OPINION
RIDGWAY, Judge.
Plaintiffs in this action — hereinafter collectively referred to as “SVC” — are San Vicente Camalu SPR de RI (“San Vicente”), a Mexican producer and exporter of fresh tomatoes, and Expo Fresh, LLC (“Expo Fresh”), a U.S. importer of the same. SVC here contests certain determinations made in the course of an anti-dumping investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”). Specifically, invoking the court’s residual jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(i) (2000),
SVC challenges the two agencies’ determinations to terminate (or, alternatively, not to reopen) the five year “sunset” review involving fresh tomatoes from Mexico.
Now before the court are parallel motions to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction filed on behalf of Commerce and the ITC, and opposed by SVC.
As discussed in greater detail below, so-called “(i) jurisdiction” will not lie in this case, because jurisdiction was available under another provision of the statute — specifically, 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c). SVC failed to meet the statutory deadline for filing its appeal under § 1581(c), however. The pending motions are therefore granted, and this action is dismissed.
I.
Background
The underlying administrative proceedings began some nine years ago, when representatives of the U.S. tomato industry petitioned Commerce and the ITC, alleging that fresh tomatoes from Mexico were being dumped in this country (that is, sold at less than fair value), to the detriment of the domestic industry.
Both agencies launched antidumping investigations, and in due course made affirmative
preliminary determinations.
The investigations were suspended in November 1996, however, when Commerce entered into a suspension agreement with certain Mexican tomato producers and exporters, who agreed to revise their prices.
The statute authorizes Commerce to enter into such agreements where,
inter alia,
“exporters of the subject merchandise who account for
substantially all
of the imports of that merchandise” agree to measures that “eliminate completely the injurious effect” of the imports. 19 U.S.C. § 1673c(c) (emphasis added).
Fast forward approximately five years, to October 2001. Commerce and the ITC began their five-year “sunset” review of the suspended antidumping investigations, to determine whether dumping (and material injury to domestic producers) would be likely to continue or resume if the suspended investigation were terminated.
But, in late May 2002, while the agencies’ sunset reviews were ongoing, Mexican tomato producers and exporters accounting for a large percentage of U.S. imports gave notice of their intent to withdraw from the 1996 Suspension Agreement. Because the suspension agreement no longer covered “substantially all of the imports,” Commerce was forced to terminate it, effective July 30, 2002.
The termination of the 1996 Suspension Agreement led perforce to the agencies’ termination of their sunset reviews (since, as Commerce noted, “there [was] no longer a suspended investigation for which to perform a sunset review”), and to the resumption of the agencies’ antidumping investigations initiated some six years earlier.
However, those investigations were
soon halted once again, by a new, suspension agreement — the 2002 Suspension Agreement.
San Vicente requested that the anti-dumping investigations' be continued, notwithstanding the 2002 Suspension Agreement;' but its request was denied.
It did riot seek to appeal that denial. Next, SVC asked the ITC to “reopen” its sunset review. The ITC denied SVC’s request. SVC then set ‘ its sights on Commerce, requesting that it reopen its sunset review. That request, too, was denied. Commerce reiterated that it could not “conduct a sunset review of a non-existent suspension agreement.”
On July 29, 2003 — approximately one year after the agencies terminated their sunset reviews — SVC commenced this action, challenging those terminations. In the alternative, SVC challenges the agencies’ denials of its requests to reopen their sunset reviews.
See
Complaint ¶¶ 25-30 (Count I, challenging Commerce’s termination of sunset review), ¶¶ 31-35 (Count
II, challenging ITC’s termination of sunset review), ¶¶ 36-41 (Count III, challenging Commerce’s denial of SVC’s request to reopen sunset review), ¶¶ 42-46 (Count IV, challenging ITC’s denial of SVC’s request to reopen sunset review).
II.
Analysis
Where a plaintiffs assertion of jurisdiction is challenged by a motion to dismiss pursuant to USCIT Rule 12(b)(1), the plaintiff bears the burden of proving the soundness of its jurisdictional allegations.
See McNutt v. Gen. Motors Acceptance Corp.,
298 U.S. 178, 189, 56 S.Ct. 780, 80 L.Ed. 1135 (1936);
Rocovich v. United States,
933 F.2d 991, 993 (Fed.Cir.1991);
Elkem Metals Co. v. United States,
23 CIT 170, 175, 44 F.Supp.2d 288, 292 (1999). Here, SVC’s claim to jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(i)
turns on whether it could have availed itself of jurisdiction under some other provision of § 1581.
See JCM, Ltd. v. United States,
210 F.3d 1357, 1359 (Fed.Cir.2000)
(quoting Norcal/Crosetti Foods, Inc. v. United States,
963 F.2d 356, 359 (Fed.Cir.1992)) (jurisdiction lies under § 1581 (i) only where there is no jurisdiction under any other subsection of § 1581, unless the remedy under that other subsection would be “manifestly inadequate”).
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OPINION
RIDGWAY, Judge.
Plaintiffs in this action — hereinafter collectively referred to as “SVC” — are San Vicente Camalu SPR de RI (“San Vicente”), a Mexican producer and exporter of fresh tomatoes, and Expo Fresh, LLC (“Expo Fresh”), a U.S. importer of the same. SVC here contests certain determinations made in the course of an anti-dumping investigation by the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”) and the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”). Specifically, invoking the court’s residual jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(i) (2000),
SVC challenges the two agencies’ determinations to terminate (or, alternatively, not to reopen) the five year “sunset” review involving fresh tomatoes from Mexico.
Now before the court are parallel motions to dismiss for lack of subject matter jurisdiction filed on behalf of Commerce and the ITC, and opposed by SVC.
As discussed in greater detail below, so-called “(i) jurisdiction” will not lie in this case, because jurisdiction was available under another provision of the statute — specifically, 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c). SVC failed to meet the statutory deadline for filing its appeal under § 1581(c), however. The pending motions are therefore granted, and this action is dismissed.
I.
Background
The underlying administrative proceedings began some nine years ago, when representatives of the U.S. tomato industry petitioned Commerce and the ITC, alleging that fresh tomatoes from Mexico were being dumped in this country (that is, sold at less than fair value), to the detriment of the domestic industry.
Both agencies launched antidumping investigations, and in due course made affirmative
preliminary determinations.
The investigations were suspended in November 1996, however, when Commerce entered into a suspension agreement with certain Mexican tomato producers and exporters, who agreed to revise their prices.
The statute authorizes Commerce to enter into such agreements where,
inter alia,
“exporters of the subject merchandise who account for
substantially all
of the imports of that merchandise” agree to measures that “eliminate completely the injurious effect” of the imports. 19 U.S.C. § 1673c(c) (emphasis added).
Fast forward approximately five years, to October 2001. Commerce and the ITC began their five-year “sunset” review of the suspended antidumping investigations, to determine whether dumping (and material injury to domestic producers) would be likely to continue or resume if the suspended investigation were terminated.
But, in late May 2002, while the agencies’ sunset reviews were ongoing, Mexican tomato producers and exporters accounting for a large percentage of U.S. imports gave notice of their intent to withdraw from the 1996 Suspension Agreement. Because the suspension agreement no longer covered “substantially all of the imports,” Commerce was forced to terminate it, effective July 30, 2002.
The termination of the 1996 Suspension Agreement led perforce to the agencies’ termination of their sunset reviews (since, as Commerce noted, “there [was] no longer a suspended investigation for which to perform a sunset review”), and to the resumption of the agencies’ antidumping investigations initiated some six years earlier.
However, those investigations were
soon halted once again, by a new, suspension agreement — the 2002 Suspension Agreement.
San Vicente requested that the anti-dumping investigations' be continued, notwithstanding the 2002 Suspension Agreement;' but its request was denied.
It did riot seek to appeal that denial. Next, SVC asked the ITC to “reopen” its sunset review. The ITC denied SVC’s request. SVC then set ‘ its sights on Commerce, requesting that it reopen its sunset review. That request, too, was denied. Commerce reiterated that it could not “conduct a sunset review of a non-existent suspension agreement.”
On July 29, 2003 — approximately one year after the agencies terminated their sunset reviews — SVC commenced this action, challenging those terminations. In the alternative, SVC challenges the agencies’ denials of its requests to reopen their sunset reviews.
See
Complaint ¶¶ 25-30 (Count I, challenging Commerce’s termination of sunset review), ¶¶ 31-35 (Count
II, challenging ITC’s termination of sunset review), ¶¶ 36-41 (Count III, challenging Commerce’s denial of SVC’s request to reopen sunset review), ¶¶ 42-46 (Count IV, challenging ITC’s denial of SVC’s request to reopen sunset review).
II.
Analysis
Where a plaintiffs assertion of jurisdiction is challenged by a motion to dismiss pursuant to USCIT Rule 12(b)(1), the plaintiff bears the burden of proving the soundness of its jurisdictional allegations.
See McNutt v. Gen. Motors Acceptance Corp.,
298 U.S. 178, 189, 56 S.Ct. 780, 80 L.Ed. 1135 (1936);
Rocovich v. United States,
933 F.2d 991, 993 (Fed.Cir.1991);
Elkem Metals Co. v. United States,
23 CIT 170, 175, 44 F.Supp.2d 288, 292 (1999). Here, SVC’s claim to jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(i)
turns on whether it could have availed itself of jurisdiction under some other provision of § 1581.
See JCM, Ltd. v. United States,
210 F.3d 1357, 1359 (Fed.Cir.2000)
(quoting Norcal/Crosetti Foods, Inc. v. United States,
963 F.2d 356, 359 (Fed.Cir.1992)) (jurisdiction lies under § 1581 (i) only where there is no jurisdiction under any other subsection of § 1581, unless the remedy under that other subsection would be “manifestly inadequate”).
Commerce and the ITC maintain that the court would have had jurisdiction to review the agencies’ determinations under § 1581(c),
if SVC had filed its challenge within 30 days of their publication.
In a nutshell, SVC’s argument is that jurisdiction under § 1581(c) could not lie, because—SVC contends—the contested agency actions did not constitute “final determinations” under the statute, since the agencies never reached the ultimate findings on the merits that are made when a sunset review is completed. In short, SVC reasons:
Section 1581(c) states that “[t]he Court of International Trade shall have exclusive jurisdiction of any civil action commenced under section 516A of the Tariff
Act of 1930 [19 U.S.C. § 1516a].” Among the actions that may be commenced pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1516a are “final determinations” by the [ITC] or [Commerce] made “under section 1675 of this title.” Subsection (c) of 19 U.S.C. § 1675 addresses five-year reviews, the type of review at issue in this action. Therefore, for jurisdiction to exist in this case under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c), there must be a “final determination” made pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1675(c).
SVC Response Brief at 1-2 (footnotes omitted). Quoting the text of § 1675(c),
SVC further contends that there is a “final determination” in a sunset review case only if Commerce makes a finding as to whether “stopping the investigation will likely lead to dumping” and the ITC makes a finding as to whether “stopping the investigation will likely lead to material injury.” SVC Response Brief at 2 (first and second alterations in original) (footnote omitted). SVC concludes:
When Commerce ended its five-year review of the suspended antidumping investigation ..., it did not “determine ... whether ... termination of the investigation suspended ... would be likely to lead to the continuation or recurrence of dumping.” Similarly, when the [ITC] ended its five-year review, it did not “determine ... whether ... termination of the investigation suspended ... would be likely to lead to continuation or recurrence ... of material injury.” Therefore, neither agency made a “final determination” pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1675(c). Since 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c) requires such: a “final determination” before it vests jurisdiction in the Court, the agency actions challenged by SVC ■ clearly cannot be reviewed under that section.
SVC Response Brief at 2-3 (all but first and fifth alterations in original) (footnotes omitted). However, SVC’s strained argument ignores both the unambiguous finality of the agencies’ determinations here, and the pertinent precedent.
The determinations by Commerce and the ITC terminating the sunset reviews were clearly the final and definitive actions in those proceedings. There was nothing whatsoever about the determinations that was in any way preliminary, interlocutory, interim, provisional, or temporary. They were
final determinations
terminating the sunset reviews, driven in turn by the termination of the 1996 Suspension Agreement. The statute provides for sunset reviews
only
where an antidumping order or a suspension agreement is in place. And, at the time, neither existed in this case. 19 U.S.C. § 1675(c); DOJ Reply Brief at 2-3; ITC Reply Brief at 3. Moreover, because the agencies’ terminations were the final and definitive resolution of the sunset reviews and any issues presented therein, the agencies’ determinations on termination were every bit as
final
as determinations on the merits of the ultimate substantive issues under 19 U.S.C. § 1675(c) would have been — and they were every bit as
reviewable
under 19 U.S.C. § 1516a and 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c), as well.
Even SVC does not contend that the agencies’ termination determinations were
in any way preliminary in nature. Nor does SVC explain how, had the sunset reviews continued, Commerce and the ITC could have logically and meaningfully completed the sunset review analysis required under § 1675(c), given that the focus of that analysis was the antidumping investigation as it was suspended under the terms of the 1996 Suspension Agreement — a suspension agreement that no longer existed.
See generally
ITC Reply Brief at 4.
SVC’s argument is also at odds with relevant judicial precedent. Significantly, SVC cites no case law to support its theory that an agency decision terminating a sunset review does not constitute a “final determination” simply because that determination does not reach ultimate findings on the continuation or recurrence of dumping and material injury. Indeed, existing authority is to the contrary.
For example, in disputes arising out of administrative reviews conducted under 19 U.S.C. § 1675(a), the courts have routinely reviewed cases pursuant to § 1581(c), even though such actions are not specifically identified in the applicable statute.
See, e.g., GSA, S.r.l. v. United States,
23 CIT 920, 921, 77 F.Supp.2d 1349, 1350 (1999) (invoking jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c) in a challenge to a termination of an antidumping new shipper review);
Windmill Int’l PTE., Ltd. v. United States,
26 CIT 221, 222, 193 F.Supp.2d 1303, 1305 (2002) (finding jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c) in a challenge to a rescission of an antidumping administrative review).
See generally
DOJ Brief at 8-9; DOJ Reply Brief at 4-5. Just as the termination at issue in
GSA
and the rescission at issue in
Windmill
both constituted “final determinations” under § 1675 that were properly renewable under § 1581(c), so too the agencies’ terminations here at issue constituted “final determinations” under § 1675 that were properly renewable under § 1581(c).
Similarly, in
Twpy I,
Commerce’s decision not to revoke an antidumping order was held to be a final, determination reviewable under 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(a) (2) (B) (iii), even though that decision did not reach the ultimate findings specified in the statute.
Industria Fundicao Tupy v. Brown,
18 CIT 933, 940-41, 866 F.Supp. 565, 571-72 (1994)
{“Tupy I”).
Indeed,
Tupy II
expressly rejected the argument that jurisdiction did not lie under 19 U.S.C. § 1516a and 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c) because Commerce’s decision not to revoke was not a “determination” specifically. listed as an appealable determination under § 1516a.
Industria Fundicao Tupy v. Brown,
19 CIT 1266, 1269-71, 904 F.Supp. 1398, 1400-02 (1995)
{“Tupy II”). See
ITC Reply Brief at 4-5.
SVC points to several cases that suggest that residual jurisdiction under § 1581(i) might lie if “ ‘the ‘legality’ of the administrative proceeding is at issue.’ ”
See
SVC Response Brief at 8-9
(quoting Ad Hoc Comm. of Florida Producers of Gray Portland Cement v. United States,
22 CIT 902, 908, 25 F.Supp.2d 352, 358 (1998)). But those cases are simply inapposite .here. In this action, SVC is not challenging the legality of the sunset reviews. Rather, SVC contests the agencies’ determinations terminating those reviews because the 1996 Suspension Agreement was no longer in effect. Indeed, for example, in
Asociacion Colombiana de Exportadores de Flores v. United States,
13 CIT 584, 586-88, 717 F.Supp. 847, 850-51 (1989),
aff'd,
903 F.2d 1555 (Fed.Cir.1990), and
Carnation Enterprises Pvt. Ltd. v. Dep’t of Commerce,
13 CIT 604, 612, 719 F.Supp. 1084, 1091 (1989)—cases on which SVC relies— the claims of illegality were asserted before the proceedings had reached “final determinations.” As a result, in both cases, the court held that § 1516a and § 1581(c) did not apply.
See generally
ITC Reply Brief at 5; DOJ Reply Brief at 5-6.
Certainly the cases that SVC cites do not stand for the proposition that (i) jurisdiction lies whenever a plaintiff (like SVC here) claims that a final determination in a proceeding is contrary to law. The standard of review in
all
cases under § 1516a is whether the agency determination at issue is contrary to
law—i.e.,
“not in accordance with law.”
See
19 U.S.C. §§ 1516a(b)(l)(A), (B)(i), and (B)(ii).
In sum, here, much like
Tupy I,
“pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1516a, plaintiffs had 30 days from the ... publication date[s]” of the agencies’ determinations—
i.e.,
30 days from August 6, 2002 (for Commerce) and from August 15, 2002 (for the ITC)—to initiate an action contesting those determinations. But, by the time SVC’s Complaint was filed, those deadlines had long since passed. “Having failed to [initiate any action], plaintiffs may not now resort to the residual jurisdiction of this court.”
Tupy I,
18 CIT at 941, 866 F.Supp. at 572
(quoted in
ITC Reply Brief at 7).
III.
Conclusion
For all the reasons set forth above, residual jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(i) will not lie in this case; and SVC failed to timely invoke jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c). The motions to dismiss filed on behalf of Commerce and the ITC are therefore granted, and this action is dismissed.
Judgment will enter accordingly.