Koenig & Bauer-Albert AG v. United States

259 F.3d 1341, 2001 WL 893900
CourtCourt of Appeals for the Federal Circuit
DecidedAugust 9, 2001
DocketNo. 00-1387
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 259 F.3d 1341 (Koenig & Bauer-Albert AG v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Koenig & Bauer-Albert AG v. United States, 259 F.3d 1341, 2001 WL 893900 (Fed. Cir. 2001).

Opinion

RADER, Circuit Judge.

The United States Court of International Trade sustained the United States Department of Commerce’s results of an anti-dumping duty investigation on all but one issue, which is not on appeal here, and remanded for further determination. Koenig & Bauer-Albert AG v. United States, 15 F.Supp.2d 834 (CIT 1998) (Koenig I). The Court of International Trade later sustained Commerce’s remand results. Koenig & Bauer-Albert AG v. United States, 90 F.Supp.2d 1284 (CIT 2000) (Koenig II). Because the Court of International Trade used a test that has since been held invalid by this court in determining [1343]*1343that the subject sales were Constructed Export Price (CEP) sales, this court vacates the Court of International Trade’s determination on that issue and remands. This court affirms the Court of International Trade’s decision to sustain Commerce’s Constructed Value (CV) profit calculation.

I.

MAN Roland Druckmaschinen AG (MRD) and MAN Roland Inc. (collectively MAN Roland) manufacture and sell large newspaper printing presses (LNPPs). Because LNPPs are large and complex, MRD, a German company, does not fully assemble in Germany those presses intended for sale in the United States. Rather, MRD ships them through MAN Roland Inc., a United States affiliate of MRD, which assembles them at the customers’ locations in the United States.

During the period at issue, MAN Roland sold two LNPPs in the United States. At the request of domestic producer Goss Graphics Systems, Inc., Commerce investigated the two sales and assessed MAN Roland antidumping duties. Commerce made three determinations relevant to this appeal: (1) the two sales were CEP sales; (2) costs incurred during installation of the LNPPs were “further manufacturing” costs; and (3) all profitable home-market sales could be included in the CV profit calculation. Notice of Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value: Large Newspaper Printing Presses and Components Thereof, Whether Assembled or Unassembled, From Germany, 61 Fed. Reg. 38,166 (Dep’t Commerce July 23, 1996).

On appeal to the Court of International Trade, MAN Roland argued that its two sales were Export Price (EP) sales, rather than CEP sales. The Court of International Trade applied the so-called “PQ Test”, developed by the Court of International Trade in PQ Corp. v. United States, 652 F.Supp. 724, 733-35 (CIT 1987), and sustained Commerce’s finding that the sales were CEP sales. Koenig I, 15 F.Supp.2d at 850-53. MAN Roland also argued that Commerce should have adjusted the duties under 19 U.S.C. § 1677a(c)(2)(A) (1994) because costs incurred during installation were movement expenses. The Court of International Trade sustained Commerce’s finding that the installation expenses were further manufacturing under § 1677a(d)(2). Specifically, the trial court noted that MAN Roland incorporated integral non-subject components and performed complex installation operations beyond mere reassembly. Koenig I, 15 F.Supp.2d at 853-54. Finally, MAN Roland argued that Commerce should have excluded one of its foreign sales from the CV calculation because that sale had an abnormally high profit margin and was thus outside the ordinary course of trade. The Court of International Trade sustained Commerce’s inclusion of the sale because Commerce reasonably exercised its discretion in requiring additional evidence to establish that the sale was outside the ordinary course of trade. Id. at 850. MAN Roland appeals. This court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1295(a)(5) (1994).

II.

The Court of International Trade reviews Commerce’s decision for substantial evidence on the record or errors of law. 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(b)(l)(B)(i) (1994). This court reapplies the exact same review. Atlantic Sugar, Ltd. v. United States, 744 F.2d 1556, 1559 (Fed.Cir.1984). But see Zenith Elecs. Corp. v. United States, 99 F.3d 1576, 1579-85 (1996) (Rader, J., concurring) (questioning the Atlantic Sugar standard of review).

[1344]*1344In calculating dumping margins, Commerce compares the “normal value” of the subject merchandise to either the EP or CEP and imposes antidumping duties if, and to the extent, the normal value exceeds the EP or CEP. 19 U.S.C. § 1673 (1994). The statute defines EP and CEP as follows:

(a) Export price. The term “export price” means the price at which the subject merchandise is first sold (or agreed to be sold) before the date of importation by the producer or exporter of the subject merchandise outside of the United States to an unaffiliated purchaser....
(b) Constructed export price. The term “constructed export price” means the price at which the subject merchandise is first sold (or agreed to be sold) in the United States before or after the date of importation by or for the account of the producer or exporter of such merchandise or by a seller affiliated with the producer or exporter, to a purchaser not affiliated with the producer or exporter....

19 U.S.C. § 1677a(a)-(b) (1994). Before this court’s decision in AK Steel Corp. v. United States, 226 F.3d 1361 (Fed.Cir.2000), Commerce used the PQ Test to determine whether a sale before importation through a United States affiliate of the producer was an EP or CEP sale. Id. at 1365. Under that test, even if the United States affiliate was involved in the sale to the United States purchaser, depending on the degree of that involvement, Commerce could still classify the sale as EP. Id. This court in AK Steel held the PQ Test invalid, finding title 19 to require that “while a sale made by a producer or exporter could be either EP or CEP, one made by a U.S. affiliate can only be CEP." Id. at 1371 (emphasis added). This court further defined the term “sold” in § 1677a(b) as follows: “We ... hold that the ‘seller’ referred to in the CEP definition is simply one who contracts to sell, and ‘sold’ refers to the transfer of ownership or title.” Id. at 1371.

MAN Roland and the government seek a remand for Commerce to reconsider whether the sales were EP or CEP in light of AK Steel. Because neither Commerce nor the Court of International Trade has considered this issue since AK Steel, this court vacates the Court of International Trade’s decision on this issue and remands with instructions to remand to Commerce. Commerce will then have the opportunity to make appropriate findings to classify properly MAN Roland’s sales in light of the AK Steel decision.

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Koenig & Bauer-Albert Ag v. United States
259 F.3d 1341 (Federal Circuit, 2001)

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Bluebook (online)
259 F.3d 1341, 2001 WL 893900, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/koenig-bauer-albert-ag-v-united-states-cafc-2001.