[Code of Federal Regulations] [Title 13, Volume 1] [Revised as of January 1, 2007] From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access [CITE: 13CFR315.2] [Page 642-644] TITLE 13--BUSINESS CREDIT AND ASSISTANCE CHAPTER III--ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE PART 315_TRADE ADJUSTMENT ASSISTANCE FOR FIRMS--Table of Contents Subpart A_General Provisions Sec. 315.2 Definitions. In addition to the defined terms set forth in Sec. 300.3 of this chapter, the following terms used in this part shall have the following meanings: Adjustment Assistance means technical assistance provided to Firms or industries under chapter 3 of title II of the Trade Act. Adjustment Proposal means a Certified Firm's plan for improving its economic situation. Certified Firm means a Firm which has been determined by EDA to be eligible to apply for Adjustment Assistance. Confidential Business Information means any information submitted to EDA or a TAAC by a Firm that concerns or relates to trade secrets for commercial or financial purposes, which is exempt from public disclosure under 5 U.S.C. 552(b)(4), 5 U.S.C. 552b(c)(4) and 15 CFR part 4. Contributed Importantly, with respect to an Increase in Imports, refers to a cause which is important but not necessarily more important than any other cause. Imports will not be considered to have Contributed Importantly if other factors were so dominant, acting singly or in combination, that the worker separation or threat thereof or decline in sales or production would have been essentially the same, irrespective of the influence of imports. Decreased Absolutely means a Firm's sales or production has declined by a minimum of five (5) percent relative to [[Page 643]] its sales or production during the applicable prior time period, and: (1) Irrespective of industry or market fluctuations; and (2) Relative only to the previous performance of the Firm. Directly Competitive means: (1) Articles which are substantially equivalent for commercial purposes (i.e., are adapted to the same function or use and are essentially interchangeable); and (2) Oil or natural gas (exploration, drilling or otherwise produced). Firm means an individual proprietorship, partnership, joint venture, association, corporation (including a development corporation), business trust, cooperative, trustee in bankruptcy or receiver under court decree and including fishing, agricultural entities and those which explore, drill or otherwise produce oil or natural gas. For purposes of receiving benefits under this part, when a Firm owns or controls other Firms, the Firm and such other Firms, may be considered a single Firm when they produce like or Directly Competitive articles or are exerting essential economic control over one or more production facilities. Such other Firms include: (1) Predecessor--see the following definition for Successor; (2) Successor--a newly established Firm (that has been in business less than two years) which has purchased substantially all of the assets of a previously operating company (or in some cases a whole distinct division) (such prior company, unit or division, a ``Predecessor'') and is able to demonstrate that it continued the operations of the Predecessor which has operated as an autonomous unit, provided that there were no significant transactions between the Predecessor unit and any related parent, subsidiary, or affiliate that would have affected its past performance, and that separate records are available for the Predecessor's operations for at least two years before the petition is submitted. The Successor Firm must have continued virtually all of the Predecessor Firm's operations by producing the same type of products, in the same plant, utilizing most of the same machinery and equipment and most of its former workers, and the Predecessor Firm must no longer be in existence; (3) Affiliate--a company (either foreign or domestic) controlled or substantially beneficially owned by substantially the same person or persons that own or control the Firm filing the petition; or (4) Subsidiary--a company (either foreign or domestic) that is wholly owned or effectively controlled by another company. Increase in Imports means an increase of imports of Directly Competitive or Like Articles with articles produced by such Firm that Contributed Importantly to the applicable Total or Partial Separation or threat thereof, and to the applicable decline in sales or production. Like Articles means any articles which are substantially identical in their intrinsic characteristics. Partial Separation means, with respect to any employment in a Firm, either: (1) A reduction in an employee's work hours to eighty (80) percent or less of the employee's average weekly hours during the year of such reductions as compared to the preceding year; or (2) A reduction in the employee's weekly wage to eighty (80) percent or less of his/her average weekly wage during the year of such reduction as compared to the preceding year. Person means an individual, organization or group. Record means any of the following: (1) A petition for certification of eligibility to qualify for Adjustment Assistance; (2) Any supporting information submitted by a petitioner; (3) The report of an EDA investigation with respect to petition; and (4) Any information developed during an investigation or in connection with any public hearing held on a petition. Significant Number or Proportion of Workers means five (5) percent of a Firm's work force or fifty (50) workers, whichever is less. An individual farmer or fisherman is considered a Significant Number or Proportion of Workers. [[Page 644]] Substantial Interest means a direct material economic interest in the certification or non-certification of the petitioner. TAAC means a Trade Adjustment Assistance Center, as more fully described in Sec. 315.5. Threat of Total or Partial Separation means, with respect to any group of workers, one or more events or circumstances clearly demonstrating that a Total or Partial Separation is imminent. Total Separation means, with respect to any employment in a Firm, the laying off or termination of employment of an employee for lack of work.