Capella Sales & Services Ltd. v. United StatesCapella Sales & Services Ltd. v. United States
Aimee Lee, Senior Trial Counsel, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice, of New York, NY, for the Defendant. Also on the brief were Benjamin C. Mizer, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Jeanne E. Davidson, Director, and Reginald T. Blades, Assistant Director. Of counsel were Jessica M. Link, Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement & Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, of Washington, DC, and Edward N. Mauer, Office of Assistant Chief Counsel, International Trade Litigation, U.S. Customs & Border Protection, of New York, NY.
OPINION
Pogue, Senior Judge:
In this action, Plaintiff Capella Sales & Services Ltd. (“Plaintiff” or “Capella“)1 challenges the assessment of countervailing duties (“CVD“), at the rate of 374.15
Defendant moves to dismiss this action pursuant to USCIT Rule 12(b)(1) for lack of subject matter jurisdiction or, in the alternative, pursuant to USCIT Rule 12(b)(6) for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. Def.‘s Mot. to Dismiss & Mot. for Summ. J., ECF No. 40 (“Def.‘s Br.“).3
Because Capella‘s complaint challenges Commerce‘s administration and enforcement of a CVD rate, the court has jurisdiction under
BACKGROUND
This case arises from Commerce‘s CVD investigation of aluminum extrusions from the PRC. Aluminum Extrusions from the [PRC], 75 Fed. Reg. 22,114 (Dep‘t Commerce Apr. 27, 2010) (initiation of countervailing duty investigation).4 After investigation and comment, Commerce made a final affirmative finding and calculated an all-others rate of 374.15 percent ad valorem. Final CVD Determination, 76 Fed. Reg. at 18,523.
Following the International Trade Commission‘s final affirmative finding of injury, Commerce issued a CVD order on aluminum extrusions from the PRC. Aluminum Extrusions from the [PRC], 76 Fed. Reg. 30,653 (Dep‘t Commerce May 26, 2011) (countervailing duty order) (“CVD Order“). Pursuant to this Order, Commerce instructed U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“Customs” or “CBP“) to collect cash deposits for non-individually investigated companies at the all-others rate of 374.15 percent ad valorem (the investigation rate). Id. at 30,655.
On June 23, 2011, the plaintiffs in MacLean-Fogg v. United States, Consol. Ct. No. 11-00209, challenged Commerce‘s Final CVD Determination pursuant to
While the MacLean-Fogg litigation was proceeding, Commerce, on May 1, 2012, published notice of the opportunity for interested parties to request administrative review of the CVD Order for entries made between September 7, 2010 and December 31, 2011 (the first period of review). Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Opportunity to Request Administrative Review, 77 Fed. Reg. 25,679, 25,680 (Dep‘t Commerce May 1, 2012) (“AR1 Opportunity“). Commerce indicated that, absent a timely request for review, it would instruct Customs to assess countervailing duties “on those entries [for which review was not requested] at a rate equal to the cash deposit of (or bond for) estimated [] countervailing duties required ... at the time of entry, or withdrawal from warehouse, for consumption....” Id. at 25,681. Commerce subsequently initiated the first administrative review. Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Request for Revocation in Part, 77 Fed. Reg. 40,565, 40,572 (Dep‘t Commerce July 10, 2012) (“AR1 Initiation“). Commerce then issued automatic liquidation instructions for subject entries made during the period of review but for which administrative review had not been requested. CBP Message No. 2209305 (July 27, 2012), reproduced in Compl., ECF No. 2-1 at attach. 6.
On December 14, 2012, following this Court‘s affirmance of Commerce‘s [Sec-
ond]
While the MacLean-Fogg litigation was still proceeding, on May 1, 2013, Commerce published notice of the opportunity for interested parties to request administrative review of the CVD Order for entries made between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2012 (the second period of review). Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Opportunity To Request Administrative Review, 78 Fed. Reg. 25,423, 25,424 (Dep‘t Commerce May 1, 2013) (“AR2 Opportunity“). Commerce again indicated that, absent a timely request for review, it would instruct Customs to assess countervailing duties “on those entries at a rate equal to the cash deposit of (or bond for) estimated [countervailing duties] required at the time of entry, or withdrawal from warehouse, for consumption and to continue to collect the cash deposit previously ordered.” Id. at 25,425. Commerce subsequently initiated the second administrative review. Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews and Request for Revocation in Part, 78 Fed. Reg. 38,924, 38,935 (Dep‘t Commerce June 28, 2013) (“AR2 Initiation“). Commerce then issued automatic liquidation instructions for subject entries made during the period of review for which administrative review had not been requested. CBP Message No. 3197305 (July 16, 2013), reproduced in Compl., ECF No. 2-1 at attach. 10.
Meanwhile, seemingly unaware of the various administrative proceedings and litigation surrounding aluminum extrusion from the PRC, Capella made four entries of subject merchandise—two on November 28, 2011, during the first period of review,
Capella did not participate in the investigation or the appeal of the CVD Order. Am. Compl., ECF No. 32-1, at ¶ 7 (“Capella was unaware of the CVD Order.“). Nor did Capella participate in the first administrative review of that Order. Id. at ¶ 10 (“[Capella] was not aware of,” the review and therefore “did not know to request a review“). And, despite having received, months prior to Commerce‘s notice of opportunity to request review, direct notice from Customs that its four entries were properly classified as Type 03 and subject to the CVD Order, id. at ¶ 1513; see AR2 Opportunity, 78 Fed. Reg. 25,423 (published May 1, 2013), Capella did not participate in the second administrative review of the CVD Order, Am. Compl., ECF No. 32-1, at ¶ 22. Accordingly, Capella‘s four entries, being covered by the CVD Order but not subject to any administrative review or injunction in the pending the MacLean-Fogg litigation, were subject to automatic liquidation. Id. at ¶¶ 13, 23.14
On November 18, 2014, following the CAFC‘s decision in MacLean-Fogg, 753 F.3d 1237, Capella filed a summons and complaint with this Court challenging the CVD rate assessed on its entries, Summons, ECF No. 1; Compl., ECF No. 2. Capella argues that it was “arbitrary, capricious, and [an] abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law” for Commerce to have applied the investigation‘s 374.15 percent ad valorem rate rather than “the lawful rate” subsequently determined through the MacLean-Fogg litigation. Am. Compl., ECF No. 32-1, at ¶¶ 50, 52. Specifically, Plaintiff makes two challenges. First, Capella challenges Commerce‘s December 20, 2012, cash deposit instructions, arguing that Commerce failed to “us[e] its discretion” to apply the “lawful rate” retroactively, rather than only prospectively, to its entries. Am. Compl., ECF No. 32-1, at ¶ 50. Second, Capella challenges Commerce‘s July 27, 2012 and July 16, 2013 automatic liquidation instructions, again arguing that Commerce failed to “us[e] its discretion” to apply the “lawful rate” and for not ordering liquidation of Plaintiff‘s entries at the “lawful rate.” Id. at ¶ 52.
The Defendant‘s motion to dismiss is now before the court. Def.‘s Br., ECF No. 40.
DISCUSSION
I. Defendant‘s Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to USCIT Rule 12(b)(1) For Lack of Subject Matter Jurisdiction15
Capella claims jurisdiction under
Defendant correctly notes that this Court, “like all federal courts, is a court of limited jurisdiction.” Sakar Int‘l, Inc. v. United States, 516 F.3d 1340, 1349 (Fed.Cir.2008) (citation omitted). A plaintiff “invoking that [limited] jurisdiction bears the burden of establishing it.” Norsk Hydro Canada, Inc. v. United States, 472 F.3d 1347, 1355 (Fed.Cir.2006) (citation omitted).
Moreover,
Nonetheless,
Here, Capella challenges Commerce‘s “decision in the [December 20, 2012 cash deposit instructions] to apply the lawful [cash] deposit rate” only prospectively, for entries made on or after December 10, 2012, “when there was such an extreme disparity between” the 374.15 percent investigation rate and the post-MacLean-Fogg rate. Am. Compl., ECF No. 32-1, at ¶ 50. Plaintiff similarly challenges “Commerce‘s decision in [the July 27, 2012 and July 16, 2013 automatic liquidation instructions] to order liquidation of entries [made] before December 10, 2012” at the 374.15 percent investigation rate rather than the “lawful rate,” as arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance with law. Id. at ¶ 52.21
As Plaintiff‘s action is a challenge to the “administration and enforcement” of “[CVD] duties,” see
II. Defendant‘s Motion to Dismiss Pursuant to USCIT Rule 12(b)(6) For Failure to State a Claim24
A complaint must be dismissed when it fails to present a “legally cognizable right of action,” Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544, 555, 127 S.Ct. 1955, 167 L.Ed.2d 929 (2007)25 (quotation marks and citation omitted), or does not, through factual allegations, “elevate a claim for relief to the realm of plausibility,” Laguna Hermosa Corp. v. United States, 671 F.3d 1284, 1288 (Fed.Cir.2012) (citing Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662, 129 S.Ct. 1937, 173 L.Ed.2d 868 (2009); Twombly, 550 U.S. at 565-71). In considering a 12(b)(6) motion, all the factual allegations in the complaint are taken as true. Hemi Grp., LLC v. N.Y.C., 559 U.S. 1, 5, 130 S.Ct. 983, 175 L.Ed.2d 943 (2010). If, however, Plaintiff alleges such facts as to defeat its own claim, “pleading itself out of court,” NicSand, Inc. v. 3M Co., 507 F.3d 442, 458 (6th Cir.2007), then the complaint must be dismissed.
As noted above, Plaintiff claims that it was “arbitrary, capricious, an abuse of discretion, or otherwise not in accordance
Plaintiff, however, has failed to present a “legally cognizable right of action.” See Twombly, 550 U.S. at 555. Specifically,
entries has not been suspended pursuant to MacLean-Fogg, Consol. Ct. No. 11-209.
When Commerce issues a CVD order, the statute requires “the posting of a cash deposit, bond, or other security ... for each entry of the subject merchandise in an amount based on the [applicable] estimated [rate],” here, the all-others rate, as calculated in the precipitating investigation.
sol.
“Unless [] liquidation is enjoined by the court [in a pending appeal], entries of merchandise of the character covered by [Commerce‘s appealed] determination” entered “on or before the date of publication in the Federal Register by [Commerce] of a [Timken Notice],” are “liquidated in accordance with [Commerce‘s original] determination.”
An interested party may challenge the cash deposit rate by requesting Commerce conduct an administrative review of its entries that were subject to that cash deposit rate—to calculate the actual rate.
Plaintiff, by its own admission in its complaint, did not participate in the litigation challenging the Final CVD Determination rate, MacLean-Fogg, Consol. Ct. No. 11-209; liquidation of its entries was never enjoined pursuant to that litigation. Am. Compl., ECF No. 32-1, at ¶ 7.37
“Congress has directly spoken to the precise question at issue,” Chevron, U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Res. Def. Council, Inc., 467 U.S. 837, 842, 104 S.Ct. 2778, 81 L.Ed.2d 694 (1984), and Commerce, having complied with that directive for Plaintiff‘s entries, has made a determination in accordance with law, that is neither arbitrary and capricious39 nor an abuse of discretion.40 Plaintiff has “not based its claim for relief on a plausible legal theory.” Hutchison, Appeal No. 2015-1900 at 10 n. 4, 827 F.3d at 1360 n. 4. Its complaint must be dismissed for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted. USCIT Rule 12(b)(6).
CONCLUSION
Because Plaintiff did not participate in the MacLean-Fogg litigation, and did not have liquidation of entries enjoined pursuant thereto, it cannot, claim entitlement to
Donald C. Pogue
Senior Judge
Notes
Actions brought pursuant to
According to its own complaint, Plaintiff had actual notice “on August 11, 2012,” via Notice of Action letters sent by Customs, that its entries were to be liquidated pursuant to the automatic liquidation instructions in the first administrative review at the investigation all-others rate, 374.15 percent, not the post-MacLean-Fogg rate. Am. Compl., ECF No. 32-1, at ¶ 15 (citing Notices of Action (dated Aug. 1, 2012, Oct. 3, 2012, and Oct. 16, 2012; it is unclear whether “August 11, 2012” is a clerical error) reproduced in Compl., ECF No. 2-1 at attach. 7). Plaintiff at that time reasonably should have known that its entries would not be liquidated at the “lawful rate” it now seeks. The November 18, 2014 summons and complaint challenging that liquidation were not filed within the two year period commencing August 1 or August 11, 2012. Plaintiff‘s claim against the first automatic liquidation instructions is therefore untimely and should be dismissed as such. Further, even if were timely, it would be dismissed, with the rest of Plaintiff‘s complaint, pursuant to USCIT Rule 12(b)(6). See infra.