DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

Employment and Training Administration

TA-W-57,794

COGNIS CORPORATION
CINCINNATI, OHIO


Notice of Negative Determination
on Reconsideration

On November 29, 2005, the Department issued an Affirmative
Determination Regarding Application for Reconsideration for the
workers and former workers of Cognis Corporation, Cincinnati,
Ohio. The Department’s Notice was published in the Federal
Register on March 2, 2006 (71 FR 10708).
The negative determination was based on the findings that
there was no shift of specialty chemical production abroad by the
subject firm and no increased imports of specialty chemicals
during the relevant period. Workers produce specialty chemicals,
including fatty acids, glycerin, and ozone acids, and are not
separately identifiable by product line.
In the request for reconsideration, the United Steelworkers
of America, Local 14340, asserted that workers produced “certain
oleo chemical products and fatty alcohol products which are sold
to other companies for use as ingredients or additives in those
companies’ products such as cosmetics, soaps, tires, and paints.”
The Union also asserted that increased imports of articles like
or directly competitive with those produced by the subject firm
had contributed to the workers’ separations.
During the reconsideration investigation, the Department
contacted the Union and the subject company to ascertain what
product was made by the worker group and the reason(s) for the
worker separations. The product at issue are APG surfactants.
According to the Union and the company official, a major
customer reformulated its product to use a blend of chemicals
that has the same effect as the chemical purchased from the
subject firm, alkyl polyglycoside (APG) surfactants, and, as a
result, ceased purchasing APG surfactants from the subject firm.
APG surfactants are used commercially in cleaning products.
During the reconsideration investigation, the Department
collected sales, production, and import data from the subject
company regarding APG surfactants and conducted a survey of the
major declining customer regarding its purchases of APG
surfactants during 2003, 2004, January through August 2004, and
January through August 2005.
A careful review of the information provided by the subject
company revealed reduced production of APG surfactants, no
increased imports of APG surfactants, and no shift of APG
surfactants production abroad during the relevant period.
According to the customer, there is no one chemical which is
like or directly competitive with APG surfactants because of its
specific characteristics. The survey result revealed that the
customer did not have any import purchases of APG surfactants
during the relevant period.
Conclusion
After careful reconsideration, I affirm the original notice
of negative determination of eligibility to apply for worker
adjustment assistance for workers and former workers of Cognis
Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Signed at Washington, D.C. this 14th day of March 2006

/s/ Elliott S. Kushner


ELLIOTT S. KUSHNER
Certifying Officer, Division of
Trade Adjustment Assistance
Assistance