Silicomanganese from Brazil, the People's Republic of China, Ukraine, and Venezuela
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Silicomanganese from Brazil, the People's Republic of China, Ukraine, and Venezuela Investigations Nos. 731-TA-671-67 4 (Final) Publication 2836 December 1994 U.S. International Trade Commission Washington, DC 20436 U.S. International Trade Commission COMMISSIONERS Peter S. Watson, Chairman Janet A. Nuzum, Vice Chairman David B. Rohr Don E. Newquist Carol T. Crawford Lynn M. Bragg Robert A. Rogowsky Director of Operations Staff assigned: Douglas Corkran, Investigator Charles Yost, Industry Analyst Cindy Cohen, Economist John Ascienzo, Accountant Shara Aranoff, Attorney George Deyman, Supervisory Investigator Address all communications to Secretary to the Commission United States International Trade Commission Washington, DC 20436 U.S. International Trade Commission Washington, DC 20436 Silicomanganese from Brazil, the People's Republic of China, Ukraine, and Venezuela Publication 2836 December 1994 CONTENTS Part I: Determinations and views of the Commission . 1-1 Determinations . 1-3 Views of Commissioner David B. Rohr and Commissioner Don E. Newquist. 1-5 Views of Chairman Peter S. Watson, Vice Chairman Janet A. Nuzum, Commissioner Carol T. Crawford and Commissioner Lynn M. Bragg . 1-19 Views of Chairman Peter S. Watson, Commissioner Carol T. Crawford and Commissioner Lynn M. Bragg on cumulation . 1-29 Views of Chairman Peter S. Watson, Commissioner Carol T. Crawford and Commissioner Lynn M. Bragg regarding no material injury by reason of LTFV imports from Brazil, China, and Ukraine . 1-37 Views of Chairman Peter S. Watson, Commissioner Carol T. Crawford and Commissioner Lynn M. Bragg on no material injury by reason of L TFV imports from Venezuela . 1-47 Views of Chairman Peter S. Watson, Commissioner Carol T. Crawford and Commissioner Lynn M. Bragg on threat of material injury by reason of subject imports . 1-53 Views of Chairman Peter S. Watson on threat of material injury by reason of LTFV imports from Brazil . 1-61 Views of Commissioner Lynn M. Bragg regarding no threat of material injury by reason of LTFV imports from Brazil . 1-65 Dissenting views of Commissioner Carol T. Crawford . 1-69 Additional and dissenting views of Vice Chairman Janet A. Nuzum . 1-73 Part II: Information obtained in the investigations . 11-1 Introduction . 11-3 Institution . 11-3 Background . 11-3 The product . 11-4 Description and uses . 11-4 Production process . 11-7 Substitute products . 11-9 U.S. tariff treatment . 11-10 The nature and extent of sales at LTFV . 11-10 Suspension agreement . 11-11 The U.S. market . 11-12 U.S. producer . 11-12 U.S. importers . 11-13 U.S. Government . 11-14 Apparent U.S. consumption . 11-14 Channels of distribution . 11-16 Geographic distribution of commercial shipments . 11-17 Swap shipments . 11-17 Consideration of the question of material injury to an industry in the United States . 11-18 U.S. production facility . 11-19 Capacity . 11-19 Production . 11-19 Capacity utilization . 11-20 i CONTENTS Part II: Information obtained in the investigations -- Continued Consideration of the question of material injury to an industry in the United States -- Continued U.S. producers' shipments . 11-20 U.S. producers' inventories . 11-21 U.S. employment, wages, and productivity . 11-21 Financial experience of the U.S. producer . 11-22 Overall establishment operations . 11-22 Operations on silicomanganese produced in the United States . 11-23 Operations on all standard silicomanganese . 11-23 Investment in productive facilities and return on assets . 11-24 Capital expenditures . 11-24 Research and development expenses . 11-24 Capital and investment . 11-24 Consideration of the question of threat of material injury to an industry in the United States . 11-25 U.S. importers' inventories . 11-26 Ability of foreign producers to generate exports and availability of export markets other than the United States . 11-28 Brazil . II-28 China . II-29 Ukraine . II-29 Venezuela . II-30 Antidumping actions outside the United States . 11-30 Consideration of the causal relationship between imports of the subject merchandise and the alleged material injury . 11-31 U.S. imports . II-31 Market shares . II-34 Prices . II-35 Marketing practices . 11-35 Product comparisons . 11-36 U.S. purchasers . II-37 Questionnaire price data . 11-3 8 Price trends . II-39 Price comparisons . 11-39 Exchange rates . II-40 Lost sales and lost revenues . 11-42 Appendixes A. The Commission's and Commerce's Federal Register notices . A-1 B. Witnesses appearing at the hearing . B-1 C. Summary data . C-1 D. Ownership of U.S. companies that produce or import silicomanganese . D-1 E. Comments by Elkem Metals Co. on the impact of imports of silicomanganese from Brazil, China, Ukraine, and Venezuela on its growth, investment, ability to raise capital, and development and production efforts . E-1 ii CONTENTS Appendixes--Continued F. Import data . F-1 G. Elkem's non-production participation in the U.S. market . G-1 H. Published price data . H-1 Figures 1. Silicomanganese: Simplified production flow chart . 11-8 2. Silicomanganese: Apparent U.S. consumption, 1991-93, Jan.-June 1993, and Jan.- June 1994 . 11-16 3. Silicomanganese: Channels of distribution, 1993 . 11-17 4. Silicomanganese: U.S. imports, by sources, 1991-93, Jan.-June 1993, and Jan.- June 1994 . ..