Viet Do v. United States Secretary of Agriculture

427 F. Supp. 2d 1224, 30 Ct. Int'l Trade 254, 30 C.I.T. 254
CourtUnited States Court of International Trade
DecidedFebruary 28, 2006
DocketSlip Op. 06-29; Court 05-00062
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 427 F. Supp. 2d 1224 (Viet Do v. United States Secretary of Agriculture) 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
Viet Do v. United States Secretary of Agriculture, 427 F. Supp. 2d 1224, 30 Ct. Int'l Trade 254, 30 C.I.T. 254 (cit 2006).

Opinion

OPINION

RESTANI, Chief Judge.

This matter is before the court on the motion for judgment on the agency record brought by Plaintiffs Than Viet Do and Binh Thi Nguyen pursuant to USCIT R. 56.1. Plaintiffs contest the United States Secretary of Agriculture’s (“Agriculture”) determination denying their application for trade adjustment assistance (“TAA”).

Agriculture denied Plaintiffs’ application for TAA because their net fishing income did not decline from 2001 to 2002. Specifically, Plaintiffs’ fishing business lost less money in 2002 than it did in 2001. Plaintiffs do not contend that their net fishing income, as defined by Agriculture, did not decline but instead argue that Agriculture should consider how the sale of one of Plaintiffs’ vessels affected their net fishing income. Specifically, Plaintiffs argue that Agriculture erred in its determination for two reasons: 1) Agriculture should have treated each of their vessels as a producer entitled to TAA under 19 U.S.C. § 2401e (Supp. II 2002), and 2) Agriculture’s definition of “net fishing income” is unreasonable. Plaintiffs ask the court to grant their motion for judgment on the agency record or, in the alternative, for “good cause” shown, to remand the determination to Agriculture for reconsideration of their TAA eligibility.

Agriculture argues that Plaintiffs’ vessels are not considered producers for purposes of obtaining TAA and that it properly examined Plaintiffs’ aggregate income from their two vessels as reflected on their Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) Tax Form 1040 (“1040”). Agriculture maintains that it reasonably defined net fishing income and properly applied its regulation. Agriculture argues that because Plaintiffs suffered a greater loss in 2001 than in 2002, their net fishing income did not decrease. The court agrees and denies Plaintiffs’ motion for judgment on the agency record.

FACTUAL & PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Than Viet Do (“Do”) and his wife, Binh Thi Nguyen (“Nguyen”), own and operate a shrimping business in Palacios, Texas. Prior to 2002, Plaintiffs’ shrimping business had two vessels, the Master Francis and the Master Jimmy. At the end of 2001, Plaintiffs sold the Master Francis because it was unprofitable.

On December 11, 2003, Plaintiffs responded to a notice by the Foreign Agriculture Service (“FAS”) certifying Texas shrimp producers as eligible for trade adjustment assistance, 1 and filed an applica *1226 tion for TAA with the Farm Service Agency (“FSA”) office in Matagorda County, Texas. 2 Trade Adjustment Assistance for Individual Producers, Pis.’ App. Tab 2 [hereinafter TAA Application]. Based on TAA requirements, 3 Plaintiffs submitted copies of their 2001 and 2002 Individual Tax Returns. Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, 2001, Pis.’ App. Tab 1; Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, 2002, Pis.’ App. Tab. 7. Plaintiffs’ 2001 tax return contained two Schedule Cs (Profit or Loss from Business), one for each of their two ships. Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, 2001, Pis.’ App. Tab 1, at 3 — 4. The 2001 tax return listed an adjusted gross income of $49,228 and a business loss of $77,504. Id. at 1. Of this loss, $44,534 stemmed from the Master Francis and $32,970 stemmed from the Master Jimmy. Id. at 2-3. Furthermore, the 2001 tax return listed $126,405 from “[o]ther gains or losses.” Id. at 1. Although the record does not conclusively establish the source of this item, it is noted that Plaintiffs sold the Master Francis in late 2001.

Plaintiffs’ 2002 tax return contained one Schedule C for the Master Jimmy and none for the Master Francis. The 2002 tax return also listed an adjusted gross income of negative $47,849 and a business loss of $48,137. Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, 2002, Pis.’ App. Tab. 7. The business loss was attributed entirely to the Master Jimmy. Id. at 3. The record shows that Agriculture denied Plaintiffs’ claim after examining their 1040s and comparing their $77,504 business loss in 2001 with their $48,137 business loss in 2002. Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, 2001, Pis.’ App. Tab 1; Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return, 2002, Pis.’ App. Tab. 7.

On August 14, 2004, Plaintiffs wrote a letter to the National Appeals Division (“NAD”) “asking for an appeal because [they were] denied ... TAA payment.” Letter from Than Viet Do to Office of the Area Supervisor, Nat’l Appeals Div., W. Reg’l Office (Aug. 14, 2004), Pis.’ App. Tab 17. On November 1, 2004, Plaintiffs received a letter from NAD stating that the Texas FSA was withdrawing- the adverse decision in their case and that Plaintiffs’ appeal was moot. Letter from Patricia Leslie, Assistant Dir., Office of the Sec’y, Nat’l Appeals Div., U.S. Dep’t of Agrie., to Than Viet Do and Binh T. Nguyen (Nov. 1, 2004), Pis.’ App. Tab 20. The letter further advised Plaintiffs that the NAD appeal would be dismissed unless a letter *1227 was received from them within five days explaining why the appeal should not be dismissed. Id.

On November 23, 2004, Plaintiffs received notification from the FSA that it had referred the appeal to the FAS who made a final determination that Plaintiffs were ineligible for TAA payment. Letter from Ronald Lord, Deputy Dir., Imp. Policies & Programs Divs., Foreign Agrie. Serv., & Grady Bilberry, Dir., Price Support Div., Farm Serv. Agency, U.S. Dep’t of Agrie., to Than Viet Do and Binh T. Nguyen (Nov. 23, 2004), Pis.’ App. Tab 21. The letter stated that the “application was disapproved because [Plaintiffs’] net fishing income for 2002 did not decline from 2001.” Id. The letter also informed Plaintiffs that they could appeal the determination by contacting the United States Court of International Trade within 60 days. Id. Plaintiffs filed a timely appeal of the final determination.

JURISDICTION & STANDARD OF REVIEW

The court has jurisdiction pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 2395(c) (2000). In reviewing a challenge to Agriculture’s determinations regarding eligibility for trade adjustment assistance, the court will uphold the determination “if the factual findings are supported by substantial evidence on the record and its legal determinations are otherwise in accordance with the law.” Trinh v. U.S. Sec’y of Agric., 395 F.Supp.2d 1259, 1265 (CIT 2005). Substantial evidence is “more than a ‘mere scintilla,’ but sufficient evidence to reasonably support a conclusion.” Former Employees of Shaw Pipe, Inc. v. United States Sec’y of Labor, 21 CIT 1282, 1284-85, 988 F.Supp. 588, 590 (1997) (citation omitted).

DISCUSSION

In the present case, the only issue is whether Plaintiffs satisfied the requirements of 19 U.S.C. § 2401e(a)(l)(C) and 7 C.F.R. § 1580.301(e)(4) (2005). In pertinent part, 19 U.S.C.

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Bluebook (online)
427 F. Supp. 2d 1224, 30 Ct. Int'l Trade 254, 30 C.I.T. 254, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/viet-do-v-united-states-secretary-of-agriculture-cit-2006.