Saccharin from China - USITC

Channels of DistributionDuring the period examined in this review, shipments of saccharin by the U.S. producer wententirely to ***. For imports of saccharin from China, the majority of shipments went to *** whileimports of saccharin from nonsubject countries went primarily to ***. More detailed information onchannels of distribution can be found in Part II of this report, Conditions of Competition in the U.S.Market.PriceInformation with regard to prices of saccharin is presented in Part V of this report, Pricing andRelated Information.DOMESTIC LIKE PRODUCT ISSUESIn the preliminary phase of the original investigation, the Commission found that there was onedomestic like product consisting of all forms of saccharin. The Commission made this finding based onthe similarity in physical characteristics and uses, general interchangeability, common channels ofdistribution, common manufacturing facilities and production process, and general similarity in price. Inthe final phase of the investigation, no party argued that the Commission should revisit its like productfinding, nor did any facts arise that would otherwise indicate that the Commission should so do. 28 29 Inresponse to a question soliciting comments regarding the appropriate domestic like product in theCommission’s notice of institution of these reviews, the domestic interested party stated that it agreedwith the Commission’s established definition of the domestic like product and agreed with the definitionsof domestic like product and domestic industry stated in the Commission’s Notice of Institution. 30U.S. MARKET PARTICIPANTSU.S. ProducersThe Commission received U.S. producer questionnaire responses from one producer thatmanufactured saccharin during 2003-July 2006 and in 2008, as presented in table I-5.28Saccharin From China, Inv. No. 731-TA-1013 (Final), Pub. 3606, June 2003, p. 5. The Commission foundthat the scope of the investigation pertained solely to saccharin. No party argued that the Commission should findthat the domestic like product includes alternative sweeteners, such as aspartame. While the Commission maydefine the like product to be broader than the scope if the facts so warrant, see, e.g., Certain Pasta from Italy andTurkey, Inv. Nos.701-TA-365 and 366 and 731-TA-734 and 735 (Final), USITC Pub. 2977 at 8-12 (July 1996), theCommission found that the record did not indicate that a broader like product was appropriate here.29Ibid. In its final phase prehearing brief, the Pro Trade Group’s U.S. Sweetener Users Coalition stated that theCommission should consider whether sodium saccharin and calcium saccharin are separate domestic like products,and stated further that it would discuss this matter further at the hearing. Coalition’s Prehearing Brief at 1. At thehearing, however, the Coalition explained that it was not seeking a finding of two domestic like products, but wishedto point out the differences in the forms of saccharin in the context of conditions of competition. Hearing transcript,p. 181 (Aitken).30PMC’s Response to Notice of Institution, p. 11.I-12