The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) today announced the schedule for the final phase of the agency’s material injury investigation and issued questionnaires to foreign producers, U.S. importers, U.S. shrimp purchasers, U.S. shrimp processors, and U.S. shrimp fishermen and farmers. The ITC is charged by law with determining whether the domestic shrimp industry is materially injured or threatened by material injury by reason of subsidized imports from China, Ecuador, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The questionnaires issued by the ITC seek information that will provide much of the basis of the agency’s analysis. For domestic processors, fishermen, and farmers, the deadline listed on the questionnaires for submission of completed questionnaires to the ITC is Friday, June 28th. (The transmittal letter indicates that the deadline for submission is Monday, July 1st). Questionnaire responses can be submitted directly to the ITC electronically using the MS Word version of those documents (with a scanned copy of the signed certification page), by fax to 202-205-3205, or by overnight mail service to the U.S. International Trade Commission, Office of Investigations, Room 615, 500 E. Street SW, Washington, DC 20024. Links to the MS Word version of the questionnaires are listed below; the questionnaires can also be obtained directly from the ITC’s web-site at another link listed below. Those interested in receiving the questionnaires that cannot download these files electronically can call the Southern Shrimp Alliance at 727-934-5090 or contact the ITC’s investigator, Edward Petronzio, directly at 202-205-3176 (edward.petronzio@usitc.gov).
The ITC encourages the submission of questionnaire responses electronically, as this assists the agency in compiling information from a large number of questionnaires.
The ITC’s transmittal letter that accompanies the questionnaires notes that “The business proprietary information you supply in this questionnaire or in connection therewith will be so treated by the Commission and will not be disclosed except as required by law.” The transmittal letter also explains the purpose behind seeking information from the domestic industry: “Your response will be consolidated with the responses of other firms and will form much of the statistical base for the Commission’s determinations.”
Because questionnaire responses provide much of the statistical base for the ITC’s analysis, the participation of the domestic shrimp industry in the investigation is vital. The more data provided to the ITC regarding the condition of the shrimp industry, the better the agency’s analysis. Although completing the questionnaires is a time consuming exercise, all shrimp fishermen, farmers, and processors are encouraged to complete the questionnaire and participate in the agency’s investigation.
The final investigation schedule announced by the ITC calls for the completion of a prehearing staff report by July 31, 2013. Prehearing briefs from parties would be due on August 7th, and the ITC will hold a public hearing regarding the investigation on Tuesday, August 13th at 9:30 am. Parties will have the opportunity to file posthearing briefs on August 20th and the agency would complete a final staff report on September 6th. The formal record for the investigation is scheduled to close on September 12th, with parties having the opportunity to submit final comments on September 16th. The schedule announced today proposes that the ITC would make a final vote in the investigation on September 19th.
Download a MS Word version of the ITC’s Fishermen’s
Questionnaire (also for use of U.S. shrimp farmers):
https://shrimpalliance.com/?attachment_id=3159
Download a MS Word version of the ITC’s Processor’s Questionnaire:
https://shrimpalliance.com/?attachment_id=3160
Download the ITC’s Instruction Booklet with General Information, Instructions, and Directions for Commission Questionnaires: https://shrimpalliance.com/?attachment_id=3158
Download the ITC’s Transmittal Letter accompanying the questionnaires:
https://shrimpalliance.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/tranletter-shrmp_1.pdf
Access these documents directly from the ITC, as well as the schedule for the final phase of the investigation:
http://www.usitc.gov/trade_remedy/731_ad_701_cvd/investigations/2013/shrimp/finalphase.htm