Project Summary Page

U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security
Section 232 Investigation on the Effect of Imports of
Neodymium-Iron-Boron (NdFeB) Permanent Magnets on
U.S. National Security
Overview: Section 232 Investigation on the Effect of Imports of
NdFeB Permanent Magnets on U.S. National Security
The Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), Office of Technology Evaluation, is conducting a
survey and assessment of the U.S. NdFeB magnet industry. The resulting data will be used to
support an ongoing investigation on the effect of imports of NdFeB magnets on the national
security under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, as amended. The investigation
was self-initiated by the U.S. Department of Commerce.
The principal goal of this survey is to assist BIS in determining whether NdFeB magnets are
being imported into the United States in such quantities or under such circumstances as to
threaten to impair the national security. The survey will also assist in determining the overall
health and competitiveness of the U.S. NdFeB magnet industry and the corresponding value
chain, including rare earth mining, separation, reduction, alloying, and magnet manufacturing,
and production issues faced by NdFeB magnet end-users. Information collected will include
organizational data, facility information, current and prospective production, purchases and
suppliers, sales and customers, employment, capital expenditures, R&D, intellectual property,
recycling, and competition and challenges. The resulting data will provide BIS with information
that is otherwise not available and needed to conduct its investigation.
Your organization has been identified as a manufacturer and/or distributor of NdFeB magnets, a
producer of components used in the production of NdFeB magnets, or an end-user of NdFeB
magnets with one or more facilities in the United States. Your participation in this survey is vital to
ensure a comprehensive dataset for the assessment. BIS has worked in successful partnership with
other U.S. industry sectors and we anticipate similar cooperation from your organization on this
effort.
Legal Protections and Requirements
The information collected from survey respondents may be used publicly only in aggregated form,
meaning at no time will such reporting identify your specific organization by name nor disclose
proprietary information. All information submitted to BIS is protected as confidential under
provisions of the Defense Production Act (DPA) of 1950, as amended. Survey response
information, including your participation in the data collection, is exempt from Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA) requests.
BIS Industrial Base Assessment Program
Since 1986, BIS has completed over 60 industrial base surveys and assessments covering a broad
number of critical technologies and industry sectors. To view previous BIS reports and surveys,
please visit our website at http://www.bis.doc.gov/dib.
Thank you for your cooperation. We look forward to working with you.