RESTANI, Judge:
This action challenges the Department of Commerce's ("Commerce") final results rendered in the third antidumping ("AD") duty review of certain wooden bedroom furniture ("WBF") from the People's Republic of China ("PRC"). See Wooden Bedroom Furniture from the People's Republic of China: Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and New Shipper Reviews, 74 Fed.Reg. 41,374, 41,374 (Dep't Commerce Aug. 17, 2009) ("Final Results"); Wooden Bedroom Furniture From the People's Republic of China: Amended Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review and New Shipper Reviews, 74 Fed. Reg. 55,810, 55,810 (Dep't Commerce Oct. 29, 2009) ("Amended Final Results"). The plaintiffs, Lifestyle Enterprise, Inc. ("Lifestyle"), Orient International Holding Shanghai Foreign Trade Co., Ltd. ("Orient"), Guangdong Yihua Timber Industry Co., Ltd. ("Yihua Timber"), Dream Rooms Furniture (Shanghai) Co., Ltd. ("Dream Rooms"), Ron's Warehouse Furniture, Emerald Home Furnishings, LLC, and Trade Masters of Texas, Inc., submitted motions for judgment on the agency record. The intervenor defendants, American Furniture Manufacturers Committee for
In January 2005, Commerce published the AD duty order on WBF from the PRC. Notice of Amended Final Determination of Sales at Less Than Fair Value and Antidumping Duty Order: Wooden Bedroom Furniture From the People's Republic of China, 70 Fed.Reg. 329, 329 (Dep't Commerce Jan. 4, 2005). On January 31, 2008, AFMC requested an administrative review of 213 exporters and producers of merchandise entered into the United States between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2007, thereby triggering the third administrative review of WBF. Def.'s App. to Resp. to Mot. for J. Upon the Admin. R. ("Def.'s App.") Doc. 18. On February 27, 2008, Commerce published a notice that it would initiate an administrative review and would publish a separate initiation notice for WBF containing additional detail. Initiation of Antidumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Reviews, 73 Fed.Reg. 10,422, 10,422 (Dep't Commerce Feb. 27, 2008) ("February Notice"). On March 7, 2008, Commerce published a notice initiating the WBF administrative review and identifying the 228 exporters and producers under review. Notice of Initiation of Administrative Review of the Antidumping Duty Order on Wooden Bedroom Furniture From the People's Republic of China, 73 Fed.Reg. 12,387, 12,387 (Dep't Commerce Mar. 7, 2008) ("March Notice").
On March 11, 2008, Commerce informed the parties of its intent to limit the number of individually reviewed respondents and identified the March Notice as the initiation notice. Def.'s App. Doc. 48, 347. Commerce accepted withdrawal from review within 90 days of publication, i.e., from March 7 until June 5, 2008. Def.'s App. Doc. 347, at 2; see 19 C.F.R. § 351.213(d)(1). Commerce selected for review the two largest exporters by volume as of June 6, 2008: Yihua Timber and Orient. Def.'s App. Doc. 347, at 7. Commerce informed Orient that its questionnaire response was deficient. Def.'s App. Doc. 366, 368. Orient requested to withdraw the confidential version of its questionnaire response but not its separate rate certification
In February 2009, Commerce published its preliminary results. Wooden Bedroom Furniture From the People's Republic of China: Preliminary Results of Antidumping
Dream Rooms also filed a separate rate certification. App. to Br. of Lifestyle Enterprise, Inc., Trade Masters of Texas, Inc., Emerald Home Furnishings, LCC, and Ron's Warehouse Furnishings ("Pl.'s App.") Tab 10, at 4, 16. Commerce issued a supplemental questionnaire and confirmed through Federal Express that the package had been delivered to Dream Rooms. Def.'s App. Doc. 446, 475. Dream Rooms did not respond to the supplemental questionnaire and claimed to have never received it. Def.'s App. Doc. 549. Commerce found that Dream Rooms had failed to demonstrate eligibility for a separate rate and assigned it the PRC-wide rate. Preliminary Results, 74 Fed. Reg. at 6,378; Issues and Decision Memorandum for the Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of Wooden Bedroom Furniture from the People's Republic of China, A-570-890, POR 1/1/07 12/31/07, at 83-85 (Aug. 10, 2009) ("Issues and Decision Memorandum"), available at http:// ia.ita.doc.gov/frn/summary/prc/E9-19666-1.pdf (last visited Feb. 10, 2011).
In August 2009, Commerce published its Final Results. Final Results, 74 Fed. Reg. at 41,374. Commerce determined Orient had demonstrated both de jure and de facto independence from government control, recognizing that Commerce had failed to inform Orient that its failure to fully participate in the review would result in denial of separate rate status. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 75-88. Based upon Orient's failure to respond fully to the AD questionnaire, however, Commerce assigned the PRC-wide rate of 216.01% to Orient based on adverse facts available ("AFA"). Id. at 87; see 19 U.S.C. § 1677e. Commerce assigned Yihua Timber a rate of 29.89%. Amended Final Results, 74 Fed.Reg. at 55,810. Commerce adhered to its determination as to Dream Rooms in the Final Results. Final Results, 74 Fed.Reg. at 41,378.
In determining surrogate values,
The court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c). The court will uphold Commerce's final determinations in AD duty reviews unless they are "unsupported by substantial evidence on the record, or otherwise not in accordance with law." 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(b)(1)(B)(i).
Orient and Lifestyle allege that Commerce violated its own regulation when it failed to issue sufficient notice of initiation of review, resulting in the erroneous selection of Orient as a mandatory respondent. Pl.'s Mem. of P. & A. in Supp. of Rule 56.2 Mot. or J. on the Agency R.("Pl.'s Br.") at 20; Intervenor Pl.'s Mem. of Law in Supp. of Mot. for J. on the Agency R. Pursuant to Rule 56.2 ("Intervenor Pl.'s Br.") at 8. Plaintiffs request the court void the review ab initio or remand to Commerce to reconsider its selection of Orient. Pl.'s Br. at 28; Intervenor Pl.'s Br. at 17-18. This claim lacks merit.
Commerce "[w]ill publish the notice of initiation of the review no later than the last day of the month following the anniversary month," or, in this case, February 29, 2008.
Although Commerce appears to have violated its own regulation by failing to individually name the companies under review by the applicable deadline,
What Orient seeks here is to be free of the review based on its fourth highest sales volume at the earlier notice date. Oral Arg. Tr., 17, Nov. 16, 2010. Commerce's decision to select just two respondents, however, is not mandated. Orient could have been and probably should have been selected as an additional respondent even using sales volume at the earlier initiation date.
AFMC alleges Commerce properly concluded Orient did not have separate rate status in the Preliminary Results, but erred in granting Orient a separate rate status in the Final Results. Intervenor Def.'s Rule 56.2 Br. in Supp. of Mot. for J. on the Agency R. ("Intervenor Def.'s Br.") at 35. This claim lacks merit.
Commerce granted Orient its separate rate status on the basis that Commerce "did not clearly inform Orient ... of [its] obligation" to otherwise respond to the AD questionnaire. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 83. Orient had affirmatively demonstrated an absence of de
As indicated, Orient initially participated in the review, but withdrew the confidential version of its questionnaire response relating to its cost and prices and informed Commerce it would significantly limit its participation in the review after Commerce informed Orient its questionnaire response was deficient. Def.'s App. Doc. 366, 368, 374. In the Final Results, Commerce assigned Orient a rate of 216.01% based on adverse facts available ("AFA") due to Orient's failure to respond to Commerce's questionnaire. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 85-87. Commerce calculated this rate by choosing the highest company-specific calculated rate from any segment of the proceeding: 216.01% assigned to Shenyang Kunyu Wood Industry Co., Ltd. ("Kunyu") in a prior administrative review. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 87-88; Wooden Bedroom Furniture from the People's Republic of China: Final Results of the 2004-2005 Semi-Annual New Shipper Reviews, 71 Fed.Reg. 70,739, 70,739 (Dep't Commerce Dec. 6, 2006). Commerce attempted to corroborate Kunyu's rate as to Orient with the finding "that the margin of 216.01 percent was within the range of margins calculated on the record of the instant administrative review." Issues and Decision Memorandum at 88. Commerce found that "[b]ecause the record of this administrative review contains margins within the range of 216.01 percent,... the rate from the 2004 2005 review continues to be relevant for use in this administrative review."
Lifestyle and Orient allege that Commerce erred when it assigned Orient the PRC-wide rate of 216.01% as an AFA rate, despite Orient's separate rate status.
In calculating an AFA rate, Commerce may rely on secondary information, which includes information derived from the petition, a final determination, or any previous review or determination. 19 U.S.C. § 1677e(b); 19 C.F.R. § 351.308(c)(1). Where Commerce uses "secondary information rather than information obtained in the course of an investigation or review," it must corroborate that information by demonstrating that it has probative value. 19 U.S.C. § 1677e(c); KYD, Inc. v. United States, 607 F.3d 760, 765 (Fed.Cir.2010). Here, Commerce chose secondary information a rate from a prior administrative review and therefore needed to corroborate that rate. See Gallant, 602 F.3d at 1325 (recognizing the statutory requirement that secondary information, such as a petition rate, be corroborated).
Corroboration demands that Commerce use reliable facts with "some grounding in commercial reality."
Here, the highest separate rate assigned in the current review to a company other than Orient was 29.89%, which was the rate assigned to eighteen parties. Final
Lifestyle alleges that Commerce erred when it assigned the PRC-wide rate to Dream Rooms. Pl.'s Br. at 41. Commerce assigned Dream Rooms the PRC-wide rate on the basis that Dream Rooms had failed to reply to the supplemental separate rate questionnaire. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 76; Def.'s App. Doc. 130, 446, 475. Lifestyle asserts Dream Rooms never received the supplemental questionnaire. Lifestyle Enter., Inc., Trade Masters of Texas, Inc., Emerald Home Furnishings, LLC and Ron's Warehouse Furniture D/B/A Vineyard Furniture Int'l, LLC Resp. to Mot. for J. on the Agency R. Pursuant to Rule 56.2(c) Filed by the Am. Furniture Manufacturers Comm. for Legal Trade and Vaughan-Bassett Furniture Co., Inc. and Br. in Support Thereof ("Pl.'s Resp. Br.") at 16-17; Def.'s App. Doc. 549. Unlike prior Commerce cases where lack of receipt was supported, here there was no demonstrated error by Commerce, external explanations, or other proof.
AFMC alleges that Commerce erred because, 1) Commerce failed to adequately explain why the limited gross weight data from the World Trade Atlas ("WTA") was more reliable in valuing wood inputs than volume data, including some estimated data, from the Philippines National Statistics Office ("NSO") data, and 2) Commerce improperly accepted and relied upon data submitted in Yihua Timber's rebuttal brief denying AFMC the opportunity to respond. Intervenor Def.'s Br. at 16-22. AFMC asks the court to remand the issue to Commerce for further deliberation on the surrogate value for wood inputs. Id. at 22. This claim has merit.
First, Commerce failed to explain why it chose gross weight data (from the WTA) over volume data (from the NSO). Commerce must explain why volume data are not the superior approach given the patent complications with using gross weight data with wood inputs, such as differences in gross weight between high-moisture green wood imported into the Philippines and kiln-dried wood consumed by Yihua Timber and that different types of packaging of the same wood may result in distortions in the gross-weight data. Intervenor Def.'s Br. at 15, 20-21. Commerce did more than choose between data from the WTA and NSO: It changed the measurement of wood inputs from volume to gross weight without explanation. Differences between the NSO data's net and gross weights fail to explain why the NSO data's volume data is anomalous.
Second, Commerce, contrary to its normal practice, permitted Yihua Timber to submit data in Yihua Timber's response brief and Commerce relied upon the data in the Final Results. See Issues and Decision Memorandum at 6; 19 C.F.R. § 351.301(b)(2) (setting the deadline for submission of factual information to 140 days after initiation of the administrative review). In such a case, parties must receive a full and fair opportunity to respond, which AFMC will have on remand. See Old Republic Ins. Co. v. United States, 645 F.Supp. 943, 956 (CIT 1986) (granting "full opportunity to respond" where a "substantive challenge to plaintiff's affidavit was not made until defendant's final brief").
AFMC alleges that Commerce erred because Commerce failed to, 1) use official Philippine Standard Commodity Classification ("PSCC") descriptions of tariff subheadings in lieu of those published by the WTA, and 2) distinguish between 4411.21 and 4411.29, both of which could have been used given Commerce's reasoning. Intervenor Def.'s Br. at 23-25. This claim has merit.
In the Preliminary Results, Commerce assigned a surrogate value for medium density fiberboard ("MDF") using WTA tariff heading 4411, generally. In the Final Results, Commerce assigned the surrogate value for MDF using only WTA tariff heading 4411.29 because the tariff subheading covered densities from 0.5 g/cc to 0.8 g/cc, providing a more precise value for Yihua Timber's MDF which ranged from 0.45 g/cc to 0.88 g/cc. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 11. Commerce determined that only one other subheading, 4411.39, covered part of the density range reported by Yihua Timber and, therefore, using subheadings which did not have specific densities "would detract from the accuracy of the calculation." Issues and Decision Memorandum at 11-12.
First, Commerce stated as a basis for its decision to use a single subheading rather than an aggregate of subheadings or the broader tariff heading "would detract from the accuracy of the calculation," Issues and Decision Memorandum at 12. But this does not explain why the WTA tariff headings rather than the PSCC tariff
Second, AFMC argues that when Commerce chose to use a subheading rather than a heading, Commerce failed to explain why it selected "Other" MDF under 4411.29 rather than "Not mechanically worked or surface covered" MDF under 4411.21.
In the Preliminary Results, Commerce valued brokerage and handling (B & H) charges at 7.86% of the value of exported merchandise based on the Philippine Tariff Commission's ("PTC") Customs Administrative Order No. 01-2001, using the average of eight shipment value brackets from zero to 200,000 pesos.
AFMC alleges that Commerce failed to calculate a value for handling charges at all because the source of the B & H calculations, the PTC's order, reported only brokerage fees, thus accounting
Yihua Timber alleges that Commerce double-counted when it calculated a surrogate value for PRC B & H where such charges were included in the ME ocean freight B & H.
Commerce selected a surrogate value for electricity from The Cost of Doing Business in Camarines Sur, rejecting Yihua Timber's argument that Commerce should instead use Doing Business in the Philippines. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 22-23. According to Commerce, The Cost of Doing Business in Camarines Sur provides provincial data specific to industrial users of electricity while Doing Business in the Philippines covers a broader geographical area but aggregates residential and commercial customers. Id. at 22.
Yihua Timber alleges that Commerce failed to combine the data sets and use at least some of the data from Doing Business in the Philippines, which provides disaggregated data on industrial electricity usage for one region and business electricity usage for another.
Yihua Timber and AFMC allege that the reliance on financial statements of certain surrogate companies was not supported by substantial evidence. Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 15; Intervenor Def.'s Br. at 27. In general, these claims assert that, 1) Dorbest IV did not foreclose arguments based on
Yihua Timber alleges that Commerce distorted the financial ratio data based on economies of scale because the companies selected, unlike the respondents, were both small in operation and customer base, had a different production process than Yihua Timber, or had financial ratio data which was aberrational or double-counted significant costs.
In Dorbest IV, the respondent challenged Commerce's use of seven companies where the larger companies had SG & A ratios of 24.38%, 13.53%, and 10.44% and the smaller companies had SG & A ratios of 31.51%, 34.39%, 47.30%, and 15.66%. Dorbest IV, 604 F.3d at 1374. Like Yihua Timber, respondent's argument was based on the concept that the size of the companies distorted the SG & A ratio. Id. The Federal Circuit found that excluding smaller companies based on distortions in economies of scale would also necessitate excluding the larger companies based on economies of scale, thereby impermissibly excluding all data from all surrogate companies. Dorbest IV therefore held that Commerce can rely on certain financial surrogate companies' financial statements even where distortions based on economies of scale exist without explaining what factor or factors beyond company size determine a company's SG & A ratio. See id. Yihua Timber unconvincingly attempts to distinguish the instant case from Dorbest IV on the basis that factual proof exists that "[t]here is an unambiguous divide between the aggregate SG & A and overhead ratios of the four smaller and four larger surrogate companies." Consol. Pl.'s Reply Br. at 5. Yihua Timber's attempt to demonstrate a distortion based on economies of scale is misplaced because an unambiguous divide between SG & A and OH ratios does not exist. For example, Global Classics, the seventh of eight companies in terms of size has the third smallest SG & A ratio. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 41. Even if this case were distinguishable from Dorbest IV, Commerce provided a reasonable explanation that economies of scale did not distort the financial ratios because Commerce found no "sufficient relationship between company size and financial ratios to warrant the exclusion of companies Yihua Timber has designated as
Commerce concluded that Arkane was a producer of comparable merchandise because it did not have a significant mining operation. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 42-43; App. to Guangdong Yihua Timber Industry Co., Ltd.'s Reply Br. in Supp. of Its Rule 56.2 Mot. for J. on the Agency R. ("Consol. Pl.'s Reply App.") Tab 10, at Ex. 18. Commerce identified two conflicting statements in Arkane's financial statements, which referred to Arkane as, "a family owned corporation principally engaged in the manufacturing of Rattan and wood furniture for export," and as, "engaged in small scale mining." Issues and Decision Memorandum at 42. Commerce found the latter statement insignificant because other "record evidence provides a reasonable basis to conclude that Arkane is, in fact, engaged primarily in the production of furniture and not mining," relying on the Articles of Incorporation, secondary purposes of the corporation, and the absence of other references to mining in the financial statements. Id. at 42-43.
AFMC alleges Commerce erred when it admitted Arkane's financial statements to calculate surrogate financial ratios because Commerce incorrectly found that Arkane did not have a major mining operation. Intervenor Def.'s Br. at 27-30. In creating surrogate values, Commerce uses data from producers of "comparable merchandise," considering end uses, physical characteristics, and production processes. See Issues and Decision Memorandum for the Final Results of Administrative Review of Certain Cased Pencils from the People's Republic of China, A-570-827, ARP 12/01/1999 11/30/2000, at 14-18 (July 25, 2002), available at http:// ia.ita.doc.gov/frn/summary/prc/02-18856-1. pdf (last visited Feb. 10, 2011). Commerce, therefore, was merely obligated to show substantial evidence that Arkane was a significant producer of wooden furniture production. 19 U.S.C. § 1677b(c)(1). In determining Arkane did not engage in significant mining operations, Commerce permissibly chose between two acceptable inconsistent conclusions. See Consolo v. Fed. Maritime Comm'n, 383 U.S. 607, 620, 86 S.Ct. 1018, 16 L.Ed.2d 131 (1966); Issues and Decision Memorandum at 42.
AFMC further alleges that if Arkane did not have a mining operation, Arkane's financial statements were unreliable because of the narrative error. Intervenor Def.'s Br. at 27-30. Where Commerce does not rely upon fundamentally flawed or incomplete financial statements, minor narrative inconsistencies do not tend to render entire financial statements invalid. Compare Issues and Decision Memorandum for the Administrative Review of Chlorinated Isocyanurates from the People's Republic of China, A-570-898 ARP 06/01/2007 05/31/2008, at 11-13 (Dec. 14, 2009), available at http://ia.ita.doc.gov/frn/ summary/prc/E9-29731-1.pdf (last visited Feb. 10, 2011) (accounting irregularities sufficient to invalidate surrogate companies), with Issues and Decision Memorandum for the Antidumping Duty Investigation of Certain Frozen Fish Fillets from the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, A-552-801, at 76-78 (June 16, 2003), available at http://ia.ita.doc.gov/frn/summary/vietnam/ 03-15794-1.pdf (last visited Feb. 10, 2011) (articles questioning the clarity of price data from financial statements do not render
Commerce determined that Diretso Design produced comparable wooden furniture to Yihua Timber and, therefore, Diretso Design's financial statements were sufficiently specific. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 43. In doing so, it relied on website printouts of www.diretso.com to determine that the products were comparable. Id. Yihua Timber alleges that Commerce confused two distinct companies, Diretso Design and Diretso Trading, and thereby subjected Yihua Timber to an aberrationally high SG & A rate of 70.37%. Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 22. Yihua Timber bases its claim on website printouts that describe "Diretso Trading" then show images of www.diretso.com, a website which does not identify itself as belonging to either Diretso Trading or Diretso Design. Id. at 23; Def.'s App. Doc. 431, at Attach. 6. Yihua Timber's contention before Commerce was that the evidence, "is not a description of Diretso Design, but rather, of Diretso Trading (perhaps a Sister Company)." See Def.'s App. Doc. 559, at 34. Commerce did not respond to this comment in the Final Results and therefore does not provide substantial evidence to support its use of Diretso Design. See Issues and Decision Memorandum at 43.
In the alternative, Yihua Timber alleges that the evidence on the record does not support the conclusion that the Diretso identified by Commerce produces comparable wooden furniture. Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 24. Commerce relied on the website printouts as evidence that Diretso Design produces comparable merchandise, demonstrating that Diretso Design produced sofas, chairs, tables, and accessories.
Yihua Timber alleges Commerce improperly selected Las Palmas because Commerce failed to provide substantial evidence explaining Las Palmas's extensive sales operation as well as its retail aspect. Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 25-26. Commerce concurs that Las Palmas sells furniture at both retail and wholesale and has a large sales operation, but contends that the sales operations and retail presence need not be explained because surrogate
Yihua Timber alleges that SCT, like Diretso Design and Las Palmas, is not operationally similar to Yihua Timber and does not produce comparable merchandise because SCT, 1) does not produce a significant amount of wooden furniture, 2) sells to retail businesses as opposed to contract orders at the wholesale level therefore having a different marketing and advertising operation, and 3) produces dining room and living room furnishings. Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 28. First, Commerce correctly relied on evidence in the record that SCT produces wooden furniture.
Yihua Timber alleges that Commerce's reliance on Global Classic's financial statements was impermissible because Global Classic does not have a comparable production process. Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 30-31. Yihua Timber asks the court to reject Commerce's use of Global Classic's financial statements. Commerce included Global Classic's contracting expenses as factory overhead cost, leading to a 74.77% overhead ratio, more than twice the other surrogate companies. See Issues and Decision Memorandum at 40-41. Global Classic's contracting expenses are 53% of its materials, labor, and energy ("MLE"). Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 31. Global Classic's data does not indicate if labor is contracted out. In contrast, Yihua Timber does not use contractors at all in its production process. Consol. Pl.'s App. Tab 3, at 10. Although, as the Government claims, Commerce need not "duplicate the exact production experience," in determining the production experience of the NME respondent, Nation Ford Chem. Co. v. United States, 166 F.3d 1373, 1377 (Fed.Cir.1999), Commerce must select surrogate companies that engage in a comparable production process. See Shanghai Foreign Trade Enters. Co. v. United States, 318 F.Supp.2d 1339, 1348 (CIT 2004). As indicated, the record does not indicate whether Global Classic's contracts are for materials and energy or for labor if the contracts were for the latter Global Classic would have a fundamentally different production process. Commerce need not exclude every company with an outlying factory overhead ratio or SG & A ratio, however, significant statistical outliers require that Commerce provide an explanation as to how the company maintains a comparable production process. In this case the contrasting experiences cast considerable doubt on the comparability of the production processes. The inflated SG & A ratio requires an explanation that Commerce failed to provide. Commerce must explain or exclude Global Classic from the calculation.
In the Final Results, Commerce rejected data from Insular Rattan on the basis that such data were incomplete according to the Philippines' Statement of Financial Accounting Standards ("SFAS") because the record contained a tax return but not the notes or accounting policies. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 35.
Yihua Timber alleges that data on the record were complete and reliable because Commerce misread the record to include a requirement that the record contain not only tax returns but also notes and accounting policies. See Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 33. Yihua Timber's argues that Commerce had the same evidence before it in the second administrative review and decided to rely on Insular Rattan's financial statements. See id. at 32-33. In this case, as opposed to the second administrative review, new facts were placed on the record regarding the Philippine requirement for notes to financial statements. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 35. The SFAS policies placed on the record in this review support Commerce's assertion that the SFAS considers notes and accounting policies an integral part of complete financial records. Intervenor Def.'s Resp.App. Tab 12. Commerce was apparently unaware of this policy during the second administrative review and therefore relied upon Insular Rattan's documents. The new requirements placed on the record in this review constitute new
Yihua Timber alleges that Commerce double-counted by including surrogate companies' indirect materials and indirect labor in factory overhead while requiring Yihua Timber to report indirect materials and indirect labor as MLE. Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 34-35. Yihua Timber asks the court to remand so that Commerce can disqualify higher ratio companies as dissimilar producers of comparable merchandise or realign the factory overhead and MLE of surrogate companies with Yihua Timber's. Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 41. This claim lacks merit.
Commerce found that Yihua Timber had failed to provide a line-item analysis of its indirect materials. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 53. Additionally, Commerce determined that, "each of the surrogate companies has a distinct line-item for labor, as well as energy and materials," and therefore found "no evidence that direct material, labor, or energy costs are included in the subcontracting expenses line-items." Id. at 56. Once Commerce selects surrogate companies, Commerce has some discretion in valuing NME overhead, "[a]s factory overhead is composed of many different elements, the cost for individual items may depend largely on the accounting method used by the particular factory." Magnesium Corp. of Am., 166 F.3d at 1372; see GPX III, 715 F.Supp.2d at 1353. The court has previously affirmed the methodology used in the instant case. See Shanghai Foreign Trade, 318 F.Supp.2d at 1341; Hebei Metals & Minerals Imp. & Exp., 366 F.Supp.2d 1264, 1277 n. 7 (CIT 2005). Commerce has no requirement "to do an item-by-item analysis in calculating factory overhead." Magnesium Corp. of Am., 166 F.3d at 1372.
Yihua Timber alleges Commerce erred when it treated "period changes in the value of work-in-process and/or finished goods inventory in addition to, or subtracted from, the surrogate producer's cost of materials," because accounting in the Philippines, "assigns the costs of both MLE and factory overhead costs to work-in-process and finished inventory." Consol.
Yihua Timber further alleges that Commerce erred in not deducting Maitland-Smith's exchange rate gain from SG & A expenses, thus overstating Maitland-Smith's financial ratios. Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 47-48. Yihua Timber provides no citation indeed because no citation exists in this record that this is common practice, as it alleges. Furthermore, Yihua Timber raised this issue for the first time on rebuttal, thus likely failing to exhaust administrative remedies. See Dorbest IV, 604 F.3d at 1375-76.
Yihua Timber alleges that Commerce failed to reduce normal value whenever normal value "constitutes a more advanced stage of distribution than the level of trade of the constructed export price," 19 U.S.C. § 1677b(a)(7)(B), because Yihua Timber's constructed export price, i.e. the U.S. price, is at a level of trade involving no significant selling expenses whereas several of the surrogate companies used for determining normal value are smaller design shops selling at retail. Consol. Pl.'s Br. at 48; see also 19 U.S.C. § 1677b(a)(7)(B). Commerce has discretion not to apply a constructed export price offset where it cannot accurately determine the specific indirect selling expenses incurred on sales reflected in the surrogate financial statements because "the plain language of the statute" permits Commerce "the discretion to determine what other expenses will be included in its calculation of NV in an NME." GPX III, 715 F.Supp.2d at 1348-49; see GPX Int'l Tire Corp. v. United States, 645 F.Supp.2d 1231, 1246 n. 14 (CIT 2009) (Because of the lack of detailed surrogate information, Commerce need not make "fine-tuned adjustments" to NV such as constructed export price offsets). Here, Commerce found that Yihua Timber failed to submit adequate evidence concerning its selling functions and the selling functions of the surrogate companies. Issues and Decision Memorandum at 58-59. To date,
Commerce requests a voluntary remand to redetermine the surrogate value for Yihua Timber's labor costs in light of Dorbest IV.
AFMC alleges that in the Final Results Commerce erroneously compared normal value to U.S. sales price without properly accounting for statutory deductions where the deductions resulted in a negative value for U.S. price.
AFMC alleges Commerce erred when it declined to impose combination rates on
Commerce has a duty to prevent circumvention of AD law and may do so by imposing combination rates.
For all the foregoing reasons, the court remands the matter for Commerce to explain or otherwise resolve Orient's separate rate, the data set for wood inputs, the tariff heading for medium density fiberboard, whether Diretso and Global Classic produce comparable merchandise through a comparable production process, surrogate labor value, and negative export pricing.
Commerce shall file its remand determination with the court within 90 days of this date. The parties have 30 days thereafter to file objections, and the Government will have 15 days thereafter to file its response.
Up to 10,000 pesos 13.00% Over 10,000 pesos to 20,000 pesos 10.00% Over 20,000 pesos to 30,000 pesos 9.00% Over 30,000 pesos to 40,000 pesos 8.25% Over 40,000 pesos to 50,000 pesos 7.20% Over 50,000 pesos to 60,000 pesos 6.67% Over 60,000 pesos to 100,000 pesos 4.70% Over 100,000 pesos to 200,000 pesos 2.65% Average Percentage 7.68%
Pl.'s Resp.App. Tab 15, at Attach. 3.