Castelazo & Associates v. United States

19 Ct. Int'l Trade 1007, 896 F. Supp. 1258, 19 C.I.T. 1007, 17 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 2136, 1995 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 184
CourtUnited States Court of International Trade
DecidedJuly 31, 1995
DocketCourt No. 90-09-00450
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 19 Ct. Int'l Trade 1007 (Castelazo & Associates v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of International Trade primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Castelazo & Associates v. United States, 19 Ct. Int'l Trade 1007, 896 F. Supp. 1258, 19 C.I.T. 1007, 17 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 2136, 1995 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 184 (cit 1995).

Opinion

Opinion

Tsoucalas, Judge:

Plaintiff, Castelazo & Associates, a/c Galaxy Tapes (“Castelazo”), moves pursuant to Rule 56 of the Rules of this Court for summary judgment on the grounds that all facts that may be material to the dispositive issues raised in this action are answered in the record and the papers submitted and that Castelazo is entitled to judgment in its favor on those facts and the applicable law.1 Defendant cross-moves [1008]*1008for partial summary judgment pursuant to Rule 56, seeking an order dismissing this case on grounds that this Court lacks jurisdiction.

Castelazo brought this action to recover interest assessed on anti-dumping duties by the United States Customs Service (“Customs”) on entries dating from April 23,1981 to September 10,1983. Pressure Sensitive Plastic Tape From Italy; Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 51 Fed. Reg. 43,955 (Dec. 5,1986). The matter is presently before the Court to determine whether plaintiff may collect incorrectly assessed interest with interest, given that plaintiff did not specifically protest interest in its initial protest which contested the assessment of incorrect antidumping duties in the liquidations of March 4, 1988.

Background

Plaintiff imported pressure-sensitive plastic tape from Italy between April 23, 1981, and September 10, 1983. No estimated antidumping duty deposits were required or assessed at the time these entries were filed. A preliminary determination of estimated dumping duty rates was published on August 5, 1983. Pressure Sensitive Plastic Tape From Italy; Final Results of Administrative Review of Antidumping Finding, 48 Fed. Reg. 35,686 (Aug. 5,1983). A final determination was published on December 5,1986. Pressure Sensitive Plastic Tape From Italy; Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 51 Fed. Reg. 43,955 (Dec. 5, 1986).

On March 4, 1988, the merchandise at issue, which was entered between April 23, 1981, and September 10, 1983, was liquidated and antidumping duties were assessed.

On April 8, 1988, bills were issued by defendant for interest on the antidumping duty assessments, computed back to the dates of entry (between April 23,1981, and September 10,1983). The defendant concedes that interest assessments for periods prior to the preliminary antidumping duty determination on August 5,1983 were improper, but contests their reimbursement to plaintiff on grounds that plaintiff did not properly protest their assessment. Defendant’s Brief in Support of its Cross-Motion for Partial Summary Judgment, and in Opposition to Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment (‘Defendant’s Brief”) at 1.

On June 23, 1988, plaintiff filed protest No. 2704-8-002574, which contested the total assessment of antidumping duties in the liquidations of March 4, 1988.

On March 1, 1990, the protest was partially approved and partially denied and the entries were reliquidated on March 16,1990, recomputing antidumping duties and interest assessments.2

On June 14,1990, plaintiff filed protest No. 2704-0-002596, contesting the assessment of interest in the liquidations of March 16, 1990. Defendant denied this protest on August 17,1990on grounds that it was [1009]*1009untimely filed. Plaintiff’s Motion for Summary Judgment (“Castelazo’s Brief”) at 2.

Discussion

On a motion for summary judgment, it is the function of the court to determine whether there remain any genuine issues of fact. Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242 (1986). Once the court determines that no genuine issue of material fact exists, summary judgment is properly granted when the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See Mingus Constructors, Inc. v. United States, 812 F.2d 1387 (Fed. Cir. 1987). In the case at bar, the Court finds that there are no genuine issues of material fact, the dispositive issues to be resolved are legal in nature and, therefore, summary judgment is proper.

1. Jurisdiction:

Defendant challenges this Court’s jurisdiction on the grounds that, because the plaintiff failed to protest interest in its protest No. 2704-8-002574 (filed on June 23, 1988), pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1514(d),3 plaintiff was precluded from protesting interest in its protest No. 2704-0-002596 (filed on June 14, 1990). Defendant’s Briefed. 2-3. Defendant states that pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1514(c)(3),4 Caste-lazo should have protested the assessment of interest within 90 days of Customs’ issuance of bills for interest. Defendant’s Reply Brief in Support of its Cross-Motion for Partial Summary Judgment (“Defendant’s Reply Brief”) at 1-2. As plaintiff did not specifically protest interest within 90 days of the issuing of the bills, defendant argues that plaintiff was barred from protesting interest on reliquidation and this Court lacks jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(a).5 Defendant’s Brief ad 3-4.

The defendant does not, however, dispute the validity of that part of the protest of reliquidation which was directed to the assessment of interest for the period between liquidation and reliquidation, i.e., March 4,1988 to March 16, 1990. Defendant agrees with plaintiff that plaintiff is entitled to a refund of the interest paid for that period and to interest on the refund from the filing date of the summons. Defendant’s Brief at 4.

As to the assessment of interest for the period between entry of the subject merchandise and March 4,1988, this Court finds that plaintiff is entitled to a refund for interest on this period as well. Defendant fails to recognize that in protest No. 2704-8-002574 in 1988, plaintiff protested all of the antidumping duties assessed. Plaintiff stated: “The liquida[1010]*1010tions of March 4, 1988 are illegal, null and void, and without force or effect.” Defendant’s Exhibit C, Protest No. 2704-8-002574. The interest that is in dispute — namely, interest accrued from the dates of entry of the merchandise (between April 23, 1981, and September 10, 1983) and the liquidations of March 4,1988 — was later charged on the duties calculated on March 4, 1988. Since the liquidations of March 4, 1988 addressed only antidumping duties and no interest had to be paid, Cas-telazo did not have to file a protest as to interest.

When Customs granted part of the protest and reliquidated the subject merchandise on March 16,1990, more than two years after the initial protest, it recalculated the interest assessments. Since interest was included in that reliquidation, plaintiff properly protested the reliquidation. See 19 U.S.C. §§ 1514(d), (c)(3); Dornier Medical Sys., Inc. v. United States, 14 CIT 686, 747 F. Supp. 753 (1990).

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19 Ct. Int'l Trade 1007, 896 F. Supp. 1258, 19 C.I.T. 1007, 17 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 2136, 1995 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 184, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/castelazo-associates-v-united-states-cit-1995.