Supercalendered Paper from Canada Investigation No. 701-TA-530 (Preliminary) Publication 4529 April 2015 U.S. International Trade Commission Washington, DC 20436 U.S. International Trade Commission COMMISSIONERS Meredith M. Broadbent, Chairman Dean A. Pinkert, Vice Chairman Irving A. Williamson David S. Johanson F. Scott Kieff Rhonda K. Schmidtlein Catherine DeFilippo Acting Director of Operations Staff assigned Christopher Cassise, Senior Investigator Vincent Honnold, Industry Analyst Aimee Larsen, Economist David Boyland, Accountant Russell Duncan, Statistician Michael Haldenstein, Attorney James McClure, 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 www.usitc.gov Supercalendered Paper from Canada Investigation No. 701-TA-530 (Preliminary) Publication 4529 April 2015 CONTENTS Page Determination ................................................................................................................................. 1 Views of the Commission ............................................................................................................... 3 Part I: Introduction ................................................................................................................ I‐1 Background ................................................................................................................................ I‐1 Statutory criteria and organization of the report ..................................................................... I‐1 Statutory criteria ................................................................................................................... I‐1 Organization of report ........................................................................................................... I‐2 Market summary ....................................................................................................................... I‐3 Summary data and data sources ............................................................................................... I‐3 Previous and related investigations .......................................................................................... I‐3 Nature and extent of alleged subsidies..................................................................................... I‐3 The subject merchandise .......................................................................................................... I‐4 Commerce’s scope ................................................................................................................ I‐4 Tariff treatment ..................................................................................................................... I‐5 The product ............................................................................................................................... I‐6 Description and applications ................................................................................................. I‐6 Manufacturing processes .................................................................................................... I‐10 Domestic like product issues ................................................................................................... I‐13 SCA grade SC paper vs. SCB grade SC paper........................................................................ I‐14 Coated groundwood paper vs. SCA grade SC paper ........................................................... I‐18 Hi‐Brite paper and newsprint vs. SCB grade SC paper ........................................................ I‐21 Part II: Conditions of competition in the U.S. market ............................................................ II‐1 U.S. market characteristics ....................................................................................................... II‐1 Channels of distribution ........................................................................................................... II‐2 Geographic distribution ........................................................................................................... II‐2 Supply and demand considerations ......................................................................................... II‐3 U.S. supply ............................................................................................................................ II‐3 U.S. demand ......................................................................................................................... II‐6 i CONTENTS Page Substitutability issues ............................................................................................................... II‐9 Lead times ............................................................................................................................ II‐9 Purchase factors ................................................................................................................... II‐9 Comparison of U.S.‐produced and imported SC paper ........................................................ II‐9 Part III: U.S. producers’ production, shipments, and employment ....................................... III‐1 U.S. producers ......................................................................................................................... III‐1 Madison Paper Industries, Inc. ............................................................................................ III‐2 Resolute FP US, Inc. ............................................................................................................. III‐2 Verso Corp. .......................................................................................................................... III‐2 U.S. production, capacity, and capacity utilization ................................................................. III‐4 U.S. producers’ U.S. shipments and exports ........................................................................... III‐5 U.S. producers’ inventories ..................................................................................................... III‐5 U.S. producers’ imports and purchases .................................................................................. III‐5 U.S. employment, wages, and productivity ............................................................................ III‐6 Part IV: U.S. imports, apparent U.S. consumption, and market shares ................................ IV‐1 U.S. importers.......................................................................................................................... IV‐1 U.S. imports ............................................................................................................................. IV‐2 Negligibility .............................................................................................................................. IV‐3 Apparent U.S. consumption and U.S. market shares .............................................................. IV‐3 Part V: Pricing data ............................................................................................................... V‐1 Factors affecting prices ............................................................................................................ V‐1 Raw material costs ............................................................................................................... V‐1 Transportation costs to the U.S. market .............................................................................. V‐1 U.S. inland transportation costs ........................................................................................... V‐1 Exchange rates ...................................................................................................................... V‐2 Pricing practices ....................................................................................................................... V‐3 Pricing methods .................................................................................................................... V‐3 Sales terms and discounts .................................................................................................... V‐4 ii CONTENTS Page Price data .................................................................................................................................. V‐5 Price trends ........................................................................................................................... V‐8 Price comparisons ................................................................................................................ V‐9 Lost sales and lost revenue ...................................................................................................... V‐9 Part VI: Financial experience of U.S. producers .................................................................... VI‐1 Background .............................................................................................................................. VI‐1 Operations on SC paper .......................................................................................................... VI‐2 Sales volume and value ....................................................................................................... VI‐2 Cost of goods sold ..............................................................................................................