Shenyang Yuanda Aluminum Industry Engineering Co. v. United States

146 F. Supp. 3d 1331, 2016 CIT 11, 37 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 2787, 2016 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 11, 2016 WL 524268
CourtUnited States Court of International Trade
DecidedFebruary 9, 2016
DocketConsol. 14-00106
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 146 F. Supp. 3d 1331 (Shenyang Yuanda Aluminum Industry Engineering Co. 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
Shenyang Yuanda Aluminum Industry Engineering Co. v. United States, 146 F. Supp. 3d 1331, 2016 CIT 11, 37 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 2787, 2016 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 11, 2016 WL 524268 (cit 2016).

Opinion

OPINION and ORDER

Pogue, Senior Judge:

In this action, Plaintiffs Shenyang Yuanda Aluminum Industry Engineering Co.; Ltd. and Yuanda USA Corporation (collectively “Yuanda”); Jango Curtain Wall Americas Co. (“Jangho”); and Per-masteelisa North America Corp., Permas-teelisa South China Factory, and Permas-teelisa Hong Kong Ltd. (collectively “Permasteelisa”), challenge the decision-, 2 made by Defendant, the U.S. Department of Commerce (“Commerce”), that Yuan-da’s unitized curtain wall, i.e., a complete curtain wall, unitized and imported in phases pursuant to a sales-contract, is within the scope of the antidumping and countervailing duty orders (the “AD & CVI) Orders” or the “Orders”) on aluminum extrusions from the People’s Republic of China (“PRC”). 3

Currently before the court are Plaintiffs’ renewed motions for judgment on the agency record pursuant to USCIT Rule 56.2, arguing that Commerce’s affirmative scope ruling is not in accordance with law, unsupported by substantial evidence, and arbitrary and capricious. 4 Defendant op *1334 poses Plaintiffs’ motions. 5 Defendant-In-tervenors, Walters & Wolf, Architectural Glass & Aluminum Company, and Bagate-los Architectural Glass Systems, Inc. (collectively the “Curtain Wall Coalition” or “CWC”) join in opposition to the motions. 6

The court has jurisdiction pursuant to § 516A(a)(2)(B)(vi) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(a)(2)(B)(vi) and 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c) (2012). 7

Because Commerce’s scope ruling redefines key terms contrary to the plain language of the AD & CVD Orders, it is not in accordance with law; because it does not reasonably consider the characteristics of Plaintiffs’ merchandise and the evidence that weighs against the agency’s determination, it is unsupported by substantial evidence; because it offers insufficient reasons for treating similar products differently, it is arbitrary and capricious. Accordingly, the court remands to Commerce for further consideration in accordance with this opinion.

BACKGROUND

I. The Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Orders on Aluminum Extrusions

The issues presented here arise from Commerce’s AD & CVD Orders on aluminum extrusions from the PRC. 8 The AD & CVD Orders followed a March 31, 2010, petition by the Aluminum Extrusions Fair Trade Committee and the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (collectively, “Petitioners”), alleging that “[certain] aluminum extrusions imported from the [PRC] are being subsidized and sold at less than normal value.” 9 Commerce made final affirmative determinations of subsidization and sales at less than fair value 10 ; the International Trade Commission similarly made a final affirmative determination of material injury to U.S. industry. 11 Commerce then issued the AD & CVD Orders. 12

II. The Language of the Order

The AD & CVD Orders on aluminum extrusions were “written in general terms,” 13 to cover “aluminum extrusions,” *1335 which are defined as “shapes and forms, 14 produced by an extrusion process, made from [certain] aluminum alloys.” 15 They may have a variety of finishes, “both coatings and surface treatments,” 16 and may be “fabricated, i.e., prepared for assembly.” 17

Aluminum extrusions “described at the time of importation as parts for final finished products” such as “window frames, door frames, solar panels, curtain walls, or furniture,” to be “assembled after importation,” are subject to the order if such parts “otherwise meet the definition of aluminum extrusions,” 18 that is, they are shapes or forms made from the covered aluminum alloys and made by an extrusion process. 19 The AD & CVD Orders also cover “aluminum extrusion components that are attached (e.g., by welding or fasteners) to form subassemblies, i.e., partially assembled merchandise.” 20

The AD & CVD Orders exclude “finished merchandise containing aluminum extrusions as parts” so long as such merchandise is “fully and permanently assembled and completed at the time of entry, such as finished windows with glass, doors with glass or vinyl, picture frames with glass pane and backing material, and solar panels.” 21 The AD & CVD Orders also exclude “finished goods containing aluminum extrusions that are 'entered unassem-bled in a ‘finished goods kit.’ ” 22 A finished goods kit is “a packaged combination of parts that contains, at the time of importation, all of the necessary parts to fully assemble a final finished good and requires no further finishing or fabrication, such as cutting or punching, and is assembled ‘as is’ into a finished product.” 23 Su-bassemblies may be excluded as well, provided that they enter the United States as part of or as “finished goods” or “finished *1336 goods kits.” 24

III. Interpreting the Scope of an Order

Where, as here, there is a question as to “whether a particular product is included within the ■ scope of an antidumping or countervailing duty order,” Commerce follows an interpretive framework, provided in the agency’s regulations, ■ to determine the answer. 25 First, relying on the description of the product contained in the scope-ruling request, Commerce looks to the plain language of the underlying order. 26 If the terms of the order are dis-positive, then the order governs. 27

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146 F. Supp. 3d 1331, 2016 CIT 11, 37 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 2787, 2016 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 11, 2016 WL 524268, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/shenyang-yuanda-aluminum-industry-engineering-co-v-united-states-cit-2016.