19-4-4024 Foreign producers' questionnaire

OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 19-4-4024; Expiration Date: 6/30/2020
(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

FOREIGN PRODUCERS’/EXPORTERS’ 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.
No. 701-TA-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.

Name of firm
Address
Website
Has your firm produced or exported steel racks (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 questionnaire to the Commission)

YES

(Complete all parts of the questionnaire, and return the entire questionnaire to the Commission)

Return questionnaire via the 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
Fax:

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

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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/final.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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Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

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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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Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

Page 4

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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Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

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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.
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,
purchaser and/or foreign producer 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).

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

I-1.

Page 6

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
20 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 in China involved in the production or export of steel
racks, including auxiliary facilities operated in conjunction with (whether or not physically
separate from) such facilities. Firms operating more than one establishment in China should
combine the data for all establishments into a single report.

I-3.

Related producers.--Does your firm or any related firm produce, have the capability to produce,
or have any plans to produce steel racks in the United States or other countries?

No

Yes

If yes, please name the firm(s) and country(ies) below and, if U.S.
producer(s), ensure that they complete the Commission’s producer
questionnaire.:

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

I-4.

Related U.S. importers.--Does your firm or any related firm import or have any plans to import
steel racks into the United States?

No

I-5.

Yes

2
3
4
5

If yes, please name the firm(s) below and ensure that they complete the
Commission’s importer questionnaire:

U.S. importers.--Please provide the names, contacts, telephone numbers, and e-mail addresses
of the FIVE largest U.S. importers of your firm’s steel racks in 2018.

Importer’s name

1

Page 7

Contact person

Email

Telephone

Share of your
firm’s 2018 U.S.
exports (%)

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Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

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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
Fax

II-2a.

Changes in operations.--Please indicate whether your firm has experienced any of the following
changes in relation to the production of steel racks since January 1, 2016.
(check as many as appropriate)
plant openings
plant closings
relocations
expansions
acquisitions
consolidations
prolonged shutdowns or
production curtailments
revised labor agreements
other (e.g., technology)

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

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)
II-2b.

Anticipated changes in operations.--Does your firm anticipate any changes in the character of
its operations or organization (as noted above) relating to the production of steel racks in the
future?

No

II-3a.

Page 9

Yes

If yes, supply details as to the time, nature, and significance of such
changes and provide underlying assumptions.

Production using same machinery.-- Please report your firm’s production of products using the
same equipment, machinery, or employees as used to produce steel racks, and the combined
production capacity on this shared equipment, machinery, or employees in the periods
indicated.
“Overall production capacity” or “capacity” –The level of production that your
establishment(s) could reasonably have expected to attain during the specified periods for all
products manufactured in that establishment using the same manufacturing equipment.
Assume normal operating conditions (i.e., using equipment and machinery in place and ready to
operate; normal operating levels (hours per week/weeks per year) and time for downtime,
maintenance, repair, and cleanup).
Note.--If your firm does not produce any out-of-scope merchandise on the same machinery and
equipment as scope merchandise then the "overall production capacity" numbers reported in
this question should be exactly equal to the "average production capacity" numbers reported in
question II-8. If, however, your firm does produce out-of-scope merchandise using the same
machinery and equipment as scope mercandhise, then the "average production capacity"
reported in question II-8 should exclude the portion of "overall production capacity" that was
used to produce this out-of-scope merchandise.
“Production” --All production in your establishment(s) in China, including production consumed
internally within your firm.
Quantity (in pounds)
Calendar years
Item

2016

2017

January-March
2018

2018

2019

Overall production capacity
Production of:
Steel racks 1
Out-of-scope production
Total
1
2

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

2

Data entered for production of steel racks will populate here once reported in question II-8.
Please identify these products:
.

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)
II-3b.

Page 10

Operating parameters.--The production capacity reported in II-3a is based on the following
operating paramaters:
Hours per week

Weeks per year

II-3c.

Capacity calculation.--Please describe the methodology used to calculate overall production
capacity reported in II-3a, and explain any changes in reported capacity.

II-3d.

Production constraints.--Please describe the constraint(s) that set the limit(s) on your firm’s
production capacity.

II-3e.

Product shifting.—
(i).

Is your firm able to switch production (capacity) between steel racks and other products
using the same equipment and/or labor?

No

(ii).

Yes

If yes—(i.e., have produced other products or are able to produce other
products) Please identify other actual or potential products:

Please describe the factors that affect your firm’s ability to shift production capacity
between products (e.g., time, cost, relative price change, etc.), and the degree to which
these factors enhance or constrain such shifts.

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Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

Page 11

II-4.

Share of sales.--What percentage of your firm’s total sales in its most recent fiscal year was
represented by sales of steel racks?
percent.

II-5.

Firm's estimated share of production in China.--Please estimate the percentage of total production
of steel racks in China accounted for by your firm’s production in 2018.
percent.

II-6.

Firm's estimated share of country's exports.--Please estimate the percentage of total exports to
the United States of steel racks from China accounted for by your firm’s exports in 2018.
percent.

II-7.

Third country trade actions.--Are the steel racks exported by your firm subject to
antidumping/countervailing duty/safeguard findings, remedies, or proceedings?

No

Yes

If yes--List the products(s), countries affected, and the date of such
findings/remedies/proceedings.

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Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)
II-8.

Page 12

Trade data.--Report your firm’s production capacity, production, shipments, and inventories
related to the production of steel racks in your establishment(s) in China during the specified
periods. Do not include resales of steel racks that your firm did not produce in this question;
those data to the degree they are exported to the United States should only be reported in
question II-9.
Do not submit data by manufacturing facility if they are in the same country. If your firm has
multiple manufacturing establishments within one country, you are required to combine data
for those establishments within one foreign producer questionnaire response.
“Average production capacity” or “capacity” –The level of production that your
establishment(s) could reasonably have expected to attain during the specified periods for all
products manufactured in that establishment using the same manufacturing equipment.
Assume normal operating conditions (i.e., using equipment and machinery in place and ready to
operate; normal operating levels (hours per week/weeks per year) and time for downtime,
maintenance, repair, and cleanup; and a typical or representative product mix).
“Production” --All production in your establishment(s) in China, including production consumed
internally within your firm.
“Shipments”--Shipments of products produced in your establishment(s) in China. Quantities
reported should be net of returns.
“Home market commercial shipments”--Shipments, other than internal consumption and
transfers to related firms, within China.
“Home market internal consumption/transfers to related firms”--Shipments made to
related firms in China, including product consumed internally by your firm.
“Export shipments”--Shipments to destinations outstide of the country indicacted on page 1
(China), 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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Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

II-8.

Page 13

Trade data.--Continued.
Quantity (in pounds)
Projections1

Actual experience
Calendar year
Item

2016

2017

January-March
2018

2018

Calendar year

2019

2019

2020

Average production
capacity2 (A)
Beginning-of-period
inventories (B)
Production (C)
Home market
shipments:
Internal
consumption/
transfers (D)
Commercial
shipments (E)
Exports to the United
States (F)
Exports to all other
markets3 (G)
Total exports (H)
(should equal F+G)

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

Total shipments (I)
(should equal
D+E+F+G)

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

End-of-period
inventories (J)
1

Please explain the basis for your firm’s projections.
.
The production capacity reported is based on operating
hours per week,
weeks per year. Please describe the
methodology used to calculate production capacity, and explain any changes in reported capacity.
.
3
Identify principal other export markets.
.
2

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Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

II-8.

Page 14

Trade data.--Continued.

RECONCILIATION OF SHIPMENTS, PRODUCTION, AND INVENTORY.--Generally, the data reported for the
end-of-period inventories (i.e., line J) should be equal to the beginning-of-period inventories (i.e., line B),
plus production (i.e., line C), less total shipments (i.e., lines D, E, F, and G). 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.
Actual experience
Calendar year
Item

2016

2017

Projections
January-March

2018

2018

2019

Calendar year
2019

2020

B + C – D – E – F –G – J = should equal
zero ("0") or provide an explanation.1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
Explanation if the calculated fields above are returning values other than zero (i.e., “0”) but are nonetheless
accurate:

0

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Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)
II-9.

Page 15

Exports to the United States not produced by your firm.--Report your firm’s exports to the
United States of steel racks that were produced in China but not by your firm during the
specified periods. Note these data should not be included in question II-8.
Quantity (in pounds)
Actual experience
Calendar year
Item

2016

2017

Projections
January-March

2018

2018

2019

Calendar year
2019

2020

Exports of steel racks to the
United States not produced by
your firm1
1

List the producer(s).

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 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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Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

Page 16

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 USITC foreign producer questionnaire form. When you finish reporting the data then you can close
the questionnaire and switch back to Italy settings.

Business Proprietary
Foreign Producers’ Questionnaire – Steel racks (Final)

Page 17

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 your questionnaire to from 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 produce or export 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, you are 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.