Responding to the court’s opinion in
Decca Hospitality Furnishings, LLC v. United States,
29 CIT-,
A.
Under the antidumping statute (“the Statute”), 19 U.S.C. §§ 1673a (2000)
et seq.,
Commerce is charged with investigating allegations of dumping by foreign producers or importers, and, if dumping is found, to counter the effects of such dumping by ordering a duty on dumped imports, i.e., an antidumping duty.
1
In the course of an investigation, Commerce may, at different times, estimate the rate of anti-dumping duty that will ultimately be assessed. The initial estimate follows an affirmative preliminary determination that dumping has occurred. 19 U.S.C. § 1673b(d). Pursuant to this initial estimate, Commerce instructs the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection (“Customs”) to collect estimated duties, sometimes referred to as “cash deposits,” on entries of the merchandise that is subject to investigation. 19 U.S.C. § 1673b(d)(l)(B).
See also
19 C.F.R. § 351.205;
Torrington Co. v. United States,
As mentioned, the cash deposit rate is merely an estimate of the evеntual liability importers subject to an antidumping duty order will bear. Because the rate established by the final determination is based on past conduct, i.e., conduct occurring before the final determination, interested parties to an antidumping duty proceeding may ask Commerce to annually review the antidumping duty order in light of an importer’s current practices.
See
19 U.S.C. § 1675;
Asociacion Colombiana de Exportadores de Flores v. United States,
If no review is requested, the rate found in the final determination is the rate at which liability is assessed.
See Consol. Bearings Co. v. United States,
If the administrative review finds that the final determination understated the level of dumping, the importer must pay, in addition to the cash deposits already collected, the difference between the results of the administrative review and the results of the final determination, plus interest. 19 U.S.C. §§ 1673f(b)(l), 1677g;
see also Torrington Co.,
Once the actual rate of dumping for particular goods is established through an administrative review, Commerce instructs Customs to collect the required duties, or refund any monies owed, for the goods imported during that period. “Liquidation,” which is the final assessment and collection of duties,
4
see Olympia Indus., Inc. v. United States,
30 CIT --■, - Slip. Op. 06-04, 6 n. 1 (Jan. 6, 2006) (citing C.F.R. § 159.1 (2000);
Ammex, Inc. v. United States,
Because liquidation may not, in most cases, be subsequently undone, it is “suspended” until such time as a party may request an administrative review, and during the pendency of any such review.
See
19 U.S.C. § 1673b(d)(2); 19 C.F.R. § 351.211(b)(3).
See also Micron Tech. Inc. v. United States,
B.
On December 17, 2003, Commerce initiated an investigation of wooden bedroom furniture exporters/producers from the
As permitted under the Statute, 19 U.S.C. § 1516a, in this court, Decca sought review of Commerce’s
Final Determination,
asserting that Commerce had failed to notify Decca (a) that it had requested information from Decca and (b) of the deadline by which Decca was required to respond to the information request.
See Decca I,
29 CIT at-,
During the remand proceedings, Decca requested that Commerce amend its in
In Decca’s comments on Commerce’s remand determination, submitted pursuant to this court’s opinion and order in
Decca I,
29 CIT at-,
After the court’s action, on January 10, 2006, Commerce published a Federal Register Notice announcing that the court had entered judgment in Decca’s favor. Notice of Court Decision, 71 Fed.Reg. at 1,511.
Although Commerce declined to appeal this court’s decision, the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“Federal Circuit”), on February 23, 2006, docketed an appeal filed by Defendant-Intervenor. Accordingly, pursuant its notice in the Federal Register, Commerce will not amend Decca’s cash deposit rate, if at all, until the Federal Circuit issues a final and conclusive decision.
Additionally, on January 3, 2006, Commerce published a notice providing interested parties to the investigation an opportunity to request an administrative review.
Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation,
71 Fed.Reg. 89 (Jan. 3, 2006) (notice of opportunity to request administrative review of antidumping or countervailing duty order, finding, or suspended investigation). “[W]ell over 100 companies,” including Decca and Defendant-Intervenor, have submitted requests for an administrative
No party disputes that if Decca does establish its entitlement to a separate rate, Decca will receive a refund, plus interest, of any cash deposit tendered on goods imported during the period of review that exceeds the separate rate as determined by the administrative review. This refund would include all duties that Decca will pay until a final and conclusive court decision has issued. 10
■ Decca has maintained to the court that it has attempted to secure credit with which to post a cash deposit, but has been unable to do so because of the extraordinary level of the cash deposit rate Customs currently requires. See Def.’s Report Re. Availability of a Bond. Decca claims that because of its current cash deposit rate of 198.08%, and its inability to obtain credit to cover the cash deposit rate, it cannot import goods that are subject to the antidumping duty order into the United States. Therefore, Deccа contends, its subject merchandise is effectively excluded from the U.S. market until Commerce amends Decca’s cash deposit rate to reflect the court’s judgment. Consequently, unless the court directs Commerce to amend Decca’s cash deposit rate, according to Decca, Decca is blocked from the U.S. market until a final and conclusive court decision issues.
DISCUSSION
Under the Statute, Commerce’s authority and obligation to issue instructions to Customs is a purely ministerial act, to which Decca may be entitled by virtue of Commerce’s remand determination.
See
19 U.S.C. § 1673e(a)(l). After all, this court has determined that application of the 198.08% rate is unlawful. Moreover, Decca claims, there is no rate that can be lawfully applied other than the 6.65% rate.
11
Nonetheless, because Decca’s prayer for relief requires the court to take the specific stеp of ordering Commerce to instruct Customs to lower Decca’s cash deposit rate to 6.65%, the court will construe Decca’s request as requesting mandamus or injunctive relief in addition to enforcing the court’s judgment. Accordingly, it is Decca’s request for an order granting this additional relief from Com
The common-law writ of mandamus, as codified in 28 U.S.C. §§ 1361, 1651(a),
12
is a “drastic [remedy], to be invoked only in extraordinary situations.”
Allied Chem. Corp. v. Daiflon, Inc.,
In order for a writ of mandamus to issue, а complaining party must demonstrate that he or she does not have adequate alternative means to obtain relief. Defendants claim that Decca does have an alternative means to obtain relief. 15 Specifically, Defendants argue that, at the time of liquidation, Decca will receive a refund for an overpayment of cash deposits it makes. Therefore, so the argument goes, liquidation provides an adequate alternative remedy. Under the circumstances of this case, the court disagrees.
Normally, an aggrieved party may obtain effective relief from an erroneous cash deposit rate at the time of liquidation. As noted above, the Statute provides for the payment of interest upon liquidation if the cash deposit rate is different than the actual dumping margin determined either by a final and conclusive court decisiоn or an administrative review. See 19 U.S.C. §§ 1673f(b), 1677g. As a result, under this regime, theoretically, an importer should be no more disinclined to import goods into the United States under the threat that an appeal (or administrative review) will reinstate a prior cash deposit rate than it would if it were required to pay the original, albeit erroneous, cash deposit. As such, in many cases, at least theoretically, there may be no reason to grant parties relief from a cash 'deposit rate determined to be erroneous by the court’s review of Commerce’s final determination because liquidation, with interest, after a final and conclusive court decision, will provide relief.
Nevertheless, theory and reality are not always the same. Significantly, given the complexity of U.S. trade laws, an importer’s creditors may not understand the risks involved in providing credit and, consequently, may decline to prоvide credit where it is otherwise efficient to so provide. Alternatively, creditors may demand a high rate of interest to cover what they perceive as a high risk investment. This may have a chilling effect on importers as they may be unable to secure the neces
Decca clearly falls in the latter camp. Currently, Commerce requires Decca to post a 198.08% cash deposit — a rate almost thirty times that found lawful by the court (and now Commerce). Faced with suсh a rate, Decca has further maintained that its current cash deposit rate excludes it from the U.S. market. No party has offered any evidence to contest this assertion (evidence of which would be readily obtainable from Customs). Cf. USCIT R. 11 (denials of factual allegations must have reasonable support). Therefore, given that Decca is excluded from the market because of the application of the PRC-wide cash deposit rate, offering Decca a refund of cash deposits that it would have to pay on goods it cannot bring into the country is hardly a remedy at all.
(B) Commerce’s Duty
Under the second requirement of mandamus, Decca must demonstrate that Commerce has a clear, rather than discretionary, duty. The question of whether Decca has asserted a clear duty on the part of the defendant turns, at least in part, on the proper construction of 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(c)(l) 17 (“Sеction 1516a(c)(l)”); therefore, the court must begin by reviewing existing authority on the interpretation of that provision.
In
NTN Bearing Corp. of Am. v. United States,
In explaining its decision in NTN Bearing, the Federal Circuit opined:
As was said in Melamine Chemicals, Inc. v. United States,732 F.2d 924 , 934 (Fed.Cir.1984) (emphasis in original) “The administrative handling of the involved entries of [merchandise] can be [a]ffected only by (1) a preliminary injunction pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(c)(2) or (2) a final court decision adjudicating the legality, vel non, of the challenged determination. 19 U.S.C. 1516[a](e).” Before a final court decision, therefore, the agency determination governs entry of merchandise. 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(c)(l)(1988).
A partial summary judgment is not a final decision. Hence the trial court’s instructions respecting duties constituted an improper attempt to affect the administrating handling of entries prior to any final court decision. Following an affirmative agency finding of dumping, estimated duties are to be collected pending liquidation. 19 U.S.C. § 1516(b),® (1988); 19 C.F.R. § 353.39(e), .48(c)(1989). Because the agency detеrmination requiring deposit of estimated antidumping duties operates until a final court decision adverse to that of the agency, estimated duties are properly collectable from NTN.
Id. (footnotes omitted) (emphasis in original).
Thus, under the Federal Circuit’s reasoning in NTN Bearing, this court can order no adjustment to a cash deposit rate prior to a “final court decision.” Id. In the case at issue here, all parties (more or less) acknowledge that this language from NTN Bearing is determinative; nonetheless, the parties disagree as to what this language means.
The disagreement stems from the fact that the phrase “final court decision” has multiple meanings. Commerce avers that “final court decision,” as used in
NTN Bearing,
refers to a “conclusive court decision.” For this proposition, Commerce cites various decisions interpreting Congress’ use of the phrase “final court decision” in Section 1516a(e).
See, e.g., Yancheng Baolong Biochemical Prods. Co.,
In opposition, Decca asserts that the рhrase “final court decision” as used in
NTN Bearing,
means a final court decision of the Court of International Trade, i.e., a decision for which judgment has issued. Decca makes this claim by relying on decisions interpreting Congress’ use of the phrase “court decision” in Sections 1516a(c)(l) and (e).
See, e.g., Smith Corona Corp.,
The question is: To which definition was the
NTN Bearing
court referring?
18
As noted above, the
NTN Bearing
court held that “[bjefore a final court decision, therefore, the agency determination governs entry of merchandise.”
NTN Bearing,
This analysis, by itself, merely means that
NTN Bearing
does not foreclose relief; it does not necessarily mean that Decca is entitled to relief. It does mean, however, that the law does not limit Commerce’s clear duty to comply with a judgment of the Court of International Trade.
See Porto Rico v. Rosaly,
Under Section 1516a(e)(l), Commerce is required to publish in the Federal Register a “notice of a decision of the United States Court of International Trade, or of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, not in harmony with [the agency’s appealed] dеtermination ... within ten days from the date of the issuance of the court decision.”
20
The court notes in particular that the Federal Circuit has
Commerce appears to reject this analysis claiming that
liquidation
is not effected until a “final court decision,” i.e., one for which appeals have lapsed.
See
19 U.S.C. § 1516a(e). While the truth of this proposition is undeniable, its significance in the case at bar is wanting.
21
Liquidation is not the same thing as the collection of cash deposits.
See, e.g., Torrington Co.,
In a larger sense, there is good reason why the Statute differentiates between liquidation and the collection of cash deposits. As recounted above, this court usually suspends liquidation pending court proceedings either by virtue of a preliminary in
In contrast, the collection of cash deposits is ongoing. As a result, revised Customs’ instructions with regard to cash deposits will have immediate and ongoing consequences. In addition, because cash deposits are estimates of the eventual liability an importer will bear, the remand determination reflects the best estimate of what that liability will be.
Cf. Timken,
The issue has been decided. As established by Timken, Commerce has a clear duty to implement the cash deposit rate required by the court’s grant of judgment affirming Commerce’s remand determination, and Decca has a clear right to the requested writ.
(C) Appropriate under the Circumstances
Last, the court must consider whether relief is appropriate under the circumstances present here. Commerce asserts that this court’s equitable powers are limited by 19 U.S.C. §§ 1516а(c)(2)
&
(e) in the case at bar, so as to foreclose relief to Decca here. Sections 1516a(c)
&
(e), however, define the court’s authority as to the
liquidation
of entries. Specifically, as noted above, Section 1516a(c)(2)
23
permits the court to preliminarily enjoin the liquidation of entries pending judicial review. This authority is consistent with the recognition that liquidation is final and
Moreover, when the Court of International Trade properly asserts jurisdiction over a claim, the Court’s equitable powers may be exercised unless precluded by statute.
See, e.g., Borlem S.A-Empreedimentos Industriais,
Finally, and importantly, given the low probability that Decca’s goods will be liquidated at the extraordinary 198.08% rate, and Commerce’s decision not to appeal this court’s decision,
cf. Dows v. City of Chi,
CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, Decca’s motion for mandamus is granted.
Notes
. For a more thorough discussion of the administrativе process see
Tex. Crushed Stone Co. v. United States,
. Commerce also requires that "liquidation” be suspended. See infra at p. 1252.
. "In an administrative review, Commerce recalculates the relevant variables to determine whether a foreign company is continuing the practice of dumping, i.e., selling its merchandise in the United States for less than a foreign like product in its home market.”
NTN Bearing Corp. v. United States,
. As noted, while it is Customs that collects duties at liquidation, it is Commerce that instructs Customs as to the proper rate of duty whether the rate of duty is a rate to be used for cash deposits or a rate to be used for liquidation.
. For example, a cash deposit rate is an interim or provisional rate, but a liquidation rate has no effect until it is finally assessed, and a cash deposit rate may be modified during the period while liquidation is suspended, whereas a liquidation rate cannot normally be changed because liquidation occurs only once for each entry.
. Because the PRC is a non-market economy ("NME”), in investigations of PRC exporters/producers, Commerce presumes that all companies operating in the PRC are state-controlled until those companies demonstrate independence from government control.
. 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(e) speaks to liquidation. See infra at pp. 1262 - 1264.
. Commerce cites
Timken
.Rule 62 provides, in relevant part, "[ejxcept as stated herein or as otherwise ordered by the court, no execution shall issue upon a judgment nor shall proceedings be taken for its enforcement until the expiration of 30 days after its entry.”
. Indeed, it appears that the only chance Decca would not receive a separate rate is if Decca misses the filing deadline. The bigger uncertainty is what the separate rate will be. At this point of time, based on Commerce’s Final Determination, the best estimate is that that rate will be around 6.65%.
. As noted above, despite its remand determination that Decca was entitled to the separate 6.65% rate, Commerce, relying on 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(e), concluded that it was without authority to instruct Customs to apply the 6.65% rate as Decca’s cash deposit rate until a final and conclusive court decision is issued addressing Defendant-Intervenor’s appeal. While the court need not decide this issue because the court's issuance of judgment establishes Commerce's duty, the court notes that Commerce’s own remand determination, as a matter of law, replaces Commerce's original, final determination; the statute governing antidumping duty orders that are required to follow from such determinations, 19 U.S.C. § 1673e(a)(l), specifically provides that Commerce shall publish an order which "directs customs to assess an antidumping duty” in the amount calculated and "requires the deposit of estimated antidumping duties....” Commerce fails to offer any good reason why 19 U.S.C. § 1673e(a)(l) does not apply to Commerce’s remand determination.
. Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1585, "[t]he Court of International Trade, shall possess all the powers in law and equity of, or as conferred by statute upon, a district court of the United States.” See also 28 U.S.C. § 2643(c)(1), As is relevant here, the district courts have authority to grant writs of mandamus (perhaps more appropriately termed mandamus-like relief in accordance with Fed. R. Civ. Pro. 81(b)) under 28 U.S.C. §§ 1361 & 1651(a). See 28 U.S.C. § 1361 ("The district courts shall have original jurisdiction of any action in the nature of mandamus to compel an officer or employee of the United States or any agency thereof to perform a duty owed to the plaintiff.”); 28 U.S.C. § 1651(a) ("The Supreme Court and all courts established by Act of Congress may issue all writs necessary or appropriate in aid of their respective jurisdictions and agreeable to the usages and principles of law.”).
This court’s jurisdiction over Plaintiff's request for mandamus is not dispossessed by Defendant-Intervenor’s notice of appeal. On the contrary, Fed. R.App. P.8(a)(1) provides for the submission of requests for such injunc-tive relief, which includes mandamus, in the first instance, to be made to the district court.
. In
Cheney,
the Supreme Court noted that a "District Court's analysis of whether manda
. Defendant-Intervenor argues: “Decca seeks to circumvent the requirement that it demonstrate that it is irreparably harmed by the application of the cash deposit rate determined in the investigation until a final and conclusive decision in this appeal.”
Def-iní. 's Resp. PI. 's Application Writ of Mandamus
at 7. This argument has already been
squarely
rejected by the Federal Circuit. As the court held in
Timken,
As a final matter, the third element of a mandamus action, the lack of an adequate alternative remedy, wаs met in this case. Commerce suggests that as an alternative remedy, Timken could have sought an injunction pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(c)(2). We do not, however, consider such an alternative remedy to be adequate, since Timken would be required to prove that an injunction was appropriate under the circumstances. Zenith Radio Corp. v. United States,710 F.2d 806 (Fed. Cir.1983). Timken should not be required to present such proof, since it already has a clear statutory right to the claimed relief.
Nor, as the court held in Timken, is Decca required to demonstrate irreparable harm as Defendant-Intervenor argues. Id. at 339.
. As noted above, enforcement of the court’s judgment cannot provide an adequate alternative remedy because it does not result in an order requiring Commerce to correct its instructions to Customs.
. Defendant-Intervenor cites
NSK Ltd. v. United States,
. Title 19 Section 1516a(c)(l) provides:
Unless such liquidation is enjoined by the court under paragraph (2) of this subsection, entries of merchandise of the character covered by a determination of the Secretary, the administering authority, or the Commission contested under subsection (a) of this section shall be liquidated in accordance with the determination of the Secretary, the administering authority, or the Commission, if they are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption on or before the date of publication in the Federal Register by the Secretary or the administering authority of a notice of a decision of the United States Court of International Trade, or of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, not in harmony with that determination. Such notice of a decision shall be published within ten days from the date of the issuance of the court decision.
. It appears that this court has not provided an entirely consistent explanation оf this statutory language, perhaps awaiting further appellate guidance.
Compare Olympia Indus.,
30 CIT-, Slip. Op. 06-4 (Eaton, J.) (denying motion to enjoin cash deposit because plaintiff failed to establish irreparable harm);
Shandong Huarong Gen. Group Corp. v. United States,
. One may wonder why the
NTN Bearing
court used the phrase "final court decision” whеn it drew support from Section 1516a(c)(l) for its analysis. First, the distinction between a "court decision” and a "final court decision” had not yet been drawn — nor had either term been defined when
NTN Bearing
was decided. Second, in
NTN Bearing,
the Court of International Trade never entered final judgment.
NTN Bearing
relied heavily on
Melamine Chems., Inc. v. United States,
. As noted abоve, Commerce has published such a notice of the court's judgment at issue here, in its Notice of Court Decision, 71 Fed. Reg. 1,511.
. Commerce is correct insofar as Customs is not required to return
previously paid
cash deposits until liquidation. Liquidation is the only procedure to refund any overpayments.
NTN Bearing,
. As noted above, because it is not impossible that this court’s first decision may be overturned, an importer still faces some risk that the original cash deposit rate will be reinstated. Therefore, an importer’s risk calculus is the same regardless of the cash deposit rate assigned. However, as discussed above, an importer may encounter significant transaction costs depending on the cash deposit rate. As the prevailing party before this court, there is no reason why an importer should continue to shoulder these transaction costs after this court has entered judgment in favor of the importer.
Cf. Am. Hosp. Supply Corp. v. Hosp. Prods., Ltd..,
. Title 19 Sections 1516a(c)(2)-(3) provide:
Injunctive relief. In the case of a determination described in paragraph (2) of subsection (a) by the Secretary, the administering authority, or the Commission, the United States Court of InternationalTrade may enjoin the liquidation of some or all entries of merchandise covered by a determination of the Secretary, the administering authority, or the Commission, upon a request by an interested party for such relief and a proper showing that the requested relief should be granted under the circumstances. (3) Remand for final disposition. If the final disposition of an action brought under this section is not in harmony with the published determination of the Secretary, the administering authority, or the Commission, the matter shall be remanded to the Secretary, the administering authority, or the Commission, as appropriate, for disposition consistent with the final disposition of the court.
. Title 19 Section 1516a(e) provides:
Liquidation in accordance with final decision If the cause of action is sustained in whole or in part by a decision of the United States Court of International Trade or of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
(1) entries of merchandise of the character covered by the published determination of the Secretary, the administering authority, or the Commission, which is entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption after the date of publication in the Federal Register by the Secretary or the administering authority of a notice of the court decision, and
(2) entries, the liquidation of which was enjoined under subsection (c)(2) of this section, shall be liquidated in accordance with the final court decision in the action. Such notice of the court decision shall be published within ten days from the date of the issuance of the court decision.
