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**GENERAL INFORMATION, INSTRUCTIONS, AND**

**DEFINITIONS FOR COMMISSION QUESTIONNAIRES**

**Steel Wire Garment Hangers from China**

**Investigation No. 731-TA-1123 (Preliminary)**

***[Further information]{.underline}.‑‑If you have any questions
concerning the enclosed***

***questionnaire(s) or other matters related to this investigation, you
may contact***

***the following members of the Commission=s staff (Fax
202-205-3205):***

***Fred Ruggles, investigator (202‑205‑3187; E-mail
[fred.ruggles@usitc.gov]{.underline})***

***regarding general questions and trade and related information;***

***Charles Yost, auditor (202‑205‑3432; E-mail
[charles.yost@usitc.gov]{.underline})***

***regarding financial information; and***

***William Greene, economist (202‑205‑3405; E-mail
[greene@usitc.gov]{.underline})***

***regarding pricing, market, and related information.***

**[GENERAL INFORMATION, INSTRUCTIONS, AND DEFINITIONS]{.underline}**

**[GENERAL INFORMATION]{.underline}**

***[Background]{.underline}***.‑‑This investigation was instituted in
response to a petition filed on July 31, 2007, by M&B Metal Products
Company, Inc., Leeds, AL, on behalf of the domestic industry that
produces steel wire garment hangers (ASWG hangers@). Antidumping duties
may be assessed on the subject imports as a result of this investigation
if the Commission makes an affirmative determination of injury, threat,
or material retardation, and if the U.S. Department of Commerce makes an
affirmative determination of dumping.

Additional questionnaires will be supplied promptly upon request, or
photocopies of the enclosed questionnaire(s) may be used. Address all
correspondence to the United States International Trade Commission,
Washington, DC 20436. Hearing‑impaired individuals can obtain
information regarding this investigation via the Commission=s TDD
terminal (202‑205‑1810).

***[Due date of questionnaire(s)]{.underline}***.‑‑Return the completed
questionnaire(s) to the United States International Trade Commission by
no later than August 14, 2007. Although the enclosed postpaid envelope
may be used to return the completed questionnaire, use of an overnight
mail service (**for overnight service the zip code is 20024)** may be
necessary to ensure that your response actually reaches the Commission
by August 14, 2007. If you do not use the enclosed envelope, please make
sure the completed questionnaire is sent to the attention of Fred
Ruggles. **Return [only one]{.underline} copy of the completed
questionnaire(s), but please keep a copy for your records so that you
can refer to it if the Commission staff contacts you with any questions
during the course of the investigation.**

***[Service of questionnaire response(s)]{.underline}***.\--In the event
that your firm is a party to this investigation, you are required to
serve a copy of the questionnaire(s), once completed, on parties to the
proceeding that are subject to administrative protective order (see 19
CFR \' 207.7). A list of such parties is maintained by the Commission=s
Secretary and may be obtained by calling 202-205-1803. A certificate of
service must accompany the copy of the completed questionnaire(s) you
submit (see 19 CFR \' 207.7).

***[Confidentiality]{.underline}***.\--The commercial and financial data
furnished in response to the enclosed questionnaire(s) that reveal the
individual operations of your firm will be treated as confidential by
the Commission to the extent that such data are not otherwise available
to the public and will not be disclosed except as may be required by law
(see 19 U.S.C. \' 1677f). Such confidential information will not be
published in a manner that will reveal the individual operations of your
firm; however, nonnumerical characterizations of numerical business
proprietary information (such as discussion of trends) will be treated
as confidential business information only at the request of the
submitter for good cause shown.

**[GENERAL INFORMATION, INSTRUCTIONS, AND
DEFINITIONS]{.underline}\--*Continued***

**[GENERAL INFORMATION]{.underline}‑‑*Continued***

***[Verification]{.underline}*.‑‑The information submitted in the
enclosed questionnaire(s) is subject to audit and verification by the
Commission. To facilitate possible verification of data, please keep all
your workpapers and supporting documents used in the preparation of the
questionnaire response(s).**

***[Release of information]{.underline}***.\--The information provided
by your firm in response to the questionnaire(s), as well as any other
business proprietary information submitted by your firm to the
Commission in connection with the investigation, may become subject to,
and released under, the administrative protective order provisions of
the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. \' 1677f) and section 207.7 of the
Commission=s Rules of Practice and Procedure (19 CFR \' 207.7). This
means that certain lawyers and other authorized individuals may
temporarily be given access to the information for use in connection
with this investigation or other import-injury investigations conducted
by the Commission on the same or similar merchandise; those individuals
would be subject to severe penalties if the information were divulged to
unauthorized individuals. In addition, if your firm is a U.S. producer,
the information you provide on your production and imports of SWG
hangers and your responses to the questions in Part I of the producer
questionnaire will be provided to the U.S. Department of Commerce, upon
its request, for use in connection with (and only in connection with)
its requirement pursuant to section 732(c)(4) of the Act (19 U.S.C. \'
1673a(c)(4)) to make a determination concerning the extent of industry
support for the petition requesting this investigation. Any information
provided to Commerce will be transmitted under the confidentiality and
release guidelines set forth above. Your response to these questions
constitutes your consent that such information be provided to Commerce
under the conditions described above.

**[INSTRUCTIONS]{.underline}**

***[Answer all questions]{.underline}***.‑‑Do not leave any question or
section blank unless a questionnaire expressly directs you to skip over
certain questions or sections. If the answer to any question is Anone,@
write Anone.@ **If information is not readily available from your
records in exactly the form requested, furnish carefully prepared
estimates‑‑designated as such by the letter AE@‑‑and explain the basis
of your estimates**. Answers to questions and any necessary comments or
explanations should be supplied in the space provided or on separate
sheets attached to the appropriate page of the questionnaire(s). If your
firm is completing more than one questionnaire in connection with this
investigation (i.e., a producer, importer, and/or foreign producer
questionnaire), you need not respond to duplicated questions in the
questionnaires.

**[GENERAL INFORMATION, INSTRUCTIONS, AND
DEFINITIONS]{.underline}\--*Continued***

**[DEFINITIONS]{.underline}**

***[Consolidate all U.S. establishments]{.underline}***.‑‑Report the
requested data for your establishment(s) located in the United States.
**Firms operating more than one establishment in the United States
should combine the data for all establishments into a single report.**

***[SWG hangers]{.underline}***.‑‑Certain steel wire garment hangers,
fabricated from carbon steel wire, whether or not galvanized or painted,
whether or not coated with latex or epoxy or similar gripping materials,
and/or whether or not fashioned with paper covers or capes (with or
without printing) and/or nonslip features such as saddles or tubes.
Specifically, excluded from this definition are wooden, plastic, and
other garment hangers that are covered under separate subheadings of the
Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (AHTSUS@). The products
subject to this investigation are currently classified in subheading
7326.20.00 of the HTSUS and reported under statistical reporting number
7326.20.0020. Although the HTSUS subheading is provided for convenience
and Customs purposes, the written description of the merchandise is
dispositive.

***[Firm]{.underline}***.‑‑An individual proprietorship, partnership,
joint venture, association, corporation (including any subsidiary
corporation), business trust, cooperative, trustee in bankruptcy, or
receiver under decree of any court.

***[Related firm]{.underline}***.‑‑A firm that your firm solely or
jointly owned, managed, or otherwise controlled; a firm that solely or
jointly owned, managed, or otherwise controlled your firm; and/or a firm
that was solely or jointly owned, managed, or otherwise controlled by a
firm that also solely or jointly owned, managed, or otherwise controlled
your firm.

***[Establishment]{.underline}***.‑‑Each facility of a firm in the
United States involved in the production, importation, and/or purchase
of SWG hangers (as defined above), including auxiliary facilities
operated in conjunction with (whether or not physically separate from)
such facilities.

***[United States]{.underline}***.‑‑For purposes of this investigation,
the 50 States, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of
Columbia.

***[Importer]{.underline}***.‑‑Any person or firm engaged, either
directly or through a parent company or subsidiary, in importing SWG
hangers (as defined above) into the United States from a foreign
manufacturer or through its selling agent.

***[Imports]{.underline}***.‑‑Those products identified for Customs
purposes as [imports for consumption]{.underline} for which your firm
was the importer of record (i.e., was responsible for paying any import
duty) or consignee (i.e., to which the merchandise was first delivered).

***[Import quantities]{.underline}***.‑‑Quantities reported should be
net of returns.

***[Import values]{.underline}***.‑‑Values reported should be landed,
duty-paid values at the U.S. port of entry, including ocean freight and
insurance costs, brokerage charges, and import duties (i.e., all charges
except inland freight in the United States).

***[Purchaser]{.underline}***.‑‑Any person or firm engaged, either
directly or through a parent company or subsidiary, in purchasing SWG
hangers (as defined above) from another firm that produces, imports, or
otherwise distributes SWG hangers. A retail firm that is the importer of
record may be considered a purchaser.

***[Purchases]{.underline}***.‑‑Purchases from all sources, NOT
including direct imports from foreign producers (which should be
reported in an importer questionnaire).

***[Purchase quantities]{.underline}***.‑‑Quantities reported should be
net of returns.

> ***[Purchase values]{.underline}***.‑‑Values reported should be net
> values (i.e., gross purchase values less all discounts, allowances,
> rebates, and the value of returned goods), delivered to your U.S.
> receiving point.

***[Shipments]{.underline}***.\--Shipments of products produced in or
imported by your U.S. establishment(s). Include shipments to the
contracting firm of product produced by your firm under a toll
agreement.

***[Shipment quantities]{.underline}***.‑‑Quantities reported should be
net of returns.

> ***[Shipment values]{.underline}***.‑‑Values reported should be net
> values (i.e., gross sales values less all discounts, allowances,
> rebates, prepaid freight, and the value of returned goods), f.o.b.
> your U.S. point of shipment. The value of domestic shipments to the
> contracting firm under a toll agreement is the conversion fee
> (including profit).

***[Types of shipments]{.underline}***:

> ***[U.S. shipments]{.underline}***.‑‑Commercial shipments, internal
> consumption, and transfers to related

firms within the United States.

> ***[Commercial shipments]{.underline}***.\--Shipments, other than
> internal consumption and
>
> transfers to related firms, within the United States.
>
> ***[Internal consumption]{.underline}***.\--Product consumed
> internally by your firm.
>
> ***[Transfers to related firms]{.underline}***.‑‑Shipments made to
> related domestic firms.
>
> ***[Export shipments]{.underline}***.‑‑Shipments to destinations
> outside the United States, including

shipments to related firms.

***[Inventories]{.underline}***.‑‑Finished goods inventory, not raw
materials or work‑in‑progress.

**The following definitions apply only to the PRODUCER QUESTIONNAIRE.**

***[Average production capacity]{.underline}***.‑‑The level of
production that your establishment(s) could reasonably have expected to
attain during the specified periods. Assume normal operating conditions
(i.e., using equipment and machinery in place and ready to operate;
normal operating levels (hours per week/weeks per year) and time for
downtime, maintenance, repair, and cleanup; and a typical or
representative product mix).

***[Toll agreement]{.underline}***.‑‑Agreement between two firms whereby
the first firm furnishes the raw materials and the second firm uses the
raw materials to produce a product that it then returns to the first
firm with a charge for processing costs, overhead, etc.

***[Production]{.underline}***.‑‑All production in your U.S.
establishment(s), including production consumed internally within your
firm and production for another firm under a toll agreement.

***[PRWs]{.underline}***.‑‑Production and related workers, including
working supervisors and all nonsupervisory workers (including group
leaders and trainees) engaged in fabricating, processing, assembling,
inspecting, receiving, storage, handling, packing, warehousing,
shipping, trucking, hauling, maintenance, repair, janitorial and guard
services, product development, auxiliary production for plant=s own use
(e.g., power plant), recordkeeping, and other services closely
associated with the above production operations.

***[Average number employed]{.underline}***.‑‑Add the number of
employees, both full‑time and part‑time, for the 12 pay periods ending
closest to the 15th of the month and divide that total by 12. For the
January‑June periods, calculate similarly and divide by 6.

***[Hours worked]{.underline}***.‑‑Include time paid for sick leave,
holidays, and vacation time. Include overtime hours actually worked; do
not convert overtime pay to its equivalent in straight‑time hours.

***[Wages paid]{.underline}***.‑‑Total wages paid before deductions of
any kind (e.g., withholding taxes, old-age and unemployment insurance,
group insurance, union dues, bonds, etc.). Include wages paid directly
by your firm for overtime, holidays, vacations, and sick leave.

***[Fiscal year]{.underline}***.‑‑The 12‑month period between settlement
of your firm=s financial accounts.

***[Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act (Byrd Amendment) funds
received]{.underline}***.\--Funds disbursed by the Bureau of Customs and
Border Protection under the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of
2000 (the AByrd Amendment@). The Byrd Amendment provides for the annual
distribution of the duties collected pursuant to antidumping and
countervailing duty orders. The distribution is available to Aaffected
domestic producers for qualifying expenditures.@