Ericsson GE Mobile Communications Inc. v. United States

17 Ct. Int'l Trade 571, 825 F. Supp. 1085, 17 C.I.T. 571, 15 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 1736, 1993 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 106
CourtUnited States Court of International Trade
DecidedJune 15, 1993
DocketConsolidated Court No. 91-09-00703
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 17 Ct. Int'l Trade 571 (Ericsson GE Mobile Communications Inc. 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
Ericsson GE Mobile Communications Inc. v. United States, 17 Ct. Int'l Trade 571, 825 F. Supp. 1085, 17 C.I.T. 571, 15 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 1736, 1993 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 106 (cit 1993).

Opinion

Opinion

Carman, Judge:

These consolidated actions contest the August 30, 1991 Commerce Determination that eleven electronic assemblies (duplexers, voltage controlled oscillators and active filters) manufactured and distributed by Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. and Murata Eire North America Inc. are within the scope of the antidumping duty order, Antidumping Duty Order: Cellular Mobile Telephones and Subassemblies Thereof From Japan, 50 Fed. Reg. 51,724 (1985). The Court has jurisdiction in this action pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c) (1988), granting it authority over any civil action commenced under 19 U.S.C. § 1516a. The present action is commenced under 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(a)(2)(B)(vi) (1988).

Background

On November 5, 1984, Motorola, Inc. initiated an antidumping investigation of “cellular mobile telephones manufactured in Japan, plus all mobile transceivers or kits of components and subassemblies manufactured in Japan for use in final assembly of cellular mobile telephones.” Petition of Motorola, Inc. at 10 (R. Doc. 1). An affirmative preliminary determination of sales at less than fair value was issued by Commerce on June 4, 1985. Cellular Mobile Telephones and Subassemblies from Japan; Preliminary Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, 50 Fed. Reg. 24,554 (1985). Commerce issued its final less than fair value determination on October 24, 1985, finding that CMTs and subas-semblies from Japan were sold at less than fair value. Cellular Mobile Telephones and Subassemblies from Japan; Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value, 50 Fed. Reg. 45,447 (1985) (Final Determination). On December 18, 1985, Commerce issued an antidumping order. Antidumping Duty Order: Cellular Mobile Telephones and Sub-assemblies Thereof From Japan, 50 Fed. Reg. 51,724 (1985).

[573]*573The scope of Commerce’s investigation is described in the Final Determination as “cellular mobile telephones (CMTs), CMT transceivers, CMT control units, and certain subassemblies thereof, which meet the tests set forth below. ” Final Determination, 50 Fed. Reg. at 45,447. Commerce explained the coverage of “subassemblies” as follows:

Subassemblies are any completed or partially completed circuit modules, the value of which is equal to or greater than five dollars, and which are dedicated exclusively for use in CMT transceivers or control units. The term “dedicated exclusively for use” only encompasses those subassemblies that are specifically designed for use in CMTs, and could not [be] used, absent alteration, in a non-CMT device.

Id. at 45,448. The Department then provided its rationale for including subassemblies and for selecting five dollars as the cutoff amount:

The Department selected the five dollar value for defining the scope since this is a value that it had determined is equivalent to a “major” subassembly. The Department feels that a dollar cutoff point is a more workable standard than a subjective determination such as whether a circuity module is “substantially complete” * * *. The presumption is that CMT subassemblies are covered by the order unless an importer can prove otherwise * * *. The determination to include subassemblies within the scope of the investigation was based on the need to prevent circumvention of any antidumping order on CMTs through the importation of major CMT subassemblies and the Department’s broader conclusion that the investigation should include subassemblies.

Id.

Five of the Japanese respondents in the original investigation, including three of the plaintiffs in this case (Mitsubishi, Matsushita and OKI), appealed the CMT Order to the U.S. Court of International Trade. The parties sought to have the CMT Order overturned because they believed it was too broad in its coverage of CMT subassemblies. The five cases were consolidated under Mitsubishi Elec. Corp. v. United States, 12 CIT 1025, 700 F. Supp. 538 (1988), aff’d, 8 Fed. Cir. (T) 45, 898 F.2d 1577 (1990) (Mitsubishi I). This Court held in Mitsubishi I that the “scope of the investigation was not overreaching or broad, but was reasonably designed to effectuate the administration of the antidumping law.” Id. at 1049-50, 700 F. Supp. at 558.

The plaintiffs appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit arguing “that the Administration acted improperly in making the antidumping order applicable to subassemblies, the value of which is equal to or greater than five dollars.” Mitsubishi Elec. Corp. v. United States, 8 Fed. Cir. (T) 45, 49, 898 F.2d 1577, 1581 (1990). The Federal Circuit affirmed this Court’s decision stating, “we cannot say that the Administration abused its discretion or acted contrary to the record in concluding that the antidumping order should cover all subas-semblies valued at five dollars or more.” Id. at 51, 898 F.2d at 1583. In [574]*574response to plaintiffs’ challenge of the Administration’s determination that subassemblies are the same class or kind of merchandise as CMTs the Federal Circuit concluded “that the Administration justifiably concluded, upon an adequate basis in the record, that subassemblies valued at five dollars or more and ‘dedicated exclusively for use’ in CMTs, are the same ‘class or kind’ of merchandise as the CMTs in which they ultimately are incorporated.” Id. at 52, 898 F.2d at 1583-84.

On January 13, 1986, Murata requested a scope determination on several of the products it imports into the United States (voltage controlled oscillators (VCOs), duplexers, active filters and single filters). The products at issue perform diverse functions:

A voltage control oscillator (“VCO”) produces a signal at various frequencies depending upon the voltage introduced. VCOs are used to generate a frequency that is mixed with an incoming or outgoing signal to produce a signal that can pass through a radio’s circuitry, a function common to all transmitting and receiving radio devices. A VCO includes an oscillator, associated control circuitry and a buffer amplifier, all of which are self-contained within a small metal or plastic housing. (Jan. 30, 1991 Mitsubishi Letter to Commerce R. Doc. 17 at 5 (PI. App. 28); Jan. 30, 1991 Matsushita Letter to Commerce R. Doc. 14 attached affidavit of independent electrical engineering expert at 2 (PI. App. 25)).

Joint Summary of Record Evidence Pertaining to Actual and Potential Use of the Subject Merchandise in Electronic Devices Other Than CMTs (“Joint Summary”) at 1.

A duplexer is a two-way receiving and transmitting microwave filter. Essentially, a duplexer allows an antenna both to transmit and to receive signals. When receiving, an antenna indiscriminately picks up the radio waves of many frequencies. When these waves pass through the receiving section of the duplexer, the duplexer filters out unwanted frequencies and allows only a selected frequency range to pass through, thereby minimizing background noise and static. When transmitting, another section of the duplexer works exactly in the reverse. (Jan. 13, 1986 Murata Scope Request, R. Doc. 4 at 3-5 (PI. App.

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Related

Murata Manufacturing Co. v. United States
19 Ct. Int'l Trade 1375 (Court of International Trade, 1995)
Ericsson GE Mobile Communications Inc. v. United States
850 F. Supp. 34 (Court of International Trade, 1994)

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17 Ct. Int'l Trade 571, 825 F. Supp. 1085, 17 C.I.T. 571, 15 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 1736, 1993 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 106, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/ericsson-ge-mobile-communications-inc-v-united-states-cit-1993.