Nakajima All Co. v. United States

2 Ct. Int'l Trade 170
United States Court of International Trade·Decided October 26, 1981·No. Court No. 80-6-00933·Published

Opinion

Newman, Judge:

We are concerned here with several motions— parallel in some aspects, overlapping in other aspects — relating to an antidumping action affecting portable electric typewriters (“PETs”) from Japan.

Before me are five applications:

1) Intervenor’s motion for disclosure;
2) Intervenor’s motion for a protective order;
3) Intervenor’s motion to amend its answer to the complaint to state a cross-claim;
4) Plaintiff’s cross-motion for a protective order;
5) Defendant's cross-motion for a protective order.

In this action, brought under section 516A of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. § 1516a), plaintiff contests the Government’s antidumping duty determinations respecting PETs from Japan. Intervenor, a domestic manufacturer of portable typewriters, has moved for an order granting access to certain confidential documents included in the administrative records transmitted to the Court. These documents comprise questionnaires, reports, memoranda and other materials that were submitted to the International Trade Administration (“ITA”) of the United States Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission (“ITC”) by manu-[171]*171facturéis and importers oí PETs during investigation No. 731-TA-12 (Final), culminating in the antidumping duty order published in the Federal Register on May 9, 1980 (45 FR 30618).

Intervenor further requests a protective order to prevent disclosure of certain documents in the administrative records transmitted to the Court containing confidential business information concerning intervenor. Additionally, intervenor has filed a motion to amend its answer to the complaint to state a cross-claim alleging that the ITA’s determination of sales at less than fair value (LTFY) is contrary to law because it failed to use the “constructed value” method of calculating foreign market value pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1677(a) (2) and (3). Intervenor predicates its need to obtain disclosure of certain confidential documents sought by its motion on the constructed value theory asserted by the proposed cross-claim.

Plaintiff and defendant have filed cross-motions for a protective order restricting or precluding disclosure of certain of the documents contained in the administrative records, and join in opposing inter-venor’s attempt to amend its answer to interpose a cross-claim. Defendant does not object to intervenor’s motion for a protective order. Plaintiff does not object to that branch of the intervenor’s motion for a protective order respecting intervenor’s submissions to the ITC; but plaintiff objects to the granting of intervenor’s proposed protective order covering documents submitted by intervenor to other Government agencies that have not been identified with specificity in plaintiff’s motion or order.

Intervenor’s Proposed Gross-Claim

Initially, we consider the intervenor’s motion to amend its answer to interpose a cross-claim. As noted, supra, intervenor now wishes to assert in a cross-claim that the Commerce Department’s LTFV determination was erroneous because Commerce failed to use the constructed value approach in determining foreign market value. Intervenor characterizes its proposed cross-claim as an attempt to uphold the ITA’s determination, and provide an “alternative theory” upon which plaintiff may be kept within the scope of the final determination of LTFV sales.

Plaintiff and defendant urge that the proposed cross-claim does not purport to sustain the ITA’s determination, but rather disputes the ITA’s findings, conclusions and the LTFV determination as not supported by substantial evidence and as contrary to law. Viewing the intervenor’s proposed cross-claim in this light, plaintiff and defendant maintain that the intervenor’s belated attempt to challenge the ITA’s determination is barred by the time limitation for seeking judicial review of antidumping determinations specified in section 516A(a)(2) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended. Plaintiff and [172]*172defendant also argue that the intervenor has failed to allege “good grounds” for its proposed amendment to state a cross-claim which attempts to resurrect a position abandoned during the administrative proceedings.

First, I fully agree with the contention of plaintiff and defendant that the intervenor’s proposed cross-claim is barred by the time limitation in section 516A(a)(2) for commencement of an action contesting the factual findings or legal conclusions upon which the LTFV determination was based. It is quite obvious from a reading of the intervenor’s proposed amended answer and cross-claim and its supporting memoranda that the intervenor now seeks to contest the factual and legal basis for the Commerce Department’s LTFV determination. Clearly, in view of the 30-day statutory time limitation, the intervenor’s attempt to challenge the ITA’s determination comes too late.

Section 516A(a)(2) provides that final affirmative determinations by the Commerce Department (as the administering authority) and the ITC must be challenged by a civil action commenced within thirty days after the date of publication in the Federal Register of an antidumping or countervailing duty order based upon the determinations involved. Here, the Commerce Department’s final affirmative determination regarding PETs from Japan was published on March 21, 1980 (45 FR 18416), the Commission’s final material injury determination regarding PETs was published on May 7, 1980 (45 FR 30186), and the Commerce Department’s antidumping duty order was published on May 9, 1980 (45 FR 30618). Consequently, under section 516A(a)(2) any civil action challenging the final affirmative determinations had to be commenced no later than June 8, 1980. The intervenor cannot circumvent the explicit statutory time limitation for contesting an antidumping duty determination by simply making a cross-claim when the time for commencing an action has expired.

Even by invoking the doctrine of relation back embodied in Rule 15(c) of the rules of this court,1 the proposed cross-claim fails to meet the June 8, 1980 deadline for contesting the final antidumping duty order inasmuch as the complaint Was filed on July 7, 1980 and inter-venor’s answer to the complaint was filed on August 14, 1980.2

[173]*173And in any event, I agree with plaintiff and defendant that the intervenor has failed to show good grounds for the requested amendment. As evident from the Commerce Department’s administrative record (Volume 2), the intervenor contended in its dumping petition that constructed value was the proper basis for determining fair value, but such contention was subsequently abandoned before the administrative authority. Plainly, plaintiff and defendant would be prejudiced if the intervenor were now permitted to revive its contention respecting constructed value which SCM (intervenor) abandoned during the administrative proceeding, thereby obviating any need on the part of the Commerce Department or plaintiff to proceed further as to that contention during the administrative proceedings.

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Nakajima All Co. v. United States, 2 Ct. Int'l Trade 170 (cit 1981).

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