OMB No. 3117-0016/USITC No. 03-3-2013; Expiration Date: 6/30/05

(No response is required if currently valid OMB control number is not displayed)

Return completed questionnaire to:

UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL TRADE COMMISSION

Office of Investigations, Room 615

500 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20436

So as to be received by the Commission by no later than March 4, 2003

The information called for in this questionnaire is for use by the United States International Trade Commission in connection with its antidumping investigation concerning lawn and garden steel fence posts from China (inv. No. 731-TA-1010 (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 possession (19 U.S.C. § 1333(a)). Further information on this questionnaire can be obtained from Mary Pedersen (202-205-3247).

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 signing 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 investigation in any other import-injury investigations conducted by the Commission on the same or similar merchandise. (If you do not consent to such use, please note the certification accordingly.)

I acknowledge that information submitted in this questionnaire response and throughout this investigation may be used by the Commission, its employees, and contract personnel who are acting in the capacity of Commission employees, for developing or maintaining the records of this investigation or related proceedings for which this information is submitted, or in internal audits and investigations relating to the programs and operations of the Commission pursuant to 5 U.S.C. Appendix 3. I understand that all contract personnel will sign non-disclosure agreements.

Name and Title of Authorized Official	Date

( )	( )

Signature of Authorized Official	Phone	Fax

PART I.--GENERAL QUESTIONS

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 15 hours per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering the data needed, and completing and reviewing the questionnaire. Send comments regarding the accuracy of this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing the burden, to the Office of Investigations, U.S. International Trade Commission, 500 E Street, SW, Washington, DC 20436.

I-1.	Please report below the actual number of hours required and the cost to your firm of preparing the reply to this questionnaire and completing the form.

hours	dollars

I-2.	Provide the name and address of establishment(s) covered by this questionnaire (see page 3 of the instruction booklet for reporting guidelines). If your firm is publicly traded, please specify the stock exchange and trading symbol.

I-3.	Is your firm owned, in whole or in part, by any other firm?

No	Yes--List the following information.

Extent of

Firm name	Address	ownership

I-4.	Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, which are engaged in importing lawn and garden steel fence posts from China into the United States or which are engaged in exporting lawn and garden steel fence posts from China to the United States?

No	Yes--List the following information.

Firm name	Address	Affiliation

PART I.--GENERAL QUESTIONS--Continued

I-5.	Does your firm have any related firms, either domestic or foreign, which are engaged in the production of lawn and garden steel fence posts?

No	Yes--List the following information.

Firm name	Address	Affiliation

PART II.--PURCHASES

II-1.	Report, as indicated below, your firm's purchases (either directly or through a sales agent or broker) of lawn and garden steel fence posts. Report based on delivery date, not order date.

(Quantity in 1,000 pounds, value in $1,000)
Item	2000	2001	2002
PURCHASES FROM U.S. PRODUCERS:
Quantity
Value
PURCHASES FROM CHINA:
Quantity
Value
PURCHASES FROM ALL OTHER COUNTRIES:1
Quantity
Value
1 Please identify these countries:

II-2.	Does your firm purchase other steel posts of 1 pound or less per foot?

No	Yes

PART II.--PURCHASES--Continued

II-3.	If the relative shares of your firm's total purchases of lawn and garden steel fence posts from different sources (both domestic and foreign) have changed in the last three years, please list the country, state whether the relative share from that country has increased or decreased, and state the reason.

Country	Increase/decrease	Reason

II-4.	If your firm has purchased lawn and garden steel fence posts from only one country, please explain the reasons for doing so.

PART III.--MARKET CHARACTERISTICS AND PURCHASING PRACTICES

Although the wording of the questions in Part III is directed to purchasers of lawn and garden steel fence posts, if your firm purchases other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot (regardless of whether you also purchase lawn and garden steel fence posts), please answer the questions, making it clear as to whether your answers relate to lawn and garden steel fence posts, other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot, or to both. If your answers differ based on the type of post (lawn and garden steel fence posts vs. other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot), please indicate how they differ.

III-1.	Which of the following best describes your firm as a purchaser of lawn and garden steel fence posts (check all that apply, noting the specific end uses if known)?

DISTRIBUTOR (	)

END USER (	)

RETAILER (	)

WHOLESALER (	)

Other (	)

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

Although the wording of the questions in Part III is directed to purchasers of lawn and garden steel fence posts, if your firm purchases other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot (regardless of whether you also purchase lawn and garden steel fence posts), please answer the questions, making it clear as to whether your answers relate to lawn and garden steel fence posts, other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot, or to both. If your answers differ based on the type of post (lawn and garden steel fence posts vs. other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot), please indicate how they differ.

III-2.	a) If your firm is a distributor or reseller of lawn and garden steel fence posts, what are the major types of consumers to which you sell lawn and garden steel fence posts?

b) Are lawn and garden steel fence posts sold to customers together with other products (e.g., fencing)? Yes No . If yes, is the pricing of lawn and garden steel fence posts affected by the product mix demand of the customers? Yes No . If yes, please explain.

III-3.	Has the demand for lawn and garden steel fence posts changed since January 1, 2000?

No	Yes--Please indicate the direction of change and identify the major factors

that have contributed to this change.

III-4.	Are there other products (such as other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot) that could be substituted for lawn and garden steel fence posts in their end uses?

No	Yes--Please identify such substitutes.

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

Although the wording of the questions in Part III is directed to purchasers of lawn and garden steel fence posts, if your firm purchases other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot (regardless of whether you also purchase lawn and garden steel fence posts), please answer the questions, making it clear as to whether your answers relate to lawn and garden steel fence posts, other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot, or to both. If your answers differ based on the type of post (lawn and garden steel fence posts vs. other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot), please indicate how they differ.

III-5.	Since January 1, 2000, have prices for these substitute products increased, decreased, or remained the same relative to those for lawn and garden steel fence posts? Have changes in these relative prices caused your firm to shift purchases from lawn and garden steel fence posts to the substitute products or vice versa?

III-6.	Do your purchases of lawn and garden steel fence posts vary seasonally?

No	Yes--Please explain.

III-7.	Do you compete for sales to your customers with the manufacturers or importers from which you purchase lawn and garden steel fence posts?

III-8.	Are you aware whether the lawn and garden steel fence posts you are purchasing are U.S.-
produced or imported?

Always	Usually	Sometimes	Never

III-9.	Do you know the manufacturer of the lawn and garden steel fence posts that you purchase?

Always	Usually	Sometimes	Never

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

Although the wording of the questions in Part III is directed to purchasers of lawn and garden steel fence posts, if your firm purchases other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot (regardless of whether you also purchase lawn and garden steel fence posts), please answer the questions, making it clear as to whether your answers relate to lawn and garden steel fence posts, other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot, or to both. If your answers differ based on the type of post (lawn and garden steel fence posts vs. other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot), please indicate how they differ.

III-10.	To your knowledge, are your buyers aware of and/or interested in the country of origin of the goods you supply them?

Always	Usually	Sometimes	Never

III-11.	How frequently do you make purchases (circle one) ?

daily	weekly	monthly	other (	)

III-12.	Has this purchasing pattern changed significantly in the last 3 years, and, if so, how?

III-13.	How many suppliers do you generally contact before making a purchase?

III-14.	How frequently do you change suppliers?

III-15.	If you have changed suppliers within the last 3 years, please list the supplier, indicate whether the firm was added or dropped as a supplier, and give the reasons for the change.

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

Although the wording of the questions in Part III is directed to purchasers of lawn and garden steel fence posts, if your firm purchases other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot (regardless of whether you also purchase lawn and garden steel fence posts), please answer the questions, making it clear as to whether your answers relate to lawn and garden steel fence posts, other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot, or to both. If your answers differ based on the type of post (lawn and garden steel fence posts vs. other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot), please indicate how they differ.

III-16.	Are you aware of any new suppliers, either foreign or domestic, that have entered the market in the last 3 years?

No	Yes--Please identify the firms and indicate how you become aware of them.

III-17.	Do your suppliers of lawn and garden fence posts also supply your firm with other products? Yes No . If so, please note the supplier and the other products which are supplied to your firm.

III-18.	What characteristics does your firm consider when determining the quality of a supplier's lawn and garden steel fence posts?

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

Although the wording of the questions in Part III is directed to purchasers of lawn and garden steel fence posts, if your firm purchases other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot (regardless of whether you also purchase lawn and garden steel fence posts), please answer the questions, making it clear as to whether your answers relate to lawn and garden steel fence posts, other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot, or to both. If your answers differ based on the type of post (lawn and garden steel fence posts vs. other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot), please indicate how they differ.

III-19.	Please list, in order of their importance, the three major factors generally considered by your firm in deciding from whom to purchase lawn and garden steel fence posts for any one order (examples include current availability, extension of credit, prearranged contracts, price, quality of product, range of supplier's product line of lawn and garden fence posts and other products, size of order, production/supply capacity, traditional supplier, distribution network capabilities, etc.).

1.

2.

3.

Other factors or comments:

III-20.	How often does your firm purchase the lawn and garden steel fence posts that are offered at the lowest price?

Always	Usually Sometimes Never

III-21.	Generally, when you make a purchase does your supplier set the terms, or are terms negotiable?

Supplier sets	Negotiable

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

Although the wording of the questions in Part III is directed to purchasers of lawn and garden steel fence posts, if your firm purchases other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot (regardless of whether you also purchase lawn and garden steel fence posts), please answer the questions, making it clear as to whether your answers relate to lawn and garden steel fence posts, other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot, or to both. If your answers differ based on the type of post (lawn and garden steel fence posts vs. other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot), please indicate how they differ.

III-22.	Please list the names of any firms you considered price leaders in the lawn and garden steel fence posts market during January 2000-December 2002. 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 does not necessarily have to be the lowest priced supplier. For those firms identified as a price leader, please specify the time period in which a price change was communicated, whether the price change was upward or downward, and whether it covered a specific geographic region or a specific product type.

III-23.	Please describe how the above firm(s) exhibited price leadership.

III-24.	Since 2000, how frequently has the price of the lawn and garden steel fence posts you are purchasing changed?

III-25.	Of the total cost of the lawn and garden steel fence posts that your firm purchases, approximately what percent is accounted for by U.S. inland transportation costs (please answer separately for each of your sources)?

Source	percent

Source	percent

Source	percent

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

Although the wording of the questions in Part III is directed to purchasers of lawn and garden steel fence posts, if your firm purchases other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot (regardless of whether you also purchase lawn and garden steel fence posts), please answer the questions, making it clear as to whether your answers relate to lawn and garden steel fence posts, other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot, or to both. If your answers differ based on the type of post (lawn and garden steel fence posts vs. other steel fence posts of 1 pound or less per foot), please indicate how they differ.

III-26.	Do you require your suppliers to become certified or prequalified with respect to the quality, chemistry, strength, or other performance characteristic of the lawn and garden steel fence posts they sell to your firm?

No	Yes--Approximately what percent of your firm's total 2002 purchases of

lawn and garden steel fence posts required some form of pre- qualification? percent.

III-27.	Briefly describe the factors that are considered when qualifying a new supplier (e.g., quality of product, reliability of supplier, product range offered, production/supply capacity, distribution network capabilities, etc.) and estimate the time it takes to qualify a new supplier.

III-28.	Since January 1, 2000, have any domestic or foreign producers ever failed in their attempts to qualify their lawn and garden steel fence posts with your firm or have any producers lost their approved status?

No	Yes--Please identify these firms, the countries where they are located, and

the reasons why they failed the qualification process.

III-29.	Does your firm purchase lawn and garden steel fence posts over the internet?

No	Yes–Please describe, noting the estimated percentage of your firm's total

purchases of lawn and garden steel fence posts in 2002 accounted for by internet purchases.

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

III-30.	Please provide any comments that you have on the importance of the following factors in your firm's purchasing decisions: (1) breadth of supplier's product mix; (2) supplier's production/supply capacity; (3) breadth of supplier's national or regional distribution network.

III-31.	The following questions relate to the degree of similarity or the differences between (1) lawn and garden steel fence posts, (2) other steel posts of 1 pound or less per foot, and (3) posts over 1 pound per foot.

Please describe any similarities and/or differences in the physical characteristics.

Please describe any similarities and/or differences in the uses.

Please describe the degree of interchangeability, if any, i.e., are they used in the same or similar applications?

Please describe any similarities and/or differences in the channels of distribution.

Please describe, to the best of your knowledge, any similarities and/or differences in customer and producer perceptions.

Please explain whether they are made in common (i.e., the same or shared) manufacturing facilities, using common production processes, and production employees.

Please describe any similarities and/or differences in the prices.

PART IV.--COMPARISONS BETWEEN IMPORTED AND U.S.-PRODUCED PRODUCT

IV-1.	Please indicate the countries of origin for lawn and garden steel fence posts for which your firm has actual marketing/pricing knowledge.

United States	China	Other (please specify	)

IV-2.	Do the specifications of lawn and garden steel fence posts vary depending on the end use application?

No	Yes--Please list the specifications of the material for each end-use

application. If the specifications vary based on the supplier, please list the product specifications for each supplier, noting the country of origin in your response.

IV-3.	Are imported and domestically produced lawn and garden steel fence posts used in the same applications? Please answer for all country combinations you are familiar with (as indicated in your response to the first question in Part IV), including the United States and both subject and nonsubject foreign countries.

vs	Yes	No--Please explain below.

vs	Yes	No--Please explain below.

vs	Yes	No--Please explain below.

vs	Yes	No--Please explain below.

PART IV.--COMPARISONS BETWEEN IMPORTED AND U.S.-PRODUCED

PRODUCT--Continued

IV-4.	Do you or your customers ever specifically order lawn and garden steel fence posts from one country in particular over other possible sources of supply?

No	Yes--Please identify all relevant countries (including the United States and

both subject and nonsubject foreign countries) from which you or your customers prefer to order, and indicate why lawn and garden steel fence posts from these countries is preferred over product from other countries (please note the specific product in your response).

IV-5.	Are certain grades/types/sizes of lawn and garden steel fence posts available from only a single source (domestic or foreign, including both subject and nonsubject countries)?

No	Yes--Please identify the source and the grade/type/size.

IV-6.	Based on your experience, is it true that the anchor plates on domestically-produced lawn and garden steel fence posts are crimped to the post whereas the anchor plates on lawn and garden steel fence posts imported from China are riveted to the post?

No	Yes–Please indicate how important this factor is in your purchases of lawn

and garden steel fence posts that are domestically produced or produced in

China, respectively.

IV-7.	Based on your experience, are the anchor plates on lawn and garden steel fence posts produced in nonsubject countries (1) crimped to the post or (2) riveted to the post?

Crimped to the post	Riveted to the post	Don't know/not applicable

How important is this factor in your purchases of lawn and garden steel fence posts produced in

nonsubject countries?

PART IV.--COMPARISONS BETWEEN IMPORTED AND U.S.-PRODUCED

PRODUCT--Continued

IV-8.	Please indicate whether prices of lawn and garden steel fence posts from different sources have generally been higher, lower, or about the same as those of product from other sources. Please answer for all country combinations you are familiar with (as indicated in your response to the first question in Part IV), including the United States and both subject and nonsubject foreign countries.

Higher	Same	Lower priced than from

Higher	Same	Lower priced than from

Higher	Same	Lower priced than from

IV-9.	If you purchased lawn and garden steel fence posts from one source although a comparable product was available from another source at a lower price, please explain your reasons for doing so (please specify by country, including the United States and both subject and nonsubject foreign countries). Possibilities might include transaction characteristics such as length of time to fill orders, minimum order size, reliability of supply, etc.

IV-10.	If you purchased imported lawn and garden steel fence posts during 2002, approximately how much higher would the price for the imported product have to have been (over the price you paid) before you would have purchased U.S.-produced lawn and garden steel fence posts instead (please specify by country, including imports from both subject and nonsubject countries)?

Country	percent higher

Country	percent higher

Country	percent higher

Comments:

IV-11.	Since January 1, 2000, have the prices of U.S.-produced lawn and garden steel fence posts generally increased, decreased, or remained the same relative to prices of imported products (please specify by country, including imports from both subject and nonsubject countries)?

Increased (specify countries	)

Decreased (specify countries	)

Remained the same (specify countries	)

PART IV.--COMPARISONS BETWEEN IMPORTED AND U.S.-PRODUCED

PRODUCT--Continued

IV-12.	For the factors listed below, please rate how lawn and garden steel fence posts produced in each country you identified in your response to the first question in Part IV compares with lawn and garden fence steel posts produced in each of the other countries you identified (including the United States and both subject and nonsubject foreign countries). Copy this page as necessary to cover all possible country combinations and please attach any comments you care to make concerning your responses, especially in comparisons where you rate product from one country superior or inferior to product from another.

compared to

(specify country) (specify country)

SUPERIOR	COMPARABLE	INFERIOR

Availability

Delivery terms

Delivery time

Discounts offered

Distribution network

Lowest price

Minimum qty requirements

Packaging

Product consistency

Product quality

Product range of lawn and

garden fence post products

Product range of other lawn and

garden products

Production capacity

Reliability of supply

Technical support/service

Transportation network

U.S. transportation costs

Other (specify):

PART IV.--COMPARISONS BETWEEN IMPORTED AND U.S.-PRODUCED

PRODUCT--Continued

IV-13.	For the factors listed below, please rate each in terms of its importance in your purchase decision for lawn and garden steel fence posts.

VERY	SOMEWHAT	NOT

IMPORTANT	IMPORTANT	IMPORTANT

Availability

Delivery terms

Delivery time

Discounts offered

Distribution network

Lowest price

Minimum qty requirements

Packaging

Product consistency

Product quality

Product range of lawn and

garden fence post products

Product range of other lawn and

garden products

Production capacity

Reliability of supply

Technical support/service

Transportation network

U.S. transportation costs

Other (specify):

PART V.--PURCHASE PRICES

This section requests quarterly price and quantity data concerning your firm's commercial purchases from unrelated firms of the following U.S.-produced and imported products from China during January 2000-December 2002:

Product 1.--Light duty lawn and garden steel fence posts, 14 gauge thick, 1 ¾ inches wide by 4 feet tall

Product 2.--Light duty lawn and garden steel fence posts, 14 gauge thick, 1 ¾ inches wide by 5 feet tall

Product 3.--Heavy duty lawn and garden steel fence posts, 13 gauge thick, 3 inches wide by 5 feet tall

Product 4.--Heavy duty lawn and garden steel fence posts, 13 gauge thick, 3 inches wide by 6 feet tall

COPY PAGES AS NECESSARY. Complete a separate page for each of the specified products purchased by your firm. Indicate in the space provided the product for which pricing is reported.

PURCHASES FROM U.S. PRODUCERS

Product 1 Product 2 Product 3 Product 4

(Quantity in pounds, value in dollars)
Period of shipment	Quantity	Delivered value
2000:
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
2001:
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
2002:
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
1 If your product does not exactly meet the product specifications but is competitive with the specified product, provide a description of your product:

PART V.--PURCHASE PRICES--Continued

PURCHASES FROM U.S. IMPORTERS OF CHINESE PRODUCT

Product 1 Product 2 Product 3 Product 4

(Quantity in pounds, value in dollars)
Period of shipment	Quantity	Delivered value
2000:
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
2001:
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
2002:
January-March
April-June
July-September
October-December
1 If your product does not exactly meet the product specifications but is competitive with the specified product, provide a description of your product:

PART VI.--SUPPLIER IDENTIFICATION

Please provide the names and addresses of your firm's 10 largest suppliers of lawn and garden steel fence posts purchased during 2000-2002. Please also provide the name and telephone number of a contact person and the share of the quantity of your firm's total purchases of lawn and garden steel fence posts that each of these suppliers accounted for in 2002. Note: If there are other suppliers of lawn and garden steel fence posts that are qualified to supply your firm, but are not listed below, please attach a list of such additional suppliers to this questionnaire. Please provide the information requested in the following table for any such additional qualified suppliers.

No.	Supplier's name	Street address (not P.O. box), state, and zip code	Contact person	Area code and telephone number	Share of 2002 pur- chases (%)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10