Petitioner Type: State
Impact Date:
Filed Date: 12/10/2021
Most Recent Update: 03/11/2022
Determination Date: 03/11/2022
Expiration Date:
Employment and Training Administration
TA-W-98,144
STOLLER USA, INC.
INCLUDING WORKERS WHOSE WAGES ARE REPORTED UNDER
STOLLER ENTERPRISES, INC.
CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA
Negative Determinations Regarding Eligibility
To Apply for Worker Adjustment Assistance
And Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance
TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE
In accordance with Section 223 of the Trade Act of 1974, as
amended (the Act), 19 U.S.C. § 2273, the Department of Labor
(the Department) herein presents the results of an investigation
regarding certification of eligibility to apply for worker
adjustment assistance.
Workers of a firm may be eligible for worker adjustment
assistance if they satisfy the criteria of subsection (a) and
(b) of Section 222 of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a) and (b). For
the Department to issue a certification for workers under
Section 222(a) of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a), the following
three criteria must be met:
(1) The first criterion (set forth in Section 222(a)(1) of the
Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a)(1)) requires that a significant
number or proportion of the workers in such workers' firm,
or an appropriate subdivision of the firm, have become
totally or partially separated, or are threatened to become
totally or partially separated
(2) The second criterion (set forth in Section 222(a)(2) of the
Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a)(2)) may be satisfied in one of two
ways:
(A) Increased Imports Path:
(i) sales or production, or both, at the workers' firm
must have decreased absolutely, AND
(ii) imports of articles like or directly competitive with
articles produced by such firm or subdivision have
increased; and
(iii) the increase described in clause (ii) contributed
importantly to such workers' separation or threat of
separation and to the decline in the sales or
production of such firm or subdivision.
(B) Shift in Production Path:
(i) there has been a shift in production by such workers'
firm or subdivision to a foreign country of articles
like or directly competitive with articles which are
produced by such firm or subdivision; and
(ii)(I) the country to which the workers' firm has
shifted production of the articles is a party to a
free trade agreement with the United States;
(II)the country to which the workers' firm has
shifted production of the articles is a beneficiary
country under the Andean Trade Preference Act, African
Growth and Opportunity Act, or the Caribbean Basin
Economic Recovery Act; or
(III)there has been or is likely to be an increase
in imports of articles that are like or directly
competitive with articles which are or were produced
by such firm or subdivision.
For the Department to issue a certification under Section
222(b) of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(b), to workers of a Supplier
or a Downstream Producer, the following criteria must be met:
(1) a significant number or proportion of the workers in
the workers' firm or an appropriate subdivision of the
firm have become totally or partially separated, or
are threatened to become totally or partially
separated;
(2) the workers' firm is a Supplier or Downstream Producer
to a firm that employed a group of workers who
received a certification of eligibility under Section
222(a) of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a), and such
supply or production is related to the article that
was the basis for such certification; and
(3) either
(A) the workers' firm is a supplier and the component
parts it supplied to the firm described in paragraph
(2) accounted for at least 20 percent of the
production or sales of the workers' firm; or
(B) a loss of business by the workers' firm with the
firm described in paragraph (2) contributed
importantly to the workers' separation or threat of
separation.
Section 222(c) of the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(c), defines the
terms "Supplier" and "Downstream Producer."
The investigation was initiated in response to a Trade
Adjustment Assistance for Workers (TAA) and Alternative Trade
Adjustment Assistance (ATAA) petition dated December 9, 2021 and
filed on December 9, 2021 by a State workforce official, on
behalf of former workers of Stoller USA, Inc., including
workers whose wages are reported under Stoller Enterprises,
Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa (hereafter referred to as the "group of
workers"). In accordance with 20 C.F.R. 618.110 a worker group is
defined as, ""¦including teleworkers and staffed workers." The
workers' firm is engaged in activities related to the production
of agricultural chemical products.
The petition alleges that worker separations, or threats
thereof, were due to impacts of foreign trade ("possible global
supply chain factors . . . sourced from foreign countries").
During the course of the investigation, the Department
collected information from the petitioner(s), the workers' firm,
and other relevant sources.
With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(A) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that worker firm imports of agricultural
chemical products, or like or directly competitive articles,
have not increased during the relevant period when compared to
the representative base period.
With respect to Section 222(a)(2)(B) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that the workers' firm did not shift
production of agricultural chemical products, or like or
directly competitive articles, to a foreign country. Rather,
production shifted to an affiliated domestic facility.
With respect to Section 222(b)(2) of the Act, the
investigation revealed that the workers' firm is not a Supplier
or act as a Downstream Producer to a firm (or subdivision,
whichever is applicable) that employed a group of workers who
received a certification of eligibility under Section 222(a) of
the Act, 19 U.S.C. § 2272(a), based on an increase in imports
from, or a shift in production to, Canada or Mexico.
ALTERNATIVE TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE
In order for the Department to issue a certification of
eligibility to apply for Alternative Trade Adjustment Assistance
(ATAA), the group of workers must be certified eligible to apply
for Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA). Because the group of
workers are denied eligibility to apply for TAA, the group of
workers cannot be certified eligible for ATAA.
Conclusion
After careful review of the facts obtained in the
investigation, I determine that all workers of Stoller USA,
Inc., including workers whose wages are reported under Stoller
Enterprises, Inc., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, are denied eligibility to
apply for adjustment assistance under Section 223 of the Trade
Act of 1974, as amended, and are also denied eligibility to
apply for alternative trade adjustment assistance under Section
246 of the Trade Act of 1974, amended.
Signed in Washington, D.C. this 11th day of March, 2022
/s/ Del-Min Amy Chen
_______________________
DEL-MIN AMY CHEN
Certifying Officer, Office of
Trade Adjustment Assistance