19-3-4011 US purchasers' questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 19-3-4011; Expiration Date: 6/30/2020
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

LOST SALES AND LOST REVENUE SURVEY
CARBON AND ALLOY STEEL THREADED ROD
This survey must be received by the Commission by March 7, 2019
See last page for filing instructions.
The information called for in this survey is for use by the United States International Trade Commission in connection
with its countervailing and antidumping duty investigations concerning carbon and alloy steel threaded rod (“threaded
rod”) from China, India, Taiwan, and Thailand (Inv. Nos. 701-TA-618-619 and 731-TA-1441-1444 (Preliminary)). The
information requested in the survey is requested under the authority of the Tariff Act of 1930, title VII. This report is
mandatory and failure to reply as directed can result in a subpoena or other order to compel the submission of records
or information in your possession (19 U.S.C. § 1333(a)). Further information on this survey can be obtained from James
Horne (202-205-2722, jame.horne@usitc.gov).

Name of firm
Address
City

State

Zip Code

Website
Has your firm purchased or imported for own use or retail sale threaded rod (as defined on next page) at any
time since January 1, 2016?

NO

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

YES

(Complete all parts of the survey, and return the entire survey 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: TROD)
CERTIFICATION
I certify that the information herein supplied in this survey 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 survey
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

Signature

Phone

Email address

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GENERAL INFORMATION
Background.--This proceeding was instituted in response to petitions filed on February 21, 2019, by
Vulcan Steel Products Inc., Pelham, Alabama. Countervailing and 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/701731/2019/carbon_and_alloy_steel_threaded_rod_china_india
/preliminary.htm
Threaded rod covered by these investigations is carbon and alloy steel threaded rod. Steel threaded rod
is certain threaded rod, bar, or studs, of carbon or alloy steel, having a solid, circular cross section of any
diameter, in any straight length. Steel threaded rod is normally drawn, cold-rolled, threaded, and
straightened, or it may be hot-rolled. In addition, the steel threaded rod, bar, or studs subject to these
investigations are non-headed and threaded along greater than 25 percent of their total actual length. A
variety of finishes or coatings, such as plain oil finish as a temporary rust protectant, zinc coating (i.e.,
galvanized, whether by electroplating or hot-dipping), paint, and other similar finishes and coatings, may
be applied to the merchandise.
Steel threaded rod is normally produced to American Society for Testing and Materials
(“ASTM”) specifications ASTM A36, ASTM A193 B7/B7m, ASTM A193 B16, ASTM A307, ASTM A320
L7/L7M, ASTM A320 L43, ASTM A354 BC and BD, ASTM A449, ASTM F1554-36, ASTM F1554-55, ASTM
F1554 Grade 105, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (“ASME”) specification ASME B18.31.3, and
American Petroleum Institute (“API”) specification API 20E. All steel threaded rod meeting the physical
description set forth above is covered by the scope of these investigations, whether or not produced
according to a particular standard.
Subject merchandise includes material matching the above description that has been finished,
assembled, or packaged in a third country, including by cutting, chamfering, coating, or painting the
threaded rod, by attaching the threaded rod to, or packaging it with, another product, or any other
finishing, assembly, or packaging operation that would not otherwise remove the merchandise from the
scope of the investigation if performed in the country of manufacture of the threaded rod.
Carbon and alloy steel threaded rod are also included in the scope of this investigation whether or not
imported attached to, or in conjunction with, other parts and accessories such as nuts and washers. If
carbon and alloy steel threaded rod are imported attached to, or in conjunction with, such non-subject
merchandise, only the threaded rod is included in the scope.
Excluded from the scope of these investigations are: (1) threaded rod, bar, or studs which are threaded
only on one or both ends and the threading covers 25 percent or less of the total actual length; and (2)
stainless steel threaded rod, defined as steel threaded rod containing, by weight, 1.2 percent or less of
carbon and 10.5 percent or more of chromium, with or without other elements.
Excluded from the scope of the antidumping investigation on steel threaded rod from the People’s
Republic of China is any merchandise covered by the existing antidumping order on Certain Steel
Threaded Rod from the People’s Republic of China. See Certain Steel Threaded Rod from the People’s

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Republic of China: Notice of Antidumping Duty Order, 74 Fed. Reg. 17,154 (Dep’t Commerce Apr. 14,
2009).
Steel threaded rod is currently imported under statistical reporting numbers 7318.15.5051,
7318.15.5056, and 7318.15.5090 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTSUS”).
Subject merchandise may also be imported under statistical reporting numbers 7318.15.2095 and
7318.19.0000 of the HTSUS. The HTSUS subheadings are provided for convenience and U.S. Customs
purposes only. The written description of the scope is dispositive.
Reporting of information.-- If information is not readily available from your records, provide carefully
prepared estimates.
Confidentiality.--The data furnished in response to this survey 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.
Release of information.--The information provided by your firm in response to this survey, 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. Please also retain a copy of the final document that you submit.
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 survey. This
may or may not be the person whose signature is at the bottom of page 1.
Name
Title
Email
Telephone
Firms operating more than one establishment should combine the data for all establishments into a
single response.

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PURCHASE INFORMATION
1.

Purchases and imports.— Report separately your firm’s domestic purchases and imports of
threaded rod.
“Purchase” – Purchase from a U.S. entity such as a U.S. producer, a U.S. importer, or other U.S.
firm.
“Import” – Purchase directly from a foreign supplier and your firm is the importer of record.
2016

2017

Item

2018

Quantity in pounds

Purchases of threaded rod produced
in—
United States
China
India
Taiwan
Thailand
All other countries1
Sources unknown
Total purchases

0

0

0

0

0

0

Imports of threaded rod from—
China
India
Taiwan
Thailand
All other countries1
Total imports2
1

Please identify these countries:
If your firm imported threaded rod at any time since January 1, 2016, please also complete
and return a U.S. importers' questionnaire in this proceeding.
2

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2. Changes in purchasing patterns.—Please indicate how the shares of your firm’s purchases of
threaded rod from different sources have changed since January 1, 2016.
Source of
purchases

Did not
purchase

Decreased Increased

Constant

Fluctuated

Explanation for trend

United States

China

India

Taiwan

Thailand

All other
countries
Sources
unknown

3. Major purchasing factors.--Please list, in order of their importance and one item per line, the main
factors your firm considers in deciding from whom to purchase threaded rod.
1.
2.
3.
Please list any other factors that are very important in your purchase decisions:

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4. Purchasing subject imports rather than domestic products.—
(a)

Since January 2016, did your firm import and/or purchase imports of threaded rod from
China, India, Taiwan, and/or Thailand instead of purchasing U.S.-produced threaded
rod? Respond for each subject country.

Source

Yes
(also respond to parts (b) and (c))

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

China
India
Taiwan
Thailand
(b)

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

Yes

No

China
India
Taiwan
Thailand
(c)

If you responded “Yes” to part (a), was price a primary reason for importing and/or
purchasing subject imports rather than domestic product?

Source

China
India
Taiwan
Thailand

Yes

If Yes, estimate the quantity
of imports purchased and/or
imported instead of domestic
product since January 2016
(in pounds)

No

If No, please indicate the
reason your firm imported
and/or purchased imports
instead of domestic product

Business Proprietary
Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- Threaded Rod
5.

Page 7

U.S. producers and import competition.—
(a)

Since January 1, 2016, in connection with a sale or offer to sell threaded rod to your
firm, did U.S. producers reduce their prices of domestically produced threaded rod in
order to compete with lower-priced imports of threaded rod from the subject
countries? Respond for each subject country.
Source

Yes (also respond to
question part (b))

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

Don’t know

China
India
Taiwan
Thailand
(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

%

India

%

Taiwan

%

Thailand

%

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

6. Method of purchase--Please provide a general description of your firm’s method(s) of purchase
(e.g., individual purchase, contract, bids, Internet purchases, etc.) for threaded rod.

Business Proprietary
Lost Sales and Lost Revenue Survey- Threaded Rod
7.

Page 8

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 threaded rod market since
January 1, 2016.
Firm(s)

Describe how the firm(s) exhibited price leadership

8. Other explanations--Please provide any additional comments in this box.

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

Dollars

The questions in this survey 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 survey is estimated to average 4 hours per response,
including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering data, and completing and reviewing the
survey.
We welcome comments regarding the accuracy of this burden estimate, suggestions for reducing
the burden, and any suggestions for improving this survey. Please attach such comments to your
response or send to the Office of Investigations, USITC, 500 E St. SW, Washington, DC 20436.

HOW TO FILE YOUR SURVEY RESPONSE
Please do not attempt to modify the format or permissions of the survey document.
Please submit the completed survey using one of the methods noted below. If your firm
is unable to complete the MS Word survey 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 survey along with a scanned copy of the signed
certification page (page 1) through the Commission’s secure upload facility:
o
o
o

Web address: https://dropbox.usitc.gov/oinv/
Enter Investigation: Select “Threaded Rod” from the drop down menu
Pin: TROD

• E-mail.—E-mail the MS Word survey to james.horne@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 purchase this product, please fill out page 1, print, sign, and submit a scanned copy
to the Commission.