Your Standing Int'l, Inc. v. United States

755 F. Supp. 3d 1373, 2025 CIT 14
United States Court of International Trade·Decided February 7, 2025·No. 24-00055·Published

Opinion

Slip Op. 25-14

UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

YOUR STANDING INTERNATIONAL, INC.,

Plaintiff,

v.

Before: Claire R. Kelly, Judge UNITED STATES, Court No. 24-00055

Defendant,

and MID CONTINENT STEEL & WIRE, INC., Defendant-Intervenor.

OPINION

[Sustaining the Department of Commerce’s constructed value calculation.]

Dated: February 7, 2025

Lizbeth R. Levinson, Alexander D. Keyser, and Brittney R. Powell, Fox Rothschild LLP, of Washington D.C., for plaintiff Your Standing International, Inc.

Katy M. Bartelma, Trial Attorney, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justice, of Washington, D.C., for defendant United States. On the brief were Patricia M. McCarthy, Director, Tara K. Hogan, Assistant Director, and Brian M. Boynton, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General. Of counsel was Shanni Alon, Attorney, Office of the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement & Compliance, U.S. Department of Commerce, of Washington, D.C.

Rosa S. Jeong, Friederike S. Goergens, and Matthew L. Kanna, Greenberg Traurig, LLP, of Washington D.C., for defendant-intervenor Mid-Continent Steel & Wire, Inc. On the brief was Claudia H. Dunsch.

Kelly, Judge: Before the Court is Plaintiff, Your Standing International Inc.’s (“Your Standing”) Motion for Judgment on the Agency Record. Mot. J. on the Agency R., Aug. 26, 2024, ECF No. 23 (“Pl. 56.2 Mot.”); Reply Br. of Pl. Your Standing Int’l Inc. in Support [Mot. J. on the Agency R.], Nov. 29, 2024, ECF No. 26 (“Pl. Reply”). Plaintiff claims that the United States Department of Commerce’s (“Commerce”) use of San Shing Fastech Corporation’s (“San Shing”) financial statements to calculate Your Standing’s constructed value (“CV”) profit and indirect selling expenses is unsupported by substantial evidence and not in accordance with law. See generally Pl. 56.2 Mot. Specifically, Plaintiff argues San Shing’s surrogate financial statements are unsuitable because (i) they do not reflect sales in the home market of Taiwan, and (ii) San Shing and Your Standing lack a similar customer base. Pl. 56.2 Mot. at 9, 12. The Defendant and Defendant-Intervenor, Mid-Continent Steel & Wire, Inc. (“Mid-Continent”), contend (i) San Shing’s financial statements are a reasonable choice given Commerce’s discretion and the information on the record, and (ii) Your Standing failed to exhaust its administrative remedies with respect to its argument that Commerce incorrectly used San Shing’s financial statements because San Shing and Your Standing have different customer bases. Def. Resp. [Pl. R. 56.2 Mot. J. Upon the Agency R.] at 9, 16, Nov. 1, 2024, ECF No. 25 (“Def. Resp.”); Resp. of Def.- Intv. Opp’n [Pl. Mot. J. on the Agency R.] at 13, 16, Nov. 1, 2024, ECF No. 24 (“Def.- Intv. Resp.”).

BACKGROUND

On July 1, 2021, Commerce published notice giving interested parties the opportunity to request an administrative review of the antidumping duty (“ADD”) order on certain steel nails from Taiwan. Antidumping or Countervailing Duty Order, Finding, or Suspended Investigation; Opportunity To Request Administrative Review, 86 Fed. Reg. 35,065-01 (Jul. 1, 2021). Subsequently, two parties, including the Defendant-Intervenor, filed requests for an administrative review, and on September 6, 2022, Commerce initiated the ADD administrative review on certain steel nails from Taiwan. Petitioner’s Request for Administrative Review, PD 2, bar code 4268474-01 (Jul. 28, 2022); Faithful and Hillman Request for Administrative Review, PD 3, bar code 4269923-01 (Aug. 1, 2022); Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 87 Fed. Reg. 54,463-01 (Sept. 6, 2022).

On October 14, 2022, Commerce selected Your Standing as one of the two mandatory respondents for the ADD administrative review. Respondent Selection Memorandum from USDOC, PD 24, bar code 4300103-01 (Oct. 14, 2022). On May 17, 2023, Commerce requested comments on CV profit and selling expenses. Request for Constructed Value Profit and Selling Expense Comments and Information from USDOC at 1, PD 80, bar code 4377743-01 (May 17, 2023) (“CV Request for Comment and Information”). Commerce determined it could not calculate CV under 19 U.S.C. § 1677b(e)(2)(A) because Your Standing had no viable home or third country market for the sales of merchandise under consideration. Id. Thus, Commerce provided

interested parties the opportunity to comment and submit new factual information for Commerce to calculate CV under 19 U.S.C. § 1677b(e)(2)(B). Id. On May 31, 2023, Defendant-Intervenor responded to Commerce’s request and provided financial statements of two Taiwanese companies and two Indian companies, asking Commerce to use the financial statements it submitted to calculate the CV profit selling expenses for Your Standing. Petitioner’s Comments for Constructed Value Profit and Selling Expenses, PDs 82—83, bar code 4382728-01 (May 31, 2023) (“Mid Continent Cmts.”). On June 7, 2023, Plaintiff responded to Defendant-Intervenor’s comments. Your Standing International (“YSI”) Reply to Petitioners’ CV Profit Comments, PD 84, bar code 4386153-01 (Jun. 7, 2023) (“YSI Reply Cmts.”).

On August 3, 2023, Commerce issued its preliminary results, choosing the financial statements of San Shing and Chun Yu Works & Co., Ltd. (“Chun Yu”) to calculate the CV profit and selling expenses for Your Standing. Certain Steel Nails From Taiwan: Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, Preliminary Determination of No Shipments, Preliminary Determination of No Reviewable Sales, and Partial Rescission of Review; 2021-2022, 88 Fed. Reg. 51,291- 01 (Aug. 3, 2023) (“Preliminary Results”). Commerce used these two financial statements to calculate an ADD rate of 23.16% for Your Standing. Preliminary Results at 51,293.

From December 4, 2023, through December 8, 2023, Commerce verified Your Standing’s responses. Verification Report of the Sales and Cost Responses of YSI

from USDOC, PD 114, bar code 4481642-01 (Dec. 20, 2023). Following verification, Your Standing submitted a case brief arguing Commerce’s use of San Shing’s financial statements to calculate the CV profit and selling expenses was improper. YSI’s Case Brief, PD 120, bar code 4484882-01 (Jan. 3, 2024) (“YSI Agency Brief”).

On January 26, 2024, Commerce issued its final issues and decisions memorandum and on February 1, 2024, published its final results. Certain Steel Nails From Taiwan: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, Final Determination of No Shipments, and Final Determination of No Reviewable Sales; 2021-2022, 89 Fed. Reg. 6,503-01 (Feb. 1, 2024) (“Final Results”); Issues and Decision Memorandum For the Final Results of the Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of Certain Steel Nails From Taiwan; 2021-2022, 89 ITADOC 6,503 (Jan. 26, 2024) (“Final IDM”). In the Final Results, Commerce continued to use San Shing’s financial statements to calculate CV profit and selling expenses because it concluded (i) San Shing produces comparable merchandise, (ii) San Shing’s financial statements were contemporaneous with the period of review, and (iii) over 70% of San Shing’s sales were made to entities in markets outside of the United Sates. 1 See Final IDM at 5, 7. Commerce found a weighted-average dumping margin of 26.28% for Your Standing. Final Results at 6,504.

1 Commerce explains that the 70 percent of sales to “non-affiliated entities” are to markets outside of the United States. Final IDM at 7.

On April 1, 2024, Plaintiff filed its complaint. Compl., Apr. 1, 2024, ECF No.

9 (“Compl.”). On August 26, 2024, Plaintiff filed a motion for judgment on the agency record. See Pl. 56.2 Mot. On November 1, 2024, Defendant and Defendant- Intervenor filed their responses to Plaintiff’s motion for judgment on the agency record. See Def. Resp.; see also Def.-Intv. Resp. On November 29, 2024, Plaintiff filed its reply in support of its motion for judgment on the agency record. See Pl. Reply.

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