1, 2017 and May 30, 2018? (i.e., the last seven months in 2017
and first five months in 2018 combined)
No

Yes
If yes, report the quantity of such import below by source.

Quantity (in pounds)
Source

June 2017 through May 2018

China
Mexico
All other sources
II-4.

Reasons for importing if producer.--If your firm also produces steel racks in the United States,
please indicate the reasons for importing this product. If your firm’s reasons differ by source,
please elaborate.

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Definitions
“Imports” –Those products identified for Customs purposes as imports for consumption for
which your firm was the importer of record (i.e., was responsible for paying any import duty) or
consignee (i.e., to which the merchandise was first delivered).
“Import quantities” –Quantities reported should be net of returns.
“Import values”—Values reported should be landed, duty-paid values at the U.S. port of entry,
including ocean freight and insurance costs, brokerage charges, and import duties (i.e., all
charges except inland freight in the United States).
“U.S. commercial shipments”— Shipments made within the United States as a result of an arm’s
length commercial transaction in the ordinary course of business. Report net values (i.e., gross
sales values less all discounts, allowances, rebates, prepaid freight, and the value of returned
goods) in U.S. dollars, f.o.b. your point of shipment.
“Internal consumption” –Product consumed internally by your firm. Such transactions are
valued at fair market value.
“Transfers to related firms” –Shipments made to related domestic firms. Such transactions are
valued at fair market value.
“Related firm” –A firm that your firm solely or jointly owns, manages, or otherwise controls.
“Export shipments”— Shipments to destinations outside the United States, including shipments
to related firms.
“Inventories” --Finished goods inventory, not raw materials or work in progress.
Note: As requested in Part I of this questionnaire, please keep all supporting documents/records
used in the preparation of the trade data, as Commission staff may contact your firm regarding
questions on the trade data. The Commission may also request that your company submit copies
of the supporting documents/records (such as production and sales schedules, inventory records,
etc.) used to compile these data.

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II-5a. U.S. imports from China.–Report your firm’s imports and your firm’s shipments and inventories
of steel racks imported from China by your firm during the specified periods.

China
Quantity (in pounds), value (in dollars)
Calendar years
Item

2016

2017

January-March
2018

2018

2019

Beginning-of-period inventories
(quantity) (A)
Imports:1
Racks imported under HTS
number 7326.90.8688 and
7326.90.8588
Quantity (B)
Value (C)
Racks imported under all other
HTS numbers2
Quantity (D)
Value (E)
U.S. shipments:
Commercial shipments:
Quantity (F)
Value (G)
Internal consumption:
Quantity (H)
Value3 (I)
Transfers to related firms:
Quantity (J)
Value3 (K)
Export shipments:4
Quantity (L)
Value (M)
End-of-period inventories
(quantity) (N)
1

Please identify the foreign producers, if known:
.
Please identify the HTS statistical reporting numbers used for the imports of these products:
.
3
Internal consumption and transfers to related firms must be valued at fair market value. If your firm uses a different
basis for valuing these transactions in your records, please specify that basis (e.g., cost, cost plus, etc.):
. However,
the data provided above in this table should be based on fair market value.
4
Identify your firm’s principal export markets:
.
2

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)
II-5a.

Page 14

U.S. imports from China.–Continued

RECONCILIATION OF SHIPMENTS, IMPORTS, AND INVENTORIES.--Generally, the data reported for the
end-of-period inventories (i.e., line N) should be equal to the beginning-of-period inventories (i.e., line
A), plus imports (i.e., lines B and D), less total shipments (i.e., lines F, H, J, and L). Please ensure that any
differences are not due to data entry errors in completing this form, but rather actually reflect your
firm’s records; and also provide any likely explanations for any differences (e.g., theft, loss, damage,
record systems issues, etc.) if they exist.
Calendar years
Reconciliation

2016

A + B + D – F – H – J – L – N = should
equal zero ("0") or provide an
explanation.1

2017

January-March
2018

2018

2019

Explanation if the calculated fields above are returning values other than zero (i.e., “0”) but are
nonetheless accurate:
.
II-5b.

Channels of distribution: China.--Report your firm’s U.S. shipments (i.e., inclusive of commercial
U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to related firms) of imports from China by
channel of distribution in the specified periods.

China
Calendar years
Item

2016

2017

January-March
2018

2018

2019

Quantity (in pounds)
Channels of distribution:
U.S. shipments:1
To distributors / for re-sale (O)
To end users / for installation (P)
1

Sales to retailers should be classified as “end users” to the degree the sales are not merchandise intended for resale.

RECONCILIATION OF CHANNELS.--Please ensure that the quantities reported for channels of distribution
(i.e., lines O and P) in each time period equal the quantity reported for U.S. shipments (i.e., line F, H, and
J) in each time period. If the calculated fields below return values other than zero (i.e., “0”), the data
reported must be revised prior to submission to the Commission.
Calendar years
Reconciliation item
O + P – F – H – J = zero ("0"), if not
revise.

2016

2017
0

January-March
2018

2018
0

2019
0

Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

II-5c.

Page 15

U.S. shipments by rack coating: China.--Please indicate the quantity and value of your firm's
U.S. shipments (i.e., inclusive of commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers
to related firms) of imports from China by coating type in 2018.

China
U.S. shipments by coating type
No coating
Quantity in pounds (Q)
Value in dollars (R)
Painted (not galvanized)
Quantity in pounds (S)
Value in dollars (T)
Epoxy coated
Quantity in pounds (U)
Value in dollars (V)
Zinc or other galvanized1
Quantity in pounds (W)
Value in dollars (X)
Other2
Quantity in pounds (Y)
Value in dollars (Z)
1
2

Calendar year 2018

Whether or not painted.
Please identify:
.

RECONCILIATION OF COATINGS.--Please ensure that the quantities and values reported for US shipments
by rack coating (i.e., lines Q through Z) equal the quantity and value reported for U.S. shipments (i.e., line
F through K) in 2018. If the calculated fields below return values other than zero (i.e., “0”), the data
reported must be revised prior to submission to the Commission.
Reconciliation item

Calendar year 2018

Quantity: Q + S + U + W + Y – F– H – J =
zero ("0"), if not revise.

Value: R + T + V + X + Z - G – I – K = zero
("0"), if not revise.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

II-5d.

Page 16

Rack components: China.--Please indicate the quantity and value of your firm's U.S. shipments
(i.e., inclusive of commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to related
firms) of imports from China of racks as complete sets versus rack components in 2018.

China
U.S. shipments by rack sale types
Complete rack set
Quantity in pounds (AA)
Value in dollars (AB)
Rack components not sold as a complete set
Quantity in pounds (AC)
Value in dollars (AD)

Calendar year 2018

RECONCILIATION OF SALES TYPE.--Please ensure that the quantities and values reported for rack sales
type (i.e., lines AA, AB, AC, and AD) equal the quantity and value reported for U.S. shipments (i.e., lines F
through K) in 2018. If the calculated fields below return values other than zero (i.e., “0”), the data
reported must be revised prior to submission to the Commission.
Reconciliation item

II-5e.

Calendar year 2018

Quantity: AA + AC – F– H – J = zero ("0"), if not
revise.

Value: AB + AD - G – I – K = zero ("0"), if not revise.

Rack load: China.--Please indicate which of the following rack load capacities your firm’s U.S.
shipments (i.e., inclusive of commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to
related firms) of imports from China had in 2018 (check all that apply):
U.S. shipments by load capacity
Less than 2,500 pounds
2,500 pounds – 4,999 pounds
5,000 pounds and greater

Calendar year 2018

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

II-6a.

Page 17

U.S. imports from Mexico.–Report your firm’s imports and your firm’s shipments and
inventories of steel racks imported from Mexico by your firm during the specified periods.

Mexico
Quantity (in pounds), value (in dollars)
Calendar years
Item

2016

2017

January-March
2018

2018

2019

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)
II-6a.

Page 18

U.S. imports from Mexico.–Continued

2016

A + B + D – F – H – J – L – N = should
equal zero ("0") or provide an
explanation.1

2017

January-March
2018

2018

2019

Explanation if the calculated fields above are returning values other than zero (i.e., “0”) but are
nonetheless accurate:
.
II-6b.

Channels of distribution: Mexico.--Report your firm’s U.S. shipments (i.e., inclusive of
commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to related firms) of imports
from Mexico by channel of distribution.

Mexico
Calendar years
Item

2016

2017

January-March
2018

2018

2019

Quantity (in pounds)
Channels of distribution:
U.S. shipments:1
To distributors / for re-sale (O)
To end users / for installation (P)
1

Sales to retailers should be classified as “end users” to the degree the sales are not merchandise intended for resale.

2016

2017
0

January-March
2018

2018
0

2019
0

Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)
II-6c.

Page 19

Rack coatings: Mexico.--Please indicate the quantity and value of your firm's U.S. shipments
(i.e., inclusive of commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to related
firms) of imports from Mexico by coating type in 2018.

Mexico
U.S. shipments by coating type
No coating
Quantity in pounds (Q)
Value in dollars (R)
Painted (not galvanized)
Quantity in pounds (S)
Value in dollars (T)
Epoxy coated
Quantity in pounds (U)
Value in dollars (V)
Zinc or other galvanized1
Quantity in pounds (W)
Value in dollars (X)
Other2
Quantity in pounds (Y)
Value in dollars (Z)
1
2

Calendar year 2018

Whether or not painted.
Please identify:
.

Calendar year 2018

Quantity: Q + S + U + W + Y – F– H – J =
zero ("0"), if not revise.

Value: R + T + V + X + Z - G – I – K = zero
("0"), if not revise.

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)
II-6d.

Page 20

Rack components: Mexico.--Please indicate the quantity and value of your firm's U.S.
shipments (i.e., inclusive of commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to
related firms) of imports from Mexico as complete sets versus rack components in 2018.

Mexico
U.S. shipments by rack sale types
Complete rack set
Quantity in pounds (AA)
Value in dollars (AB)
Rack components not sold as a complete set
Quantity in pounds (AC)
Value in dollars (AD)

Calendar year 2018

II-6e.

Calendar year 2018

Quantity: AA + AC – F– H – J = zero ("0"), if not
revise.

Value: AB + AD - G – I – K = zero ("0"), if not revise.

Rack load: Mexico.--Please indicate which of the following rack load capacities your firm’s U.S.
shipments (i.e., inclusive of commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to
related firms) of imports from Mexico had in 2018 (check all that apply):
U.S. shipments by load capacity
Less than 2,500 pounds
2,500 pounds – 4,999 pounds
5,000 pounds and greater

Calendar year 2018

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

II-7a.

Page 21

U.S. imports from all other sources.--Report your firm’s imports and your firm’s shipments and
inventories of steel racks imported from all other sources by your firm during the specified
periods.

All other sources
(list sources:

)
Quantity (in pounds), value (in dollars)
Calendar years

Item

2016

2017

January-March
2018

2018

2019

Beginning-of-period inventories
(quantity) (A)
Imports:1
Racks imported under HTS
number 7326.90.8688 and
7326.90.8588
Quantity (B)
Value (C)
Racks imported under all other
HTS numbers2
Quantity (D)
Value (E)
U.S. shipments:
Commercial shipments:
Quantity (F)
Value (G)
Internal consumption:
Quantity (H)
Value3 (I)
Transfers to related firms:3
Quantity (J)
Value3 (K)
Export shipments:4
Quantity (L)
Value (M)
End-of-period inventories
(quantity) (N)
1

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)
II-7a.

Page 22

U.S. imports from all other sources.–Continued

2016

A + B + D – F – H – J – L – N = should
equal zero ("0") or provide an
explanation.1

2017

January-March
2018

2018

2019

Explanation if the calculated fields above are returning values other than zero (i.e., “0”) but are
nonetheless accurate:
.
II-7b.

Channels of distribution: all other sources.--Report your firm’s U.S. shipments (i.e., inclusive of
commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to related firms) of imports
from all other sources by channel of distribution.

All other sources
Calendar years
Item

2016

2017

January-March
2018

2018

2019

Quantity (in pounds)
Channels of distribution:
U.S. shipments:1
To distributors / for re-sale (O)
To end users / for installation (P)
1

Sales to retailers should be classified as “end users” to the degree the sales are not merchandise intended for resale.

2016

2017
0

January-March
2018

2018
0

2019
0

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

II-7c.

Page 23

Rack coatings: All other sources.--Please indicate the quantity and value of your firm's U.S.
shipments (i.e., inclusive of commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to
related firms) of imports from all other sources by coating type in 2018.

All other sources
U.S. shipments by coating type
No coating
Quantity in pounds (Q)
Value in dollars (R)
Painted (not galvanized)
Quantity in pounds (S)
Value in dollars (T)
Epoxy coated
Quantity in pounds (U)
Value in dollars (V)
Zinc or other galvanized1
Quantity in pounds (W)
Value in dollars (X)
Other2
Quantity in pounds (Y)
Value in dollars (Z)
1
2

Calendar year 2018

Whether or not painted.
Please identify:
.

Calendar year 2018

Quantity: Q + S + U + W + Y – F– H – J =
zero ("0"), if not revise.

Value: R + T + V + X + Z - G – I – K = zero
("0"), if not revise.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)
II-7d.

Page 24

Rack components: All other sources.--Please indicate the quantity and value of your firm's U.S.
shipments (i.e., inclusive of commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and transfers to
related firms) of imports from all other sources as complete sets versus rack components in
2018.

All other sources
U.S. shipments by rack sale types
Complete rack set
Quantity in pounds (AA)
Value in dollars (AB)
Rack components not sold as a complete set
Quantity in pounds (AC)
Value in dollars (AD)

Calendar year 2018

II-7e.

Calendar year 2018

Quantity: AA + AC – F– H – J = zero ("0"), if not
revise.

Value: AB + AD - G – I – K = zero ("0"), if not revise.

Rack load: All other sources.--Please indicate which of the following rack load capacities your
firm’s U.S. shipments (i.e., inclusive of commercial U.S. shipments, internal consumption, and
transfers to related firms) of imports from all other sources had in 2018 (check all that apply):
U.S. shipments by load capacity
Less than 2,500 pounds
2,500 pounds – 4,999 pounds
5,000 pounds and greater

Calendar year 2018

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)
II-8.

Page 25

Rack types.—Please indicate which of the following steel racks your firm imports and sells.
(check as many as appropriate)
Cantilever Rack - A rack structure comprised primarily of vertical columns, extended
bases, horizontal arms projecting from the face of the columns, and down-aisle
bracing between columns. There can be shelf beams between arms depending on
the product being stored. Cantilever columns may be free-standing or overhead
tied.
Case-Flow Rack - A specialized pallet rack structure in which either the horizontal
shelf beams support case-flow lanes or case-flow shelf assemblies are supported by
the upright frames. The case-flow lanes or shelves are installed at a slight pitch
permitting multiple-depth case or box storage with loading from one service aisle
and unload or picking from another service aisle.
Drive-In Rack - A rack structure comprised primarily of vertical upright frames,
horizontal support arms, and horizontal load rails typically used for one-wide by
multiple-depth storage. This structure includes an “anchor section” with horizontal
beams supporting the load rails. Loading and unloading within a bay must be done
from the same aisle. A two-way drive-in rack is a special case where back-to-back
rows of drive-in racks are combined into a single entity with a common rear post.
Drive-Through Rack - A rack structure comprised primarily of vertical upright
frames, horizontal support arms, and horizontal load rails typically used for onewide by multiple-depth storage. This structure lacks the ‘anchor section’ found in
drive-in racks; therefore, loading and unloading can be accomplished from both
ends of a bay.
Movable-Shelf Rack - A rack structure comprised primarily of vertical upright frames
and horizontal shelf beams and typically used for one-deep pallet or hand-stack
storage. Typically, the locations of a couple of shelf levels are "fixed" with the
location of the in-fill shelves being flexible.
Pallet-Flow Rack - A specialized pallet rack structure in which the horizontal shelf
beams support pallet-flow lanes. The pallet-flow lanes are typically installed on a
slight pitch permitting multiple-depth pallet storage with loading from one service
aisle and unloading from another service aisle.
Pallet Rack - A rack structure comprised primarily of vertical upright frames and
horizontal shelf beams and typically used for one and two-deep pallet storage.
Pick Modules - A rack structure comprised primarily of vertical frames and
horizontal beams, typically having one or more platform levels of selective, caseflow, or pallet-flow bays feeding into a central pick aisle(s) {work platform(s)}
supported by the rack structure.
Portable Rack (Stacking Frames) - An assembly, typically with four corner columns,
that permits stacking of one assembly on top of another without applying any
additional load to the product being stored on each assembly.
Push-Back Rack - A specialized pallet rack structure in which the horizontal shelf
beams support push-back lanes comprised of tracks and carts. The push-back lanes
are installed on a slight pitch permitting multiple-depth pallet storage. Loading and
unloading are done from the same service aisle by pushing the pallets back.
Stacker Rack - A rack structure similar to one of the other rack structures that is
serviced by an automated storage and retrieval machine.
Other1
1

Please identify:

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

Page 26

II-9.

Transfers to related firms.-- If your firm reported transfers to related firms in any of the data
tables in part II, please identify the firm(s) and indicate the nature of the relationship between
your firm and the related firms (e.g., joint venture, wholly owned subsidiary) and whether the
transfers were priced at market value or by a non-market formula.

II-10.

Other explanations.--If your firm would like to further explain a response to a question in Part II
that did not provide a narrative response box, please note the question number and the
explanation in the space provided below. Please also use this space to highlight any issues your
firm had in providing the data in this section, including but not limited to technical issues with
the MS Word questionnaire.

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

Page 27

PART III.--PRICING AND MARKET FACTORS
Further information on this part of the questionnaire can be obtained from Cindy Cohen (202-205-3230,
cindy.cohen@usitc.gov)
III-1.

PRICE DATA
III-2.

This question requests quarterly quantity and value data for your firm’s commercial shipments
to unrelated U.S. customers since January 1, 2016 of the following products imported from
China and Mexico:
Product 1.--Beam, non-galvanized, 16 gauge, 96” length, 4” face, 3 pins connection, 1 5/8” step,
RMI certified
Product 2.--Beam, non-galvanized, 16 gauge, 120” length, 5” face, 4 pins connection, 1 5/8”
step, RMI certified
Product 3.--Frame, non-galvanized, 15 gauge, 3” x 1 5/8” posts, 42” x 120,” RMI certified
Product 4.--Frame, non-galvanized, 14 gauge, 3” x 3” posts, 42” x 192,” RMI certified

Please note that values should be f.o.b., U.S. point of shipment and should not include U.S.-inland
transportation costs. Values should reflect the final net amount paid to your firm (i.e., should be net
of all deductions for discounts or rebates).
During January 2016-March 2019, did your firm import from China or Mexico and sell to
unrelated U.S. customers any of the above listed products (or any products that were
competitive with these products)?
Yes.--Please complete the following pricing data table(s) as appropriate.
No.--Skip to question III-3.

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

Page 28

III-2a. Price data.--Report below the quarterly price data1 for pricing products2 imported from China
and sold by your firm.

China
Report data in pounds and dollars

Product 1
Quantity
Value

(Quantity in pounds, value in dollars)
Product 2
Product 3
Quantity
Value
Quantity
Value

Product 4
Period of shipment
Quantity
Value
2016:
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
2017:
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
2018:
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
2019:
January-March
1 Net values (i.e., gross sales values less all discounts, allowances, rebates, prepaid freight, and the value of returned goods), f.o.b. your
firm’s U.S. point of shipment.
2 Pricing product definitions are provided on the first page of Part III.
Note.--If your firm’s product does not exactly meet the product specifications but is competitive with the specified product, provide a
description of your firm’s product. Also, please explain any anomalies in your firm’s reported pricing data.
Product 1:
Product 2:
Product 3:
Product 4:

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

Page 29

III-2b. Price data.--Report below the quarterly price data1 for pricing products2 imported from Mexico
and sold by your firm.

Mexico
Report data in pounds and dollars

Product 1
Quantity
Value

(Quantity in pounds, value in dollars)
Product 2
Product 3
Quantity
Value
Quantity
Value

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)
III-2c.

Page 30

Price data checklist.--Please check that the pricing data in question III-2(a) and III-2(b) has been
correctly reported.

Is the price data reported above:

√ if Yes

Quantity data in pounds?
Value data in dollars?
F.o.b. U.S. point of shipment (i.e., does not include U.S. transport costs)?
Net of all discounts and rebates?
Have returns credited to the quarter in which the sale occurred?
Less than reported commercial shipments in questions II-5 and II-6 in each year?
III-2d. Pricing data methodology.--Please describe the method and the kinds of documents/records
that were used to compile your price data.

Note: As requested in Part I of this questionnaire, please keep all supporting documents/records used in
the preparation of the price data, as Commission staff may contact your firm regarding questions on the
price data. The Commission may also request that your company submit copies of the supporting
documents/records (such as sales journal, invoices, etc.) used to compile these data.

Business Proprietary
U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)
III-3.

Price setting.--How does your firm determine the prices that it charges for sales of steel racks
(check all that apply)? If your firm issues price lists, please submit sample pages of a recent list.
Transaction
by
transaction

III-4.

Contracts

Annual
total
volume
discounts

Other

No
discount
policy

If other, describe

Other

Describe

Pricing terms.--On what basis are your firm’s prices of imported steel racks from China usually
quoted (check one)?
Delivered

III-6.

Set
price
lists

Discount policy.--Please indicate and describe your firm’s discount policies (check all that apply).

Quantity
discounts

III-5.

Page 31

F.o.b.

If f.o.b., specify point

Contract versus spot.--Approximately what share of your firm’s sales of steel racks imported
from China in 2018 was on a (1) short-term contract basis, (2) annual contract basis, (3) longterm contract basis, and (4) spot sales basis?

Item
Share of 2018
sales

Type of sale
Long-term
Annual
contracts
contracts
(multiple
(multiple
deliveries for
deliveries for 12
more than 12
months)
months)

Short-term
contracts
(multiple
deliveries for
less than 12
months)
%

Total
(should
sum to
100.0%)

Spot sales
(for a single
delivery)

0.0

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)
III-7.

Page 32

Contract provisions.—Please fill out the table regarding your firm’s typical sales contracts for
steel racks from China (or check “not applicable” if your firm does not sell on a long-term, shortterm and/or annual contract basis).

Typical sales
contract provisions

Item

Average contract
duration

No. of
days

Price renegotiation
(during contract
period)

Yes

Short-term
contracts
(multiple deliveries
for less than 12
months)

Annual contracts
(multiple
deliveries for 12
months)

Long-term contracts
(multiple deliveries
for more than 12
months)

365

No
Quantity

Fixed quantity
and/or price

Price
Both

Indexed to raw
material costs1

Yes
No

Not applicable
1

Please identify the indexes used:

III-8.

Lead times.--What share of your firm’s sales of steel racks imported from China is from
inventory and produced to order, and what is the typical lead time between a customer’s order
and the date of delivery for your firm’s sales of steel racks?

Source

Lead time
(Average number
Share of 2018 sales
of days)

From your firm’s U.S. inventory

From foreign manufacturers’ inventory

Produced to order

Total (should sum to 100.0%)

0.0 %

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)
III-9.

Page 33

Shipping information.—
(a)

What is the approximate percentage of the cost of steel racks imported from China that
is accounted for by U.S. inland transportation costs?
percent.

(b)

Who generally arranges the transportation to your firm’s customers’ locations?
Your firm
Purchaser (check one)

(c)

When your firm sells steel racks imported from China, from where is it shipped?
Point of importation
Storage facility (check one)

(d)

Indicate the approximate percentage of your firm’s sales of steel racks imported from
China that are delivered the following distances from your firm’s U.S. point of shipment.
Distance from your firm’s U.S. point of shipment

Within 100 miles

101 to 1,000 miles

Over 1,000 miles

Total (should sum to 100.0%)

0.0

III-10. Geographical shipments.--In which U.S. geographic market area(s) has your firm sold steel racks
imported from subject since January 1, 2016 (check all that apply)?
Geographic area
Northeast.–CT, ME, MA, NH, NJ, NY, PA, RI, and VT.
Midwest.–IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, NE, ND, OH, SD, and WI.
Southeast.–AL, DE, DC, FL, GA, KY, MD, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA, and
WV.
Central Southwest.–AR, LA, OK, and TX.
Mountains.–AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, and WY.
Pacific Coast.–CA, OR, and WA.
Other.–All other markets in the United States not previously listed,
including AK, HI, PR, and VI.

China

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Page 34

III-11. End uses.--List the end uses of the steel racks that your firm imports. For each end-use product,
what percentage of the total cost is accounted for by steel racks and other inputs?
Share of total cost of end-use product
accounted for by

End use product

Other inputs,
assembly, or
installation costs

Steel racks

Total
(should sum to
100.0% across)

0.0 %

III-12. Substitutes.--Can other products be substituted for steel racks?
No

Substitute
1.
2.
3.

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 steel racks?
No Yes

Explanation

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

Page 35

III-13. Demand trends.--Indicate how demand within the United States and outside of the United
States (if known) for steel racks has changed since January 1, 2016. Explain any trends and
describe the principal factors that have affected these changes in demand.
Overall
increase

Market

No
Overall Fluctuate with
change decrease no clear trend

Explanation and factors

Within the United States
Outside the United States
III-14. Product changes.--Have there been any significant changes in the product range, product mix or
marketing of steel racks since January 1, 2016?
No

Yes

If yes, please describe.

III-15. Conditions of competition.—
(a) Is the steel racks market subject to business cycles (other than general economy-wide
conditions) and/or other conditions of competition distinctive to steel racks?
Check all that apply.

Please describe.

Skip to question III-16.

Yes-Business cycles (e.g.
seasonal business)
Yes-Other distinctive
conditions of competition
(b) If yes, have there been any changes in the business cycles or conditions of competition for
steel racks since January 1, 2016?
No

Yes

If yes, describe.

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Page 36

III-16. Supply constraints.--Has your firm refused, declined, or been unable to supply steel racks since
January 1, 2016 (examples include placing customers on allocation or “controlled order entry,”
declining to accept new customers or renew existing customers, delivering less than the
quantity promised, being unable to meet timely shipment commitments, etc.)?
No

Yes

If yes, please describe.

III-17. Raw materials.—

(a) How have steel racks raw material prices changed since January 1, 2016?
Fluctuate
with no Explain, noting how raw material price changes
Overall
No
Overall
clear
have affected your firm’s selling prices for steel
increase change decrease trend
racks.
Steel costs
Other
materials

(b) Have raw material price changes affected your firm’s selling prices for steel racks?
No

Yes

If yes, please describe.

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

Page 37

III-18. Impact of the section 232 investigation.--This question concerns the section 232 investigation
and subsequent tariffs imposed on imported steel products.
(a) Did the announcement of the section 232 investigation in April 2017 or the subsequent
imposition of tariffs on imported steel products beginning in March 2018 have an impact on
the steel rack market?
Yes—Please fill out table below and
answer part (b)

Item

Response

Don’t know

Impact on your firm1
Impact on overall U.S. market1
1

Please identify the magnitude and timing of any effects, and compare your firm's operations/overall market
before and after the application of additional tariffs on imported steel products.

(b)

Assessment of impact of the section 232 tariffs.--Please indicate the impact of the 232
investigation and subsequent imposition on imported steel products beginning in March
2018.

Item
Overall demand for
steel racks in the U.S.
market
Supply of steel racks in
the U.S. market
Prices for steel racks in
the U.S. market
Raw material costs for
steel racks in the U.S.
market

Fluctuate
with no
No
clear
Increase change Decrease
trend

Explanation and factors

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Page 38

III-19. Impact of the section 301 investigation.--This question concerns the section 301 investigation
and subsequent announcement of additional tariffs that include steel racks proposed and
implemented by the United States in response to Chinese trade practices.
(a) Did the announcement of the section 301 investigation in June 2018 or the subsequent
imposition of tariffs on Chinese-origin products have an impact on the steel rack market?
Yes—Please fill out table below and
answer part (b)

Item

Response

Impact on your firm

Don’t know

Impact on overall U.S. market1
1

Please identify the magnitude and timing of any effects, and compare your firm's operations/overall market
before and after the announcement of the section 301 measures.

(b)

Assessment of impact of the section 301 investigation.--Please indicate the impact of
the announcements and subsequent imposition of duties under the section 301
investigation.

Item
Overall demand for
steel racks in the U.S.
market
Supply of steel racks in
the U.S. market
Prices for steel racks in
the U.S. market
Raw material costs for
steel racks in the U.S.
market

Fluctuate
with no
No
clear
Increase change Decrease
trend

Explanation and factors

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

Page 39

III-20. Interchangeability.--Are steel racks 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

Mexico

Other countries

United States
China
Mexico
For any country-pair producing steel racks that is sometimes or never interchangeable, identify the
country-pair and explain the factors that limit or preclude interchangeable use:
.

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

Page 40

III-21. Factors other than price.--Are differences other than price (e.g., quality, availability,
transportation network, product range, technical support, etc.) between steel racks produced in
the United States and in other countries a significant factor in your firm’s sales of the products?
Please indicate A, F, S, N, or 0 in the table below:
A = such differences are always significant
F = such differences are frequently significant
S = such differences are sometimes significant
N = such differences are never significant
0 = no familiarity with products from a specified country-pair
Country-pair

China

Mexico

Other countries

United States
China
Mexico
For any country-pair for which factors other than price always or frequently are a significant factor in
your firm’s sales of steel racks, identify the country-pair and report the advantages or disadvantages
imparted by such factors:
.

III-22. Other explanations.--If your firm would like to further explain a response to a question in Part III
that did not provide a narrative response box, please note the question number and the
explanation in the space provided below. Please also use this space to highlight any issues your
firm had in providing the data in this section, including but not limited to technical issues with
the MS Word questionnaire.

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

Page 41

Correcting Valid number error messages.--If you are completing a Commission
questionnaire in a country that uses periods (“.”) to delineate multiples of 1000 (e.g., one million would
appear as $1.000.000 instead of as $1,000,000), you may be unable to enter in numbers greater than
999 in numeric form fields. This issues stem from your computer number formatting setting (e.g., not
the MS Word document itself, but the computer from which you are opening up the document). In the
United States commas (,) delineate multiples of 1000 and periods (.) delineate fractions less than one.
Many EU countries use the reverse where multiples of 1000 are delineated with periods (.) and
fractions less than one are delineated with commas (,). The US International Trade Commission’s
questionnaires are set-up in the United States with the U.S. number formatting. When this formatting
interacts with a computer set to EU number formatting, we believe this may cause this issue.
The solution to this data entry issue is to temporarily change your operating system’s number
formatting to be consistent with the U.S. number formatting system while you complete the
questionnaire.
To temporarily change your computer’s number settings to U.S. settings, please do the following (for
Microsoft Windows Operating system):






START
Control Panel
Region and Language (under Clock, Language, and Region category)
Format tab
Change the Format from your existing one (e.g. “Italian (Italy)”) to “English (United States)” (see
screen shots below)

When you do this the number “twelve million dollars and thirty five cents” would change from
$12.000.000,35 (Italy format) to $12,000,000.35 (U.S. format), and then there will be no conflict with
the questionnaire. When you finish reporting the data then you can close the questionnaire and switch
back to Italy settings.

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U.S. Importers’ Questionnaire - Steel racks (Final)

Page 42

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/701731/2018/steel_racks_china/final.htm
Please do not attempt to modify the format or permissions of the questionnaire
document. Please submit the completed questionnaire using one of the methods noted
below. If your firm is unable to complete the MS Word questionnaire or cannot use one
of the electronic methods of submission, please contact the Commission for further
instructions.
• Upload via Secure Drop Box.—Upload the MS Word questionnaire along with a scanned copy of the
signed certification page (page 1) through the Commission’s secure upload facility:
Web address: https://dropbox.usitc.gov/oinv/

Pin: RACKS

• E-mail.—E-mail the MS Word questionnaire to stamen.borisson@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 did not import this product, please fill out page 1, print, sign, and submit a scanned copy to
the Commission.
Parties to this proceeding.—If your firm is a party to this proceeding, it is required to serve a copy of the
completed questionnaire on parties to the proceeding that are subject to administrative protective
order (see 19 CFR § 207.7). A list of such parties may be obtained from the Commission’s Secretary (202205-1803). A certificate of service must accompany the completed questionnaire you submit (see 19 CFR
§ 207.7). Service of the questionnaire must be made in paper form.

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