Koyo Seiko Co. v. United States

17 Ct. Int'l Trade 474, 840 F. Supp. 136, 17 C.I.T. 474, 15 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 1593, 1993 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 85
United States Court of International Trade·Decided June 1, 1993·No. Court No. 92-01-00047·Published·Cited by 13 cases

Opinion

Opinion

Tsoucalas, Judge:

Plaintiffs, Koyo Seiko Co., Ltd. and Koyo Corporation of U.S.A. (“Koyo”), move pursuant to Rule 56.1 for judgment on the agency record contesting the Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration’s (“Commerce”) final results in Tapered Roller Bearings, Four Inches or Less in Outside Diameter, and Certain Components Thereof, From Japan; Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review (“FinalResults”), 56 Fed. Reg. 65,228 (1991). Plaintiffs specifically object to (1) Commerce’s failure to average U.S. prices in the same manner as it averaged foreign market values, (2) Commerce’s decision to reclassify plaintiffs’ home market post-sale price adjustments, rebates and warranty expenses as indirect selling expenses, and (3) Commerce’s methodology used to compare levels of trade.

[475]*475In April of 1991, Commerce published the preliminary results of its administrative review of tapered roller bearings (“TRBs”) covering the period from August 1, 1988 through July 31, 1989. Tapered Roller Bearings, Four Inches or Less in Outside Diameter, and Components Thereof, from Japan; Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, 56 Fed. Reg. 14,924 (1991). On December 16, 1991, Commerce published the final results of its administrative review, which are the subject of this action. Final Results, 56 Fed. Reg. 65,228.

Discussion

In reviewing a final determination of Commerce, this Court must uphold that determination unless it is “unsupported by substantial evidence on the record, or otherwise not in accordance with law.” 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(b)(1)(B) (1988 & Supp. 1992). Substantial evidence has been defined as being “more than a mere scintilla. It means such relevant evidence as a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion.” Universal Camera Corp. v. NLRB, 340 U.S. 474, 477 (1951) (quoting Consolidated Edison Co. v. NLRB, 305 U.S. 197, 229 (1938)). It is “not within the Court’s domain either to weigh the adequate quality or quantity of the evidence for sufficiency or to reject a finding on grounds of a differing interpretation of the record.” Timken Co. v. United States, 12 CIT 955, 962, 699 F. Supp. 300, 306 (1988), aff'd, 894 F.2d 385 (Fed. Cir. 1990).

1. Averaging of U.S. Prices:

In its administrative review, Commerce compared individual U.S. sales prices of TRBs with an annualized, weighted-average foreign market value. Koyo claims that Commerce’s failure to average U.S. prices in the same manner as it averaged foreign market values was an abuse of discretion and now asks the Court to remand this case to Commerce with instructions to average U.S. prices and foreign market value on the same basis.

According to 19 U.S.C. § 1677f-1(a)(1988 & Supp. 1993):

For the purpose of determining United States price or foreign market value under sections 1677a and 1677b of this title, and for purposes of carrying out annual reviews under section 1675 of this title, the administering authority may—
(1) use averaging or generally recognized sampling techniques whenever a significant volume of sales is involved or a significant number of adjustments to prices is required, and
(2) decline to take into account adjustments which are insignificant in relation to the price or value of the merchandise.
(b) Selection of samples and averages
The authority to select appropriate samples and averages shall rest exclusively with the administering authority; but such samples and averages shall be representative of the transactions under investigation.

[476]*476Thus, the statute states that Commerce may use averaging techniques “whenever a significant volume of sales is involved or a significant number of adjustments to prices is required. ” Id. Furthermore, the statute grants Commerce exclusive authority to do so as long as the averaging is representative. Id.

In the case at hand, before applying averaging techniques to foreign market value, Commerce conducted two studies to insure that the transactions and the results produced would be representative. Final Results, 56 Fed. Reg. at 65,230-31. Commerce stated:

First, we compared the monthly weighted-average price to the annual weighted-average price. We found that the annual weighted-average price for more than 90 percent of the products sold was within 10 percent of the monthly weighted-average price. Second, we tested whether home market prices of the subject merchandise consistently rose or fell during the period of review. We found that no significant correlation existed between price and time. That is, prices did not consistently rise or fall so as to make annual weighted-average prices unrepresentative of home market prices.

Id. at 65,230.

Thus, Commerce’s decision to average foreign market value was reasonable and representative. Koyo also claims, however, that since Commerce averaged foreign market value then it also should have averaged United States price. The statute, however, gives no indication that Commerce must average both sides of the equation. Furthermore, Commerce stated in its Final Results that since the merchandise under review “is not a perishable product, and our tests of home market sales revealed that there are no significant price fluctuations, there is no reason to believe that averaging of U.S. prices is needed to account for very significant price fluctuations. ” Id. at 65,231. Thus, Commerce was justified in not averaging U.S. prices and the determination of Commerce as to this issue is hereby affirmed.

2. Indirect Selling Expenses:

Koyo also contests Commerce’s treatment of Koyo’s post-sale price adjustments, rebates and warranties as indirect selling expenses rather than directly adjusting foreign market value for these adjustments. At the oral argument held on April 22, 1993, however, counsel for Koyo stated that it had changed its position and conceded this issue. Therefore, Commerce’s decision to treat Koyo’s post sale price adjustments, rebates and warranties as indirect selling expenses is affirmed.

3. Levels of Trade:

Finally, Koyo contests Commerce’s methodology used to compare TRB models at different levels of trade. Koyo argues that Commerce erred in comparing U.S. and home market TRB models sold at different levels of trade and that the case should be remanded with instructions to Commerce to modify its methodology to ensure that U.S. and home market sales are only compared at the same level of trade. Koyo claims that [477]*477Commerce’s comparison of U.S.

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Koyo Seiko Co. v. United States, 17 Ct. Int'l Trade 474, 840 F. Supp. 136, 17 C.I.T. 474, 15 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 1593, 1993 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 85 (cit 1993).

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