Foam Extruded PVC and Polystyrene Framing Stock from the United Kingdom Investigation No. 731-TA-738 (Preliminary) Publication 2930 October 1995 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: Debra Baker, Investigator Stephen Wanser, Commodity-Industry Analyst William Deese, Economist Jerry Tepper, Accountant/Auditor Robin Turner, 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 Foam Extruded PVC and Polystyrene Framing Stock from the United Kingdom Publication 2930 October 1995 . .. · ·.. '!· - . - .. ._··· .... ~. .· :... :. - CONTENTS Page Determination . ·. 1 Views of the Commission . 3 Additional views of Chairman Watson concerning a reasonable indication of material injury . 21 Views of Commissioner Carol T. Crawford . 27 Views of Commissioner Bragg regarding a reasonable indication of material injury by reason of allegedly LTFV imports ........ ·. 37 Part l: Introduction . 1-1 Background . 1-1 Alleged sales at LTFV . ~-1 Industry participants . 1-2 The product . 1-2 Description and uses . 1-2 Production processes . 1-3 Interchangeability . 1-3 Channels of distribution . 1-5 Part Il: Conditions of competition in the U.S. market . Il-1 Distinctive industry characteristics and market segmentation . Il-1 Demand for foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock . Il-4 Substitutability issues . Il-5 Substitute products . Il-5 Factors affecting purchasing decisions . Il-5 Comparison of domestic products and subject imports . Il-6 Importer/purchaser sourcing patterns . Il-6 Purchase factors . Il-6 Comparison with foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock from nonsubject countries . Il-6 Part m: Condition of the U.S. industry . ID-1 Information presented in this section . ·. ID-1 U.S. producers . ID-1 Description of U.S. producers . ID-1 Imports and other purchases by U.S. producers . ID-2. Positioning of U.S. producers in the market . ID-2 U.S. production, capacity, and capacity utilization. ID-3 U.S. producers' shipments and inventories . ID-3 U.S. employment, wages, and productivity . ID-4 Part IV: U.S. imports, apparent consumption, and market shares . IV-1 U.S. importers . IV-1 U.S. imports . IV-1 Apparent U.S. consumption . IV-2 U.S. market shares . IV-3 i . , ~. '. ~ : .. - .; . - ·- ·: -.. '.· " . CONTENTS Page Part V: Pricing and related data . V-1 Prices . V-1 . Factors affecting price . V-1 Transportation costs . V-1 Import duties and fees . .. V-1 Price competition . V-1 Price trends . V-2 Price comparisons . V-4 Exchange rates ..... ~ . V-5 Lost sales and lost revenues . • . V-5 Part VI: F~cial experience of U.S. producers . VI-1 Introduction . VI-1 Overall establishment operations . VI-1 Operations on foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock . VI-2 Variance analysis . VI-2 Investment in productive facilities, capital expenditures, and research and development expenses . VI-3 Capital and investment . VI-3 Part VIl: Threat considerations . VII-1 Information presented in this section . VII-1 The industry in the United Kingdom . VII-1 U.S. importers' inventories . VII-2 Current and future orders . VII-2 Appendixes A. Summary data . A-1 B. Federal. Register notices . B-1 C. List of witnesses appearing at the Commission's conference . C-1 D. Summary of National Picture Frame's financial data for its establishment and framing stock operations . D-1 Figures V-1. Weighted-average net U.S. f.o.b. selling prices in U.S. dollars of the PVC and polystyrene framing stock produced in the United States and imported from the United Kingdom, by products and by quarters, Jan. 1992 - June 1995 ..... V-3 V-2. Exchange rates: Indexes of real and nominal exchange rates of the British pound relative to the U.S. dollar, by quarters, Jan. 1992 - June 1995 ......... V-6 A-1. Foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock: U.S. producers' shipments and U.S. imports, by sources, 1993, 1994, Jan.-June 1994, and Jan.- June 1995 ......................................... A-3 A-2. Foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock: Summary data, 1993-94 . A-3 A-3. Foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock: Data for Jan.-June 1994-95 . A-3 ii ·. .. .·. _... ·.:: .. -'·. ··.·!.• .-.·.. :· CONTENTS Tables Il-1. Comparison of foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock from the United States and the United Kingdom, by factors . 11-7 m-1. Foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock: U.S. capacity, production, and capacity utilization, by firms, 1992-94, Jan.-June 1994, and Jan.-June 1995 .................. , . • . ID-3 fil-2. Foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock: U.S. producers' U.S. shipments, by firms, 1992-94, Jan.-June 1994, and Jan.-June 1995 . ID-4 ID-3. Foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock: End-of-period inventories of U.S. producers, by firms, 1992-94, Jan.-June 1994, and Jan.-June 1995 . • . ID-4 fil-4. Average number of production and related workers producing foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock, hours worked, wages paid to such employees, and hourly wages, productivity, and unit labor costs, by firms, 1992-94, Jan.-June 1994, and Jan.-June 1995 . ID-5 IV•l. Foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock: U.S. imports, by sources, 1992-94, Jan.-June 1994, and Jan.-June 1995 . IV-1 IV-2. Foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock: U.S. shipments of domestic product, U.S. imports, by sourees, and apparent U.S. consumption, 1992-94, Jan.-June 1994, and Jan.-June 1995 . IV-2 IV-3. Foam extruded PVC and polystyrene framing stock: Apparent U.S. consumption and market shares, 1992-94, Jan.-June 1994, and Jan.-June 1995 . IV-3 V-1. Product 1: Weighted-average net U.S. f.o.b. selling prices reported by the sole responding U.S. producer and by importers, and margins of under/(over) selling, by quarters, Jan. 1992 - June 1995 . V-3 V-2. Product 2: Weighted-average net U.S. f.o.b. selling prices reported by the sole responding U.S. producer and by importers, and margins of under/(over) selling, by quarters, Jan. 1992 - June 1995 . V-3 V-3. Product 3: Weighted-average net U.S. f.o.b selling prices reported by the sole responding U.S. producer and by importers, and margins of under/(over) selling, by quarters, Jan. 1992 - June 1995 . • . V-3 V-4. Product 4: Weighted-average net U.S. f.o.b selling prices reported by the sole responding U.S. producer and by importers, and margins of under/(over) selling, by quarters, Jan. 1992 - June 1995 . V-3 V-5. Product 5: Weighted-average net U.S. f.o.b. selling prices reported by the sole responding U.S. producer and by importers, and margins of under/(over) selling, by quarters, Jan. 1992 - June 1995 . ..