Crawfish Processors Alliance v. United States

Slip Op. 04-47

UNITED STATES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

BEFORE: SENIOR JUDGE NICHOLAS TSOUCALAS
________________________________________
CRAWFISH PROCESSORS ALLIANCE; :
LOUISIANA DEPARTMENT OF :
AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY; :
BOB ODOM, COMMISSIONER, :
:
Plaintiffs, :
:
v. :
:
UNITED STATES, :
:
Defendant, :
:
and : Consol. Court No.
: 02-00376
HONTEX ENTERPRISES, INC., d/b/a :
LOUISIANA PACKING COMPANY; :
QINGDAO RIRONG FOODSTUFF CO., LTD. :
and YANCHENG HAITENG AQUATIC :
PRODUCTS & FOODS CO., LTD; :
BO ASIA, INC., GRAND NOVA :
INTERNATIONAL, INC., PACIFIC :
COAST FISHERIES CORP., :
FUJIAN PELAGIC FISHERY GROUP CO., :
QINGDAO ZHENGRI SEAFOOD CO., LTD. :
and YANGCHENG YAOU SEAFOOD CO., :
:
Defendant-Intervenors :
and Plaintiffs. :
________________________________________:

This consolidated action concerns the motion of plaintiffs,
Crawfish Processors Alliance, Louisiana Department of Agriculture
and Forestry, and Bob Odom, Commissioner (collectively “CPA”) and
plaintiffs and defendant-intervenors, Hontex Enterprises, Inc.,
d/b/a Louisiana Packing Company (“Hontex”), Qingdao Rirong
Foodstuff Co., Ltd. (“Qingdao”), Yancheng Haiteng Aquatic Products
& Foods Co., Ltd. (“Yancheng”), Bo Asia, Inc. (“Bo Asia”), Grand
Nova International, Inc. (“Grand Nova”), Pacific Coast Fisheries
Corp. (“Pacific Coast”), Fujian Pelagic Fishery Group Co.
(“Fujian”) and Yangcheng Yaou Seafood Co. (“Yaou”) (collectively
“Plaintiffs/Defendant-Intervenors”), pursuant to USCIT R. 56.2 for
judgment upon the agency record challenging various aspects of the
United States Department of Commerce, International Trade
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 2

Administration’s (“Commerce”) final results entitled Notice of
Final Results of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review, and Final
Partial Recission of Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of
Freshwater Crawfish Tail Meat from the People’s Republic of China
(“Final Results”), 67 Fed. Reg. 19,546 (Apr. 22, 2002).

Specifically, Plaintiffs/Defendant-Intervenors contend that
Commerce’s determination to select Australia as the appropriate
surrogate country for valuation of whole live crawfish was not
supported by substantial evidence or in accordance with law. CPA
argues that Commerce’s determination to use the list prices from a
single Australian company was not the “best available information”
of prices for crawfish used in the production of tail meat exported
by Chinese crawfish companies. Additionally, CPA complains that
Commerce improperly rejected information submitted regarding a
possible affiliation between Qingdao and another Chinese crawfish
exporter. Qingdao and Yancheng contend that Commerce erred in its
application of a dry-to-wet weight conversion ratio to the crawfish
shells by-product factor calculation. Hontex complains that
Commerce improperly rejected certain Hontex filings as untimely
submitted new factual information, and that Commerce erred in
assigning a single rate to Ningbo Nanlian (“Nanlian”) and Jiangsu
Hilong International Trading Company, Ltd. (“Jiangsu”). Bo Asia,
Grand Nova, Pacific Coast, Fujian, Yaou and Hontex also complain
that Commerce’s failure to issue a timely final determination
renders the Final Results void ab initio. Bo Asia, Grand Nova,
Pacific Coast, Fujian and Yaou contend that: (1) Commerce failed to
find that Fujian and Pacific Coast were “affiliated” parties; (2)
Commerce erred in assigning Yaou an “adverse facts available”
margin; and (3) the statutory provisions for the disbursement of
collected antidumping duties to domestic interested parties require
Commerce to change its procedures during the administrative review
at issue.

Held: CPA and Plaitiff/Defendant-Intervenors’ 56.2 motion is
granted in part and denied in part. Case remanded to Commerce with
instructions to (1) include the submissions made by Hontex on March
19, 2002, and March 20, 2002, as part of the administrative record
and explain what bearing, if any, these submissions have on
Commerce’s final determination; and (2) sufficiently articulate (a)
why its collapsing methodology for non-market economy exporters is
a permissible interpretation of the antidumping duty statute; and
(b) why its findings warranted the collapsing of Jiangsu and
Nanlian.

Date: May 6, 2004
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 3

Adduci, Mastriani & Schaumberg, L.L.P. (Will E. Leonard and
John C. Steinberger) for Crawfish Processors Alliance, Louisiana
Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and Bob Odom, Commissioner,
plaintiffs.

Coudert Brothers LLP (John M. Gurley and Matthew J. McConkey)
for Hontex Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a Louisiana Packing Company,
plaintiff and defendant-intervenor.

White & Case (William J. Clinton, Adams C. Lee and Jonathan
Seiger) for Qingdao Rirong Foodstuff Co., Ltd. and Yancheng Haiteng
Aquatic Products & Foods Co., Ltd., plaintiffs and defendant-
intervenors.

Garvey Schubert Barer (William E. Perry, Lizabeth R. Levinson
and John C. Kalitka) for Bo Asia, Inc., Grand Nova International,
Inc., Pacific Coast Fisheries Corp., Fujian Pelagic Fishery Group
Co., Qingdao Zhengri Seafood Co., Ltd. and Yangcheng Yaou Seafood
Co., plaintiffs and defendant-intervenors.

Peter D. Keisler, Assistant Attorney General; David M. Cohen,
Director, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, United
States Department of Justice (David S. Silverbrand); of counsel:
Arthur D. Sidney, Office of the Chief Counsel for Import
Administration, United States Department of Commerce, for the
United States, defendant.

OPINION

TSOUCALAS, Senior Judge: This consolidated action concerns the

motion of plaintiffs, Crawfish Processors Alliance, Louisiana

Department of Agriculture and Forestry, and Bob Odom, Commissioner

(collectively “CPA”) and plaintiffs and defendant-intervenors,

Hontex Enterprises, Inc., d/b/a Louisiana Packing Company

(“Hontex”), Qingdao Rirong Foodstuff Co., Ltd. (“Qingdao”),

Yancheng Haiteng Aquatic Products & Foods Co., Ltd. (“Yancheng”),

Bo Asia, Inc. (“Bo Asia”), Grand Nova International, Inc. (“Grand

Nova”), Pacific Coast Fisheries Corp. (“Pacific Coast”), Fujian
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 4

Pelagic Fishery Group Co. (“Fujian”) and Yangcheng Yaou Seafood Co.

(“Yaou”) (collectively “Plaintiffs/Defendant-Intervenors”),1

pursuant to USCIT R. 56.2 for judgment upon the agency record

challenging various aspects of the United States Department of

Commerce, International Trade Administration’s (“Commerce”) final

results entitled Notice of Final Results of Antidumping Duty

Administrative Review, and Final Partial Recission of Antidumping

Duty Administrative Review of Freshwater Crawfish Tail Meat from

the People’s Republic of China (“Final Results”), 67 Fed. Reg.

19,546 (Apr. 22, 2002).

Specifically, Plaintiffs/Defendant-Intervenors contend that

Commerce’s determination to select Australia as the appropriate

surrogate country for valuation of whole live crawfish was not

supported by substantial evidence or in accordance with law. CPA

argues that Commerce’s determination to use the list prices from a

single Australian company was not the “best available information”

of prices for crawfish used in the production of tail meat exported

by Chinese crawfish companies. Additionally, CPA complains that

Commerce improperly rejected information submitted regarding a

possible affiliation between Qingdao and another Chinese crawfish

1
The Court notes that while Qingdao Zhengri Seafood Co.,
Ltd. (“Qingdao Zhengri”) filed a complaint against the United
States, it did not file with the Court a motion pursuant to USCIT
R. 56.2 for judgment upon the agency record.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 5

exporter. Qingdao and Yancheng contend that Commerce erred in its

application of a dry-to-wet weight conversion ratio to the crawfish

shells by-product factor calculation. Hontex complains that

Commerce improperly rejected certain Hontex filings as untimely

submitted new factual information, and that Commerce erred in

assigning a single rate to Ningbo Nanlian (“Nanlian”) and Jiangsu

Hilong International Trading Company, Ltd. (“Jiangsu”). Bo Asia,

Grand Nova, Pacific Coast, Fujian, Yaou and Hontex also complain

that Commerce’s failure to issue a timely final determination

renders the Final Results void ab initio. Bo Asia, Grand Nova,

Pacific Coast, Fujian and Yaou contend that: (1) Commerce failed to

find that Fujian and Pacific Coast were “affiliated” parties; (2)

Commerce erred in assigning Yaou an “adverse facts available”

margin; and (3) the statutory provisions for the disbursement of

collected antidumping duties to domestic interested parties require

Commerce to change its procedures during the administrative review

at issue.

BACKGROUND

The administrative review at issue involves the period of

review (“POR”) covering September 1, 1999, through August 31,

2000.2 See Final Results, 67 Fed. Reg. at 19,546. Commerce

2
Since the administrative review at issue was initiated
after December 31, 1994, the applicable law is the antidumping
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 6

published the preliminary results of the subject review on October

12, 2001. See Notice of Preliminary Results of Antidumping Duty

Administrative Review and Preliminary Partial Recision of

Antidumping Duty Administrative Review of Freshwater Crawfish Tail

Meat From the People’s Republic of China (“Preliminary Results”),

66 Fed. Reg. 52,100.

JURISDICTION

The Court has jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to 19

U.S.C. § 1516a (2000) and 28 U.S.C. § 1581(c) (2000).

STANDARD OF REVIEW

The Court will uphold Commerce’s final determination in an

antidumping administrative review unless it is “unsupported by

substantial evidence on the record, or otherwise not in accordance

with law . . . .” 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(b)(1)(B)(I) (1994); see NTN

Bearing Corp. of Am. v. United States, 24 CIT 385, 389-90, 104 F.

Supp. 2d 110, 115-16 (2000) (detailing Court’s standard of review

in antidumping proceedings).

statute as amended by the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (“URAA”),
Pub. L. No. 103-465, 108 Stat. 4809 (1994) (effective January 1,
1995). See Torrington Co. v. United States, 68 F.3d 1347, 1352
(Fed. Cir. 1995) (citing URAA § 291(a)(2), (b) (noting effective
date of URAA amendments)).
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 7

DISCUSSION

I. Commerce Properly Determined to Select Australia as the
Surrogate Country for Valuation of Whole Live Freshwater
Crawfish

A. Contentions of the Parties

1. Plaintiff/Defendant-Intervenors’ Contentions

Plaintiff/Defendant-Intervenors generally contend that

Commerce erred in rejecting Spain and choosing Australia as the

source of surrogate values for live crawfish. See Pls. Qingdao

Yancheng R. 56.2 Mot. J. Upon Agency R. (“Qingdao & Yancheng’s

Mem.”) at 8-25; Br. Supp. Pls.’ Mot. J. Agency R. (“Bo Asia’s Br.”)

at 27-30; Mem. Supp. Mot. J. Upon Agency R. (“Hontex’s Mem.”) at 4-

15. Bo Asia, Grand Nova, Fujian and Yaou (collectively “Bo Asia et

al.”) add that Commerce ignored the best available information on

the record by choosing Australian data rather than data from

Mexico, a country with an economy more comparable to China. See Bo

Asia’s Br. at 29-30.

Specifically, Qingdao, Yancheng and Hontex first assert that

Commerce abandoned its prior practice of using Spanish import data

to establish the surrogate value for live crawfish. See Qingdao &

Yancheng’s Mem. at 9-10; Hontex’s Mem. at 10. Qingdao and Yancheng

further contend that Commerce must meet a high evidentiary standard

and thoroughly explain its reasons for departing from its prior

practice. See Qingdao & Yancheng’s Mem. at 15. Commerce’s
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 8

rejection of Spanish data was based upon the observation that

import data used in previous reviews indicated a drastic decline in

the amount of imports of live crawfish into Spain from Portugal.

See Qingdao & Yancheng’s Mem. at 10. Commerce failed to articulate

its reasons for discontinuing the use of Spanish import data and

why it rejected all forms of data on Spanish prices for live

crawfish. See id. at 10-11. Moreover, Qingdao and Yancheng

maintain that Commerce should have considered other sources of

Spanish data that could be substituted for the Spanish import data

used in previous reviews. See id. at 11.

Second, Qingdao, Yancheng and Hontex take issue with

Commerce’s reasons for rejecting alternative Spanish crawfish data

submitted by interested parties. See id. at 15-17; Hontex’s Mem.

at 6-9. Contrary to Commerce’s determination, the data entitled

Estudio Sobre el Impacto Económico del Sector de Congrejo de Rio en

Andalucia (the “Spanish Study”) was an official government report

sanctioned by the regional government of Andalusia, which “approved

the study, developed and issued the questionnaire that was used to

collect data used in the study, and financed the printing of both

the questionnaire and the eventual study.” Qingdao & Yancheng’s

Mem. at 16; see also Hontex’s Mem. at 6. Hontex asserts that

“[n]owhere in the record is it apparent that the [Spanish Study]

was not a ‘government product at all.’” Hontex’s Mem. at 7. In
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 9

addition, Commerce has traditionally relied on similar broad,

industry-wide averages and estimates as surrogate values. See

Qingdao & Yancheng’s Mem. at 17-19. The data contained in the

Spanish Study demonstrates that Spain was an important market for

live crawfish during the POR, “so that prices of that input could

reasonably be used as surrogate values in this proceeding.” Id. at

17. Accordingly, Qingdao, Yancheng and Hontex complain that

Commerce improperly determined that the Spanish Study was

unreliable and rejected the use of Spanish prices to establish the

surrogate value for live crawfish.

Third, Qingdao and Yancheng argue that Commerce “erred in

failing to ensure that the [Spanish Study] really was unacceptable

as a source of surrogate data before moving on to use the

Australian yabby surrogate value data.” Id. at 25. Qingdao and

Yancheng further complain that Commerce failed to collect the same

type of information regarding crawfish and the crawfish tail meat

industries during its trip to Spain and Australia. See id. at 21-

25. Commerce’s analysts during their respective trips “met and

interviewed the same types of government officials and industry

representatives in both countries, [yet they] failed to ask them

the same, or even comparable, questions.” Id. at 22. Commerce,

for example, failed to collect and report the price of live

crawfish in Spain while it did so during its Australia trip. See
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 10

id. Qingdao & Yancheng deduce that Commerce’s divergent approach

to the Spanish Study and data from Australia “demonstrates clearly

that [Commerce’s] decision to reject the [Spanish Study], and hence

Spain as a source for price data on which to establish a surrogate

value for live crawfish, was arbitrary and not supported by

substantial evidence.” Id. at 24.

Commerce’s regulations require it to use prices or costs of

factors of production (“FOP”) in a market economy that is

comparable in economic development with the non-market economy

(“NME”) country under investigation. See Hontex’s Mem. at 10

(citing 19 C.F.R. § 351.408(b) (1999)). Here, record evidence

indicates that Spain and not Australia is closer to China’s

economic development and, therefore, the better source of surrogate

value data for live crawfish. See Hontex’s Mem. at 10-11. Hontex

asserts that “[s]ince Spain’s per capita income is closer to China

than that of Australia, if the surrogate data is equally valid,

then the statutory preference is for Spain.” Hontex’s Mem. at 11

(emphasis in original). The growing season, species and genus of

crawfish harvested by Spain is identical to that in China, while

such is not the case for Australia. See id. at 14; Qingdao &

Yancheng’s Mem. at 24-25. While Commerce “prefers to use surrogate

data for identical merchandise,” here Commerce used the price for

Australian yabbies, which is not identical merchandise. Hontex’s
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 11

Mem. at 14 (emphasis in original). In Australia, the “‘yabby’ is

harvested and sold predominantly in live form, and is not typically

processed into tail meat . . . [while in Spain,] the majority of

live crawfish are used for processing.” Qingdao & Yancheng’s Mem.

at 13. While Australian processors use only the smallest or

deformed yabbies, Spanish processors, like those in China, use all

sizes of crawfish to produce tail meat. See id. at 13-14.

Consequently, Spain’s prices for live crawfish are more similar to

those in China and, therefore, are the “best available” surrogate

values.

Qingdao and Yancheng concede that prices of live crawfish in

Spain were lower than prices in Australia. See id. at 12-13. They

argue, however, that prices in Spain were not aberrational in

comparison to world market prices. See id. The prices Commerce

used “were likely artificially high and inappropriate for use to

establish surrogate values for live crawfish input into crawfish

tail meat production.” Id. at 13. Hontex argues that Commerce

improperly relied on Australian prices for live crawfish “that were

based on a relatively insignificant quantity.” Hontex’s Mem. at

12. While Spain produced 2,721 metric tons of live crawfish during

the POR, Australia only produced 419 metric tons of live crawfish

during the same period. See id. In addition, Commerce “relied

upon a single price from a single producer in Australia,” whereas
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 12

the Spanish Study “accounts for a whole industry, not a single

supplier, and covers the whole POR, not a specific moment in time

during the POR.” Id. at 13 (emphasis in original). Consequently,

Spanish data is superior to the Australian data used by Commerce

because it “is more representative of what the price of whole live

crawfish would be in China if that price was set up by market

price.” Id. In subsequent reviews, Commerce has returned to using

Spanish data to establish surrogate values for live crawfish, which

shows that the use of Australian data was wrong. See id. at 14-15.

Bo Asia et al. alternatively argue that the record supports

the use of prices from Mexico to establish the surrogate value for

live crawfish. See Bo Asia’s Br. at 27-30. There is evidence

establishing the existence of a commercial crawfish industry in the

Mexican State of Veracruz, and the exportation of frozen crawfish

tail meat to the United States. See id. at 27-28. Bo Asia et al.

maintain that, based on gross national income (“GNI”) per capita

data obtained from the World Bank, Mexico is closer to China than

Australia in terms of economic development. See id. at 29.

Consequently, if Spanish data is not used to establish surrogate

values, then Mexican data for live crawfish is the “best available

information.” See id. at 29-30.

2. Commerce’s Contentions

Commerce responds that its decision to use Australia as the
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 13

surrogate country to value the crawfish input is supported by

record evidence and in accordance with law. See Def.’s Mem. Opp.

Pls.’ Mots. J. Upon Agency R. (“Commerce’s Mem.”) at 14-27.

Commerce is only required, to the extent possible, to select a

surrogate country with economic development comparable to that of

China. See id. at 14. While Australia’s economic development was

substantially higher than China’s, Commerce used Australia because

it was the only market economy country with significant production

of comparable merchandise. See id. at 16-17. Commerce’s

regulations “anticipate the possibility of using market economy

countries that are not at a level of economic development

comparable to China.” Id. at 16. Commerce opines that Australia’s

annual crawfish production of approximately 290 metric tons was

significant for its purposes. See id. at 19. In considering

whether Australian yabbies are comparable to Chinese crawfish,

Commerce determined that yabbies are generally larger. See id. at

17. Commerce found, however, that Australian yabbies weighing 30

to 40 grams or blemished yabbies were comparable to Chinese

crawfish in size and constituted the “best available information.”

See id. at 26.

Commerce asserts that it considered record evidence regarding

Spanish and Mexican price data, but found that Australian data was

the “best available information.” See id. at 17. Commerce
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 14

maintains that the Spanish Study was not a government report

because it was paid for by the owner of a crawfish processor, which

competes with other Andulician crawfish processors. See id. at 18.

Furthermore, the Spanish Study did not contain complete price data

and was based on estimates rather than actual transactions. See

id. If interested parties “wanted Commerce to consider

‘alternative’ Spanish prices, it was incumbent upon them to provide

price data to Commerce.” Id. at 20. Based on these findings,

Commerce determined that the Spanish data was not reliable and,

therefore, not the “best available information.” See id. at 19.

With regard to Mexico, Commerce determined that it was not a

significant producer of comparable merchandise. See id. at 20.

Record evidence did not establish that Mexico had a commercial

freshwater crawfish industry. See id. at 21. Commerce found that

statistics gathered by the local Mexican government “are not

limited to crawfish, are not collected regularly, and are not

representative because these statistics are limited to only two

months.” Id. at 22. Consequently, Commerce contends that it

properly determined that Mexican crawfish price data was also not

the “best available information.”

B. Analysis

The Court's role in the case at bar is not to evaluate whether

the information Commerce used was the best available, but rather
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 15

whether Commerce's choice of information is reasonable.3 See China

Nat'l Mach. Imp. & Exp. Corp. v. United States, 27 CIT ___, ___,

264 F. Supp. 2d 1229, 1236 (2003). Commerce's discretion in

choosing its information is limited by the statute's ultimate goal

“to construct the product's normal value as it would have been if

the NME country were a market economy country.” Rhodia Inc. v.

United States, 25 CIT ___, ___, 185 F. Supp. 2d 1343, 1351 (2001).

While Commerce enjoys broad discretion in determining what

constitutes the best information available to calculate NV,

Commerce may not act arbitrarily in reaching its decision. If

Commerce's determination of what constitutes the best available

information is reasonable, then the Court must defer to Commerce.

Here, Commerce’s determination of what constitutes the best

available information is based on sound reasoning. For the reasons

set forth below, the Court finds that Commerce’s determinations—

that the Spanish data was unreliable and that Mexico was not a

significant producer of comparable merchandise—were reasonable.

3
The statute’s silence regarding the definition of “best
available information” provides Commerce with “broad discretion to
determine the ‘best available information’ in a reasonable manner
on a case-by-case basis.” Timken Co. v. United States, 25 CIT ___,
___, 166 F. Supp. 2d 608, 616 (2001). Furthermore, in evaluating
the data, the statute does not require Commerce to follow any
single approach. See Luoyang Bearing Factory v. United States, 26
CIT ___, ___, 240 F. Supp. 2d 1268, 1284 (2002).
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 16

In conducting an administrative review, Commerce determines

the antidumping duty margin by taking the difference between the

normal value (“NV”) and the United States price of the merchandise.

When merchandise is produced in an NME country, such as the

People's Republic of China (“PRC”), there is a presumption that

exports are under the control of the state. Section 1677b(c) of

Title 19 of the United States Code provides that, “the valuation of

the factors of production shall be based on the best available

information regarding the values of such factors in a market

economy country or countries considered to be appropriate by

[Commerce].” 19 U.S.C. § 1677b(c)(1) (1994). The statute,

however, does not define the phrase “best available information,”

it only provides that, “[Commerce], in valuing factors of

production . . . shall utilize, to the extent possible, the prices

or costs of factors of production in one or more market economy

countries that are—(A) at a level of economic development

comparable to that of the nonmarket economy country, and (B)

significant producers of comparable merchandise.” 19 U.S.C. §

1677b(c)(4). To determine the comparability of a market economy

country’s economic development with that of an NME country,

Commerce “will place primary emphasis on per capita GDP as the

measure of economic comparability.” 19 C.F.R. § 351.408(b) (1999).

Nonetheless, Commerce is given broad discretion “to determine

margins as accurately as possible, and to use the best information
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 17

available to it in doing so.” Lasko Metal Prods., Inc. v. United

States, 43 F.3d 1442, 1443 (Fed. Cir. 1994).

The antidumping duty statute authorizes, but does not mandate

that Commerce use surrogate countries to estimate the value of the

FOP. In legislative history, Congress provided Commerce with

guidance by stating that, “in valuing such [FOP], Commerce shall

avoid using any prices which it has reason to believe or suspect

may be dumped or subsidized prices.” H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 100-576,

at 590 (1988), reprinted in 1988 U.S.C.C.A.N. 1547, 1623 (“House

Report”). The House Report further states that, “the conferees do

not intend for Commerce to conduct a formal investigation to ensure

that such prices are not dumped or subsidized, but rather intend

that Commerce base its decision on information generally available

to it at that time.” H.R. Conf. Rep. No. 100-576, at 590-91,

reprinted in 1988 U.S.C.C.A.N. at 1623-24.

In the case at bar, Plaintiff/Defendant-Intervenors take issue

with Commerce’s reasoning for rejecting certain record evidence

concerning price data from Spain and Mexico. Commerce responds

that it has discretion to determine the “best available

information,” and that it reasonably concluded that Australian

yabby prices for the valuation of Chinese crawfish was such

information. Section 1677b(c)(1) of Title 19 of the United States

Code directs Commerce to use “the best available information”
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 18

concerning the values for FOP from a market economy when

calculating the NV for a product exported from an NME country, such

as the PRC. See China Nat'l, 27 CIT at ___, 264 F. Supp. 2d at

1234. The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (“CAFC”) has

reasoned that “there is much in the statute [19 U.S.C. §

1677b(c)(1) and (4)] that supports the notion that it is Commerce's

duty to determine margins as accurately as possible, and to use the

best information available to it in doing so.” Lasko, 43 F.3d at

1443; see also Shakeproof Assembly Components, Div. of Ill. Tool

Works, Inc. v. United States, 268 F.3d 1376, 1382 (Fed. Cir. 2001).

In previous reviews, Commerce used data on imports into Spain

from Portugal to value live crawfish input for tail meat. See

Commerce’s Mem. at 5. For the third administrative review,

however, Commerce determined that Spanish imports from Portugal had

significantly decreased and the diminished volume was no longer

sufficient to constitute a basis for the calculation of surrogate

value. See id. Commerce undertook a search for other market

economy country data that would reflect a more substantial volume

of trade. See id. Commerce subsequently selected Australia as the

surrogate country to value freshwater crawfish input. See id. In

doing so, Commerce compared Australian price data to Spanish and

Mexican price data on the record and determined that only the

Australian data was appropriate. Commerce stated that “the Spanish

Study does not consist of a discrete set of data on live crawfish
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 19

prices, regularly maintained and published by government

authorities.” See Issues & Decision Mem.4 at 23.

Qingdao, Yancheng and Hontex contend that Commerce’s reasoning

for finding the Spanish Study unreliable is flawed because it is

“an official government report” and Commerce has “traditionally

accepted this same type of broad-based, industry-wide source of

surrogate value information.” Qingdao & Yancheng Mem. at 16-17;

see Hontex’s Mem. at 6-8. Commerce’s conclusion regarding the

unreliability of the Spanish Study, however, does not rest solely

on wether it was published by government authorities or if it

contains broad-based, industry-wide data. Rather, Commerce noted

that “the price data in the Spanish Study were averages calculated

. . . upon numerous assumptions and possibly incomplete and/or

inaccurate and/or roughly estimated data.” Issues & Decision Mem.

at 25. Commerce reasonably concluded that the Spanish Study does

not indicate how many companies provided information for the

allocations it contained and whether the responses to questions

4
The full title of this document is Issues and Decision
Memorandum for the Final Results of the Antidumping Duty
Administrative Review and Final Partial Recission of Antidumping
Duty Administrative Review of Freshwater Crawfish Tail Meat from
the People’s Republic of China: September 1, 1999 through August
31, 2000, compiled as an appendix to the Final Results, 65 Fed.
Reg. at 19,546 (generally accessible on the internet at
http://ia.ita.doc.gov/frn/summary/prc/02-9802-1.txt). The Court,
in the interest of clarity, will refer to this document as Issues
& Decision Mem. and match pagination to the printed documents
provided by defendant. See e.g., Def.’s Pub. Ex. at Tab 25.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 20

regarding seasonal averages of purchase prices or volumes were

complete. See id.

Commerce notes that the consultant who compiled the Spanish

Study explained to Commerce “that some of the [crawfish] companies

to which he sent the questionnaire provided full responses, and

some provided only partial responses—varying in degree of

completeness.”5 Id. at 24. Commerce reasonably concluded that it

could not determine that there is a “substantial likelihood that

the price information contained within [the Spanish Study] is

comprised of averages and/or is representative of a wide, or

otherwise appropriate, range of prices from within the POR, and not

potentially distorted by the influence and/or special interests of

any private sector parties.” Issues & Decision Mem. at 25-26.

Commerce reasonably determined that the price information contained

in the Spanish Study reflected unchecked, and possibly incomplete,

estimates rather than actual prices.6 Commerce is charged with

5
The questionnaire sent by the consultant who compiled the
Spanish Study “contained [inter alia] requests for a variety of
general information, including the range of products produced by
each [crawfish] company, the percentage of total sales attributable
to crawfish, employment numbers for crawfish production, [and,] the
percentage of production sold to domestic and/or export markets.”
See Issues & Decision Mem. at 23-24.
6
Qingdao and Yancheng contend that Commerce’s rejection of
the data in the Spanish Study is inconsistent with Commerce’s
“established preference to base surrogate values on industry-wide
averages rather than on data on individual transactions from
individual producers.” See Qingdao & Yancheng’s Mem. at 18. In
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 21

determining antidumping duty margins as accurately as possible.

See Lasko, 43 F.3d at 1443; see also Shakeproof, 268 F.3d at 1382.

If Commerce had used the data contained within the Spanish Study,

Commerce would have contravened its duty to determine the

antidumping duty as accurately as possible.7

Commerce also reasonably determined that record evidence did

not establish the existence of a commercial crawfish industry in

Mexico. See Issues & Decision Mem. at 36-39. The record

indicates, and Bo Asia et al. concede, that complete official

statistics regarding the existence of a crawfish industry in Mexico

are unavailable.8 See Bo Asia’s Br. at 11. The record contains

the case at bar, however, Commerce principally took issue with the
completeness and accuracy of the data and not with whether the data
was compiled by a private individual or by a governmental entity.
See Issues & Decision Mem. at 25-26.
7
Plaintiffs/Defendant-Intervenors point out that Spain and
not Australia’s economic development based on GNI per capita is
more comparable to China’s economic development. Nonetheless, for
surrogate value purposes, Commerce is charged with more than simply
choosing a country with comparable economic development to the NME
country involved in the review. Commerce’s ultimate goal is to
choose surrogate values that will allow a valuation that reflects
the products normal value as if the PRC were a market economy
country. See China Nat’l, 27 CIT at ____, 264 F. Supp. 2d at 1236.
The Court notes that while Australian yabbies are not identical to
Chinese crawfish used to produce crawfish tail meat, Commerce
reasonably determined that the values it chose would aide Commerce
in achieving its ultimate goal.
8
Bo Asia et al. also concede that “there clearly is
disagreement among [Mexican government] officials regarding the
existence of freshwater crawfish tail meat in the Mexican State of
Veracruz . . . .” Bo Asia’s Br. at 11.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 22

certain evidence, such as a letter from a local Mexican government

official, that indicates the existence of a commercial crawfish

industry in Veracruz. See Issues & Decision Mem. at 36. In June

of 2001, Commerce sent a team of analysts to Mexico to research

freshwater crawfish and determine whether Mexico has a crawfish

industry. See id. at 32. Information gathered from interviews

with government and industry officials directly contradicted record

evidence regarding the existence of a crawfish industry in Mexico.

See id. at 38. Furthermore, Commerce determined that even if the

record evidence “provided dispositive evidence that there was a

commercial freshwater crawfish tail meat processing industry, this

documentation would not validate the use of flawed statistics for

whole, live freshwater crawfish prices.” Issues & Decision Mem. at

39. The Court finds that Commerce’s determination that Mexican

price data on the record was inappropriate for use as a surrogate

value for whole, live crawfish was reasonable.

II. Commerce Properly Used Data from an Australian Company to
Calculate NV

A. Contention of the Parties

1. CPA’s Contentions

CPA complains that the surrogate value chosen by Commerce for

whole live freshwater crawfish violated 19 U.S.C. § 1677b(c) (1994)

because it was not “the best available information” on the record.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 23

See Br. CPA Supp. Mot. J. Agency R. (“CPA’s Mem.”) at 5-15.

Specifically, CPA argues that Commerce improperly rejected data

published by the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource

Economics (“ABARE”) concerning the quantity and value of live

crawfish produced and sold in Australia during the POR. See id. at

6. Instead of using the ABARE statistics, Commerce relied on the

price list for small and aesthetically blemished crawfish of a

single Australian company, Mulataga Party Ltd. (“Mulataga”). See

id. Commerce concluded that Chinese tail meat was produced from

crawfish with live weights of 40 grams or less. See id. CPA

contends that this decision was improper because larger crawfish

are used in China and Australia to produce tail meat. See id. at

6-7. Additionally, there is no record evidence indicating that

Chinese tail meat is exclusively produced from aesthetically

blemished crawfish. See id. at 6-7. The record demonstrates,

however, that Chinese processors use crawfish with live weights

ranging from 40 grams to 70 grams. See id. at 6. Commerce reached

its conclusion without addressing specific information on the

record, in the Table of Equivalents, indicating that crawfish with

live weights more than 40 grams were used to produce Chinese tail

meat. Id. at 9. Consequently, CPA complains that “Commerce has

failed to provide a reasonable basis for concluding that blemished

Australian yabbies of 30-40 grams are the ‘best available’

surrogate for Chinese crawfish generally, including the crawfish of
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 24

41-76 grams known to be used by Chinese processors.” Id. at 12.

CPA further contends that Commerce improperly limited the

factor value to prices for “seconds,” whole crawfish that are

aesthetically blemished. See id. CPA asserts that there is no

record evidence that indicates that Chinese crawfish processors

only use “seconds” to produce tail meat. See id. at 13.

Aesthetically unblemished crawfish can command a higher price than

“seconds” since “an unblemished crawfish is more attractive to

purchasers who would use it whole.” Id. Accordingly, CPA contends

that “the surrogate value should reflect the fact that, if the

Chinese approach of using all sizes of crawfish for tail meat were

practiced in a market economy country, the average value of live

crawfish inputs would be higher than otherwise.” Id. CPA

complains that Commerce’s reasons for rejecting the ABARE

statistics does not support its preference for Mulataga’s list

prices. See id. at 15. The methodological soundness and

reliability of the ABARE’s statistics were not challenged during

the relevant administrative proceeding. See id. The statistics

collected by the ABARE cover 245-306 metric tons of annual

production and are collected and published by an agency of the

Australian federal government. See id. CPA maintains that “[n]o

other source of crawfish pricing data on the administrative record

was collected with the same rigor or by a more qualified source.”
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 25

Id. Commerce failed, CPA argues, to comply with 19 U.S.C. §

1677b(c)(2) because the ABARE statistics are superior to Mulataga’s

price list. See id.

2. Commerce’s Contentions

Commerce responds that it properly exercised its discretion in

deciding to use Mulataga’s price list for the surrogate values.

See Commerce’s Mem. at 23-27. Commerce has broad discretion in the

valuation of FOP and its methodology should be upheld as long as it

is reasonable. See id. at 23-24. Here, Commerce took into

consideration the smaller size of Chinese crawfish, which are a

different species than the Australian yabby, to determine the

appropriate surrogate values. See id. at 24. Recognizing that

yabbies are a larger species of crawfish than those used in China,

Commerce selected yabby prices that would be comparable to Chinese

crawfish. See id. at 27. Commerce also found that, in Australia,

yabbies weighing 40 grams or less and larger seconds are more

likely processed into tail meat. See id. at 24. Additionally,

Commerce found that seconds, rather than larger unblemished

crawfish, command a lower price, which is more similar to what the

price for crawfish should be in the PRC. See id.

Commerce used Mulataga because its “prices reflected the

prices paid by Australian processors to the farmers and catchers at

the same point of distribution as the whole live freshwater
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 26

crawfish in China.” Id. at 24. Commerce chose Mulataga because it

is the largest producer of yabbies in Australia, and its “data was

verified, reliable, product-specific, average non-export values

representative of prices over several years including the POR . .

. .” Id. In contrast, Commerce found that the ABARE prices on the

record include the wider range of crawfish produced in Australia

and are thus not comparable to the smaller size Chinese crawfish.

Commerce was within its discretion to determine that Mulataga’s

prices were the most comparable to Chinese crawfish and, therefore,

the “best available information.”

B. Analysis

The Court rejects CPA’s complaint that Commerce erred in using

Mulataga’s price list for the valuation of live crawfish. CPA

argues that Commerce’s reasons for rejecting the ABARE statistics

does not support its preference for using Mulataga’s list prices.

See CPA’s Mem. at 15. CPA further contends that Commerce

erroneously concluded that Chinese processors typically use live

crawfish weighing only 30-40 grams even though there is record

evidence that Chinese crawfish processors use crawfish weighing 41-

76 grams. CPA’s Mem. 8-9. The Court, however, does not agree

because Commerce’s determination was reasonable and supported by

substantial record evidence.

Agency statements provide guidance to regulated industries.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 27

“‘An [agency] announcement stating a change in the method . . . is

not a general statement of policy.’” American Trucking Ass’ns,

Inc. v. ICC, 659 F.2d 452, 464 n.49 (5th Cir. 1981) (quoting Brown

Express, Inc. v. United States, 607 F.2d 695, 701 (5th Cir. 1979)

(internal quotations omitted)). While a policy denotes “the

general principles by which a government is guided” by laws, BLACK ’S

LAW DICTIONARY 1178 (7th ed. 1999) (emphasis added), methodology

refers only to the “mode of organizing, operating or performing

something, especially to achieve [the goal of a statute].” Id. at

1005 (defining mode) (emphasis added). Accord Avoyelles

Sportsmen’s League, Inc. v. Marsh, 715 F.2d 897 (5th Cir. 1983);

Interstate Natural Gas Ass’n of Am. v. Federal Energy Regulatory

Comm’n, 716 F.2d 1 (D.C. Cir. 1983); Hooker Chems. & Plastics Corp.

v. Train, 537 F.2d 620 (2d Cir. 1976). Consequently, the courts

are even less in the position to question an agency action if the

action at issue is a choice of methodology, rather than policy.

See, e.g., Maier, P.E. v. United States Envtl. Prot. Agency, 114

F.3d 1032, 1043 (10th Cir. 1997) (citing Professional Drivers

Council v. Bureau of Motor Carrier Safety, 706 F.2d 1216, 1221

(D.C. Cir. 1983)). Commerce’s methodology does not have to be “the

only way or even the best way to calculate surrogate values for

factors of production as long as it was reasonable.” Shandong

Huarong Gen. Corp. v. United States, 25 CIT ___, ___, 159 F. Supp.

2d 714, 721 (2001).
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 28

Commerce has broad discretion in deciding what constitutes the

best available information. The Court’s role in evaluating CPA’s

challenge to Commerce’s methodology is to determine whether such

methodology is supported by substantial evidence and in accordance

with law. See id. Commerce notes that it would have preferred to

use the ABARE prices to value live crawfish. See Issues & Decision

Mem. at 22. The ABARE price data, however, contained information

on prices paid for all sizes of yabby. The difference in crawfish

sizes used by tail meat producers in Australia and China, and “the

fact that only the small, seconds or surplus yabbies go into tail

meat production in Australia, [led Commerce] to conclude that using

the total value and volume inclusive of all sizes, as issued by

ABARE, is not appropriate in this case . . . .” Issues & Decision

Mem. at 15. Commerce reasonably concluded that smaller yabbies,

while not identical to Chinese crawfish, were comparable to Chinese

crawfish in size, see id. at 14, and that Mulataga’s price list was

a better source for surrogate values than the ABARE data.

III. Commerce’s Properly Rejected Information Regarding a Possible
Affiliation Between Qingdao and a Chinese Crawfish Exporter

1. Contentions of the Parties

A. CPA’s Contentions

CPA complains that Commerce improperly rejected evidence that

Qingdao had failed to disclose all relevant corporate affiliations.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 29

See CPA’s Mem. at 16-22. Specifically, CPA contends that the final

antidumping duty margin for Qingdao should be based on adverse

facts available because the record indicates that Qingdao failed to

disclose its affiliation with another producer and exported of the

subject merchandise, China I/E Corporation of State Farms, Qingdao

Branch (“China I/E”). See id. at 17-18. On November 1, 2001, CPA

submitted publicly available information (“PAI”) consisting of six

exhibits number 28 through 32 (“November Submission”). See id. at

16. The November Submission included pages from a website that

identified Mrs. Wang Shuzhen as the general manager for China I/E.

See id. It also included pages describing the specific sizes of

crawfish tail meat produced and offered for export sale by China

I/E. See id. The portion of Exhibit 30 that showed that China I/E

produced tail meat in the size range of 60-80 tails per pound was

“used to support a calculation of a possible surrogate value for

live crawfish.” Id. at 17. In addition, Exhibit 30 included

domain name registration data indicating that China I/E owned the

website’s domain name. See id. 16-17. CPA maintains that it

included this information in the November Submission to

authenticate the information submitted. See id. Accordingly, CPA

contends that the November Submission did not contain new factual

information pursuant to 19 C.F.R. § 351.301(c)(3) (1999) because

its purpose was to show that Qingdao produced tail meat in the size

range of 60-80 tails per pound. See id. at 17-21.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 30

While the November Submission’s purpose was to aide Commerce

in choosing a surrogate value, Exhibit 30 also demonstrates that

China I/E and Qingdao were affiliated entities, which indicates

that Qingdao had not been forthcoming in disclosing its corporate

affiliations. See id. at 20. Although the information regarding

Qingdao and China I/E was placed on the record in the November

Submission, CPA was precluded from making any legal arguments about

the possible affiliation between the two companies. See id. at 19.

Commerce did not address any of the information contained in the

November Submission until March 21, 2002. See id. at 18. Commerce

informed the parties, prior to the public hearing on March 22,

2002, that the pages in the November Submission regarding the

domain name registration were to be stricken from the record as

untimely new factual information. See id. at 19. Commerce

indicated, however, that several pages in the November Submission

regarding surrogate values were not untimely and would be retained

on the record. See id.

CPA maintains that “there can be no question that PAI Exhibit

30 [of the November Submission] was timely submitted.” Id. at 21.

Rather, CPA argues that the central issue is whether Exhibit 30

“could legitimately be used for any purpose other than assigning a

specific surrogate value to a specific factor of production.” Id.

There is no statutory provision or regulation that precludes timely
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 31

arguments based on timely factual information. CPA states that 19

U.S.C. § 1677m(g) (1994) “requires Commerce to accept comment from

all interested parties regarding the factual information on the

administrative record.” CPA’s Mem. at 21. Moreover, CPA maintains

that, under 19 U.S.C. § 1516a(b)(2)(A)(i) (1994), the

administrative record includes all information presented to

Commerce during the administrative proceeding. See id.

Since the deadline for submissions of factual information had

already lapsed, Commerce was left with two options. See CPA’s Mem.

at 22. Commerce could have left the record closed and applied

adverse inferences against Qingdao, or requested further

information about Qingdao’s corporate affiliations and rendered a

decision accordingly. See id. Rather, Commerce chose to reject

the information as part of the record. See id. Accordingly, CPA

requests that the issue be remanded to Commerce to reconsider

Qingdao’s dumping margin “in light of record evidence of its

undisclosed affiliation with China I/E Corp. or such other

evidence,” which Commerce may discover upon reopening the record

and further investigating. Id.

B. Commerce’s Contentions

Commerce responds that it properly rejected parts of CPA’s

November Submission regarding a possible affiliation between

Qingdao and China I/E because the regulatory deadline for
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 32

submissions of new factual information had expired. See Commerce’s

Mem. at 27-31. Commerce’s regulations specify deadlines for the

receipt of particular information. See id. at 28. In the case at

bar, the deadline for the receipt of new factual information,

pursuant to Commerce’s regulations, was February 17, 2001. See id.

The deadline for the submission of PAI to value FOP was 20 days

after the publication of the Preliminary Results, 66 Fed. Reg.

52,100, which was November 1, 2001. See Commerce’s Mem. at 28.

Commerce contends that the information regarding a possible

affiliation between Qingdao and China I/E was new factual

information unrelated to the valuation of FOP submitted after the

deadline for such information. See id. at 29.

Contrary to CPA’s assertion, Exhibit 30 of the November

Submission did not relate to the valuation of FOP. See id. The

first two pages contained information about the different sizes of

crawfish tail meat produced and exported by a Chinese crawfish

company. See id. The next two pages, however, contained domain

name registration information. See id. Commerce asserts that “the

only argument that CPA advanced was that [Commerce] should use

Australian surrogate values for crawfish in the 40-70g size range

because crawfish in that range are used by the Chinese freshwater

crawfish companies to produce subject merchandise.” Id. In its

case brief submitted on November 27, 2001, CPA argued for the first
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 33

time that the record showed Mrs. Wang Shuzhen was the general

manager of Qingdao and that after the POR she became the general

manager of China I/E. See id. Commerce’s “regulations establish

deadlines in order to afford Commerce ample time to investigate the

allegations raised by interested parties.” Id. at 30. Here,

Commerce had already verified Qingdao’s questionnaire responses.

See id. at 30-31. Consequently, Commerce maintains that it

properly rejected the information regarding a possible affiliation

contained in the November Submission because this information

“could not be subject to verification or meaningfully analyzed by

[Commerce] . . . .” Id. at 31.

2. Analysis

Commerce’s regulations set forth the deadlines for the receipt

of particular information from interested parties in an

administrative proceeding. See 19 C.F.R. § 351.301 (1999). The

deadline for the submission of factual information is 140 days

after the anniversary month. See 19 C.F.R. § 351.301(b)(2).

Interested parties may submit PAI to value FOP within 20 days after

the publication date of Commerce’s preliminary results. See 19

C.F.R. 351.301(c)(3)(ii). In the case at bar, CPA argues that

Commerce ignored these regulations and improperly rejected

information submitted as untimely submitted new factual

information. The Court finds, however, that Commerce properly

rejected the portions of the November Submission that did not
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 34

relate to the valuation of FOP. The Court agrees with CPA that

Exhibit 30 contained PAI to value FOP. CPA essentially argues,

however, that if Commerce accepts portions of the November

Submission, then Commerce must accept all of the information

contained therein. The Court does not agree because, pursuant to

its regulations, Commerce is not required to accept new factual

information after the deadline has expired. See 19 C.F.R. §

351.301. Commerce may reject actual information imbedded in PAI to

value FOP if such information does not relate to FOP valuation.

The information regarding the possible affiliation between

Qingdao and China I/E is not related to the information submitted

for the valuation of FOP. The only information contained in

Exhibit 30 relating to FOP concerns the size of tail meat produced

in China. See App. Br. CPA Supp. Mot. J. Agency R. (“CPA’s App.”)

at Tab 5. The deadline for the submission of PAI to value FOP was

November 1, 2001. See 19 C.F.R. § 351.301(c)(3)(ii). Accordingly,

Commerce correctly included in the record the portions of Exhibit

30 that pertained to the proper choice of surrogate values.

Commerce was not required by its regulations to include factual

information submissions after the deadline for such, which was

February 17, 2001. See 19 C.F.R. § 351.301(b)(2); see also Reiner

Brach GmbH & Co.KG v. United States, 26 CIT ___, ___, 206 F. Supp.

2d 1323, 1334 (2002) (stating that “[t]his Court has previously
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 35

held that Commerce has broad discretion to establish its own rules

governing administrative procedures, including the establishment

and enforcement of time limits, to be reasonable . . .”). If CPA

had submitted information regarding the possible affiliation of the

two companies prior to February 17, 2001, however, Commerce would

have been required to accept the information as part of the

administrative record. See 19 C.F.R. § 351.301(b)(2). CPA failed

to submit such information prior to the February deadline. See

CPA’s App. at Tab 5. Consequently, the Court finds that Commerce

properly rejected portions of the November Submission unrelated to

the valuation of FOP as untimely new factual information.

IV. Commerce Properly Adjusted Qingdao and Yancheng’s By-Product
Offset to NV

1. Contentions of the Parties

Qingdao and Yancheng complain that Commerce erred in its

calculation of NV and contravened its previous surrogate value

methodology. See Qingdao & Yancheng’s Mem. at 25-29.

Specifically, Qingdao and Yancheng argue that Commerce did not

adjust the total cost of production by the full offset value of by-

product shell scrap resulting from the production of crawfish tail

meat.9 See id. at 25. Instead, Commerce reduced the offset by

9
“Scrap” is the term used to describe part of the crawfish
not used in the production of crawfish tail meat and principally
consists of crawfish shell, unused meat and water. See Hontex
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 36

applying a “wet-dry conversion factor” of 27.5 percent to the by-

product offset. See id. Commerce’s established practice is to

calculate NV for NME respondents as if the NME producers’ FOP were

in a market economy country. See id. In the case at bar, Commerce

rejected the adjustment of surrogate values according to the

particular experiences of the respondents. See id. at 26. In the

past, Commerce has “accept[ed] the surrogate values as they are,

and not attempted to adjust those values for differences, whether

real or perceived, between the production processes used by the

surrogate country producer(s) and the NME producers.” Id. at 27.

Here, Commerce found that Chinese producers dried crawfish shells

in the sun and sold them as a by-product. See id. Commerce

compared this process to information from a Canadian company that

sold industrially dried shell scrap. See id. at 26.

Commerce concluded that an adjustment to the offset was

required because the two drying process were not comparable. See

id. Qingdao and Yancheng assert that there is no basis for

Commerce’s comparison of drying methodology of an NME producer to

that of a surrogate producer. See id. at 27. Moreover, Commerce’s

analysis contains factual flaws because it assumed that all of the

respondents dried the crawfish shell scraps similarly, without

Enter., Inc., d/b/a Louisiana Packing Co. v. United States, 27 CIT
___, ___, 248 F. Supp. 2d 1323, 1348, n.24 (2003).
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 37

verifying reports of each individual company. See id. The record

does not substantiate Commerce’s conclusion that Qingdao’s scrap

shells were not completely dry when sold. See id. at 27-28.

Qingdao and Yancheng challenge the use of a wet-dry conversion

factor of 27.5 percent when the term “half-dry” used in the

verification report for Qingdao, “suggest[s] that the ratio should

be at least 50-50.” Id. at 28. Commerce’s conclusion that sun

dried shells are less dry than those put through an industrial

process is not supported by record evidence. See id.

Commerce responds that it was proper to apply a wet-dry

conversion factor to the crawfish by-product factor. See

Commerce’s Mem. at 31-35. Commerce asserts that it reasonably

applied a 27.5 percent conversion factor because the scrap value on

the record is for shells industrially dried. See id. at 32-33. To

determine the value of the by-product, Commerce used a price

quotation of a Canadian seller of crustacean scrap, which was

industrially dried. See id. at 33. Commerce maintains that no

information was placed on the record demonstrating that the Chinese

“companies’ ‘half dry’ or ‘sun-dried’ shells are comparable to

industrially dried shells.” Id. Qingdao and Yancheng had the

burden, and failed, to place contradictory information on the

record calling into question the accuracy of the wet-dry conversion

factor. See id.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 38

2. Analysis

The Court finds that Commerce reasonably determined that a

conversion factor was necessary to better reflect the value of the

crawfish by-product. See Hontex, 27 CIT at ___, 248 F. Supp. 2d at

1348-49. Qingdao and Yancheng essentially argue that Commerce used

unreliable and unsubstantiated information in determining to use a

27.5 percent conversion factor. None of the interested parties,

however, submitted information to contradict or put into question

the accuracy of the 27.5 percent conversion factor. Without any

contradictory evidence on the record, Commerce properly concluded

that industrially dried shells are different than “sun dried” or

half-dried” shells. In valuing FOP in the NME country context,

Commerce enjoys considerable discretion. See Lasko, 43 F.3d at

1446; see also Hontex, 27 CIT at ___, 248 F. Supp. 2d at 1349

(holding that Commerce’s use of a wet-dry conversion factor to

calculate a value for crawfish tail meat scrap is supported by

substantial evidence and in accordance with law). Here, Commerce

reasonably applied its discretion in applying a wet-dry conversion

factor of 27.5 percent to the by-product offset for crawfish.

V. Commerce Improperly Rejected Certain Submission’s by Hontex as
“New Information”

1. Contentions of the Parties

Hontex complains that Commerce erred in rejecting certain
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 39

submissions made to rebut reports made after its analysts’ trip to

Spain. See Hontex’s Mem. at 15-23. Hontex submitted certain

exhibits on March 19, 2002, and March 20, 2002, relating to a

crawfish study prepared by a Dr. Martinez, a public notice of a

conference where Dr. Martinez reported the results of his study,

and three affidavits from individuals interviewed by Commerce

during its trip to Spain to gather information about the Spanish

crawfish industry (the “Spanish Trip”). See id. at 16. Commerce,

however, rejected certain portions of Hontex’s submission that it

deemed new factual information. See id. Hontex contends that the

information is not new factual information because the study and

notice of appearance rebut and clarify Commerce’s Spanish Trip

report. See Hontex’s Mem. at 17-18. Hontex asserts that there is

a “high probability that [Commerce] itself already has knowledge

(if not a copy) of Dr. Martinez’s study, [and] it would be unfair

and unreasonable to penalize Respondents,” because Commerce failed

to place the study on the record. Id. at 19. In addition, Hontex

maintains that the three affidavits it submitted were meant to

demonstrate that the Spanish Trip report was incomplete and

factually incorrect. See id. The information submitted casts

doubt on the veracity of Dr. Martinez’s statements and the accuracy

of the Spanish Study. See id. at 17-18. Hontex argues that this

information “was already incorporated by reference into the record,

and was thus not ‘new factual information’ pursuant to 19 C.F.R. §
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 40

351.301.” Id. at 17. By placing the Spanish Trip report on the

record, Commerce placed new factual information on the record

thereby allowing Hontex to submit clarifying or rebuttal

information. See id. Finally, even if the information Hontex

submitted was deemed “new factual information,” Commerce has the

discretion pursuant to 19 C.F.R. § 351.302 (1999) to accept such

information. See id. at 20.

Commerce responds that the information submitted by Hontex did

not rebut, clarify or correct factual information provided by

another interested party. See Commerce’s Mem. at 36. Commerce

maintains that 19 C.F.R. § 351.301(c)(1) “specifically provides

that rebuttal or clarification information can be submitted in

response to information submitted ‘by any other interested party,’”

and does not apply to information Commerce places on the record.

Id. at 37. Commerce further argues that Hontex has the burden of

creating an adequate record. See id. Accordingly, any reference

to the study and the conference attended by Dr. Martinez in the

Spanish Study “does not provide Hontex with the latitude or

authority to submit new information on the record.” Id. Commerce

maintains that it properly exercised its “expressed grant of

authority provided by the regulations and determined not to

exercise its discretion in declining to accept the information that

Hontex submitted.” Id. at 38.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 41

2. Analysis

The deadline for new factual information, pursuant to 19

C.F.R. § 351.301(b)(2) is 140 days after the last day of the

anniversary month. In the case at bar, the deadline for new

factual information submissions was February 17, 2001. Pursuant to

19 C.F.R. § 351.301(c)(1), “[a]ny interested party may submit

factual information to rebut, clarify, or correct factual

information submitted by any other interested party at any time

prior to the deadline provided in this section for submission of

such factual information . . . no later than 10 days after the date

such information is served on the interested party . . . .” Hontex

argues that its submissions of March 19, 2002, and March 20, 2002,

were made to rebut and clarify Commerce’s findings contained in its

Spanish Trip report, which was placed on the record on March 12,

2002. See Hontex’s Mem. at 15-23. Commerce responds that it

properly exercised its discretion and rejected the information

submitted by Hontex as too late in the proceeding. The Court does

not find this argument convincing and finds that Commerce

improperly rejected Hontex’s submissions.

Commerce’s regulations allow for interested parties to submit

factual information that rebuts, clarifies or corrects factual

submissions made by interested parties. See 19 C.F.R. §

351.301(c)(1). Commerce asserts that Hontex’s submission does not
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 42

clarify or rebut factual information submitted by an interested

party since Commerce, placed the Spanish Trip report on the record.

This argument is unsustainable because under Commerce’s

interpretation of its regulations, Commerce could place erroneous

factual information on the record and interested parties would not

be afforded the opportunity to rebut or clarify such record

evidence. While Hontex has the burden of creating an adequate

record within the regulatory guidelines, Hontex, in this instance,

met its burden. Commerce invited parties to provide comments to

the Spanish Trip report after it was placed on the record and gave

them a deadline of March 18, 2002, which was then extended to March

19, 2002. See Def.’s Pub. Ex. at Tabs 21-24. Hontex complied with

this deadline, yet Commerce rejected Hontex’s comments on the

Spanish Trip report as untimely new factual information. See id.

at Tab 24. Hontex’s comments were meant to clarify and rebut

Commerce’s Spanish Trip report, yet Commerce merely rejected the

information as untimely new factual information. See id.

Consequently, the Court remands this issue with instructions to

Commerce to include the submissions made by Hontex on March 19,

2002, and March 20, 2002, as part of the administrative record and

explain what bearing, if any, these submissions have on Commerce’s

final determination.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 43

VI. Commerce’s Determination to Assign a Joint Rate to Nanlian and
Jiangsu

1. Contentions of the Parties

A. Hontex’s Contentions

Hontex complains that Commerce erred in applying a single

antidumping duty rate to Nanlian and Jiangsu. See Hontex’s Mem. at

23-24. Specifically, Hontex argues that this issue was previously

decided by the Court in Jiangsu Hilong Int’l Trading Co., Ltd. v.

United States, 26 CIT ___, 240 F. Supp. 2d 1313 (2002). See id. at

23. Plaintiff, in that case, sought and received a temporary

restraining order and preliminary injunction dated June 4, 2002.

See id. Hontex maintains the “Court affirmed the assignment of a

separate deposit rate for Jiangsu Hilong.”10 See id. at 24

B. Commerce’s Contentions

Commerce contends that it properly determined that Nanlian and

Jiangsu should be treated as a single entity and assessed them the

same antidumping duty rate. See Commerce’s Mem. at 39-46.

Beginning with the first administrative review, Commerce found that

the “nature of the relationships between these two companies

constituted a web of control relationships such that prices and

10
The Court notes that Hontex does not fully address its
complaints in its brief. Rather, in Exhibit 1 to its brief, almost
as an afterthought or indeed to avoid page limitations imposed by
the Court, Hontex includes additional arguments as to why
Commerce’s assignment of a joint rate was in error. See Hontex’s
Mem. at Ex. 1.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 44

exports were subject to significant manipulation.” Id. at 39. In

the review at issue, Commerce continued to treat the two companies

as a single entity because it “found evidence of a ‘continuing

commercial relationship’ between these companies, and evidence of

a ‘continuing business relationship’ between Mr. Wei Wei and both

companies.” Id. at 39-40. Commerce made this determination after

considering evidence uncovered at verification. See id. at 43.

Commerce maintains that “[w]hile Hontex takes issue with the

agency’s reliance upon the information on this administrative

record and from prior proceedings, the burden of producing

information in an administrative proceeding lies with the

interested party.” Id. Commerce determined that no new evidence

had been presented during the review. See id. Consequently,

Commerce did not reconsider the relationship between Jiangsu and

Nanlian. See id.

Commerce also asserts that Hontex’s complaint is defective

because it failed to raise its arguments before Commerce; “[The

argument] was raised for the first time before this Court.” Id. at

40. Under the doctrine of exhaustion of administrative remedies,

this Court should not consider Hontex’s complaint because it was

not raised at the administrative level. See id. at 40-41.

Commerce asserts that “[t]his is especially so where Commerce has

not changed its determination between the preliminary and final
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 45

results but the complainant failed to avail itself of the

opportunity to raise its argument during the administrative

proceeding.” Id. at 41. Additionally, Commerce points out that,

contrary to Hontex’s assertion, this Court did not rule on the

merits of the issue in Jiangsu, 26 CIT ___, 240 F. Supp. 2d 1313.

Rather, the Court ruled on a procedural matter and “only determined

that Jiangsu had met the threshold for granting a preliminary

injunction . . . .” Id. at 45.

2. Analysis

As a preliminary matter, Commerce contends that Hontex is

precluded from raising the issue of Commerce’s assignment of a

single antidumping duty rate to Jiangsu and Nanlian pursuant to the

doctrine of exhaustion of administrative remedies. See Commerce’s

Mem. at 40-41. Commerce argues that Hontex failed to raise its

argument regarding the assignment of a single duty rate on the

administrative level prior to raising the issue before this Court.

See id. The Court rejects Commerce’s arguments and finds, for the

reasons set forth below, that Hontex is not precluded from raising

the issue before this court.

The exhaustion doctrine requires a party to present its claims

to the relevant administrative agency for the agency’s

consideration before raising these claims to the Court. See

Unemployment Comp. Comm’n of Alaska v. Aragon, 329 U.S. 143, 155
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 46

(1946) (“A reviewing court usurps the agency’s function when it

sets aside the administrative determination upon a ground not

theretofore presented and deprives the [agency] of an opportunity

to consider the matter, make its ruling, and state the reasons for

its action.”) There is, however, no absolute requirement of

exhaustion in the Court of International Trade in

non-classification cases. See Alhambra Foundry Co. v. United

States, 12 CIT 343, 346-47, 685 F. Supp. 1252, 1255-56 (1988).

Section 2637(d) of Title 28 of the United States Code states that

“the Court of International Trade shall, where appropriate, require

the exhaustion of administrative remedies.” By its use of the

phrase “where appropriate,” Congress vested discretion in the Court

to determine the circumstances under which it shall require the

exhaustion of administrative remedies. See Cemex, S.A. v. United

States, 133 F.3d 897, 905 (Fed. Cir. 1998). Therefore, because of

“judicial discretion in not requiring litigants to exhaust

administrative remedies,” the Court is authorized to determine

proper exceptions to the doctrine of exhaustion. Alhambra Foundry,

12 CIT at 347, 685 F. Supp. at 1256 (citing Timken Co. v. United

States, 10 CIT 86, 93, 630 F. Supp. 1327, 1334 (1986), rev’d in

part on other grounds, Koyo Seiko Co. v. United States, 20 F.3d

1156 (Fed. Cir. 1994)).
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 47

The Court exercises its discretion to obviate exhaustion

where: (1) requiring it would be futile, see Rhone Poulenc, S.A. v.

United States, 7 CIT 133, 135, 583 F. Supp. 607, 610 (1984) (in

those cases when “it appears that it would have been futile for

plaintiffs to argue that the agency should not apply its own

regulation”), or would be “inequitable and an insistence of a

useless formality” as in the case where “there is no relief which

plaintiff may be granted at the administrative level,” United

States Cane Sugar Refiners’ Ass’n v. Block, 3 CIT 196, 201, 544 F.

Supp. 883, 887 (1982); (2) a subsequent court decision has

interpreted existing law after the administrative determination at

issue was published, and the new decision might have materially

affected the agency’s actions, see Timken, 10 CIT at 93, 630 F.

Supp. at 1334; (3) the question is one of law and does not require

further factual development and, therefore, the court does not

invade the province of the agency by considering the question, see

id.; R.R. Yardmasters of Am. v. Harris, 721 F.2d 1332, 1337-39

(D.C. Cir. 1983); and (4) the plaintiff had no reason to suspect

that the agency would refuse to adhere to clearly applicable

precedent. See Philipp Bros., Inc. v. United States, 10 CIT 76,

79-80, 630 F. Supp. 1317, 1321 (1986).

While a plaintiff cannot circumvent the requirements of the

doctrine of exhaustion by merely mentioning a broad issue without
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 48

raising a particular argument, plaintiff’s brief statement of the

argument is sufficient if it alerts the agency to the argument with

reasonable clarity and avails the agency with an opportunity to

address it. See generally, Hormel v. Helvering, 312 U.S. 552

(1941); see also Rhone Poulenc Inc. v. United States, 899 F.2d

1185, 1191 (Fed. Cir. 1990). The sole fact of an agency’s failure

to address plaintiff’s challenge does not invoke the exhaustion

doctrine and shall not result in forfeiture of plaintiff’s judicial

remedies. See generally, B-West Imports, Inc. v. United States, 19

CIT 303, 880 F. Supp. 853 (1995). An administrative decision to

ignore the issue cannot be dispositive of the question whether or

not the issue was properly brought to the agency’s attention. See,

e.g., Allnutt v. United States DOJ, 2000 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 4060 (D.

Md. 2000). In the case at bar, Commerce had a sufficient

opportunity to address the propriety of assigning a single rate

duty to Jiangsu and Nanlian. While Nanlian did not raise the issue

in its case brief, Commerce was sufficiently alerted of the issue

by Jiangsu in its case brief. See Def.’s Pub. Ex. at Tab 18. The

central issue in Jiangsu’s case brief is the assignment of one duty

rate to Jiangsu and Nanlian. See id. Hontex is not precluded from

raising the issue before this Court because Commerce was provided

with an opportunity to address the issue.11

11
Hontex contends that the exact issue and set of facts
regarding the assignment of a single duty rate was previously
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 49

During the review at issue, Commerce found evidence of a

continuing commercial relationship between Jiangsu and Nanlian and

applied a single duty rate to the two companies as it had done in

its previous administrative reviews.12 Commerce’s NME exporter

collapsing methodology—applied in the first administrative review

for the subject merchandise—is permissible to the extent that

Commerce follows market economy collapsing regulations. See

Hontex, 27 CIT at ___, 248 F. Supp. 2d at 1342. Where Commerce’s

NME collapsing methodology has departed from the regulations

concerning market economy collapsing, however, the Court must

determine “whether Commerce has sufficiently articulated a

permissible interpretation of the antidumping statute with its

decided by the Court in Jiangsu, 26 CIT ___, 240 F. Supp. 2d 1313.
According to Hontex, the Court determined that Jiangsu and Nanlian
are separate entities. See Hontex’s Mem. at 23-24. The issue in
the case, however, was not whether the two companies are separate
entities. The Court ruled on a procedural matter, whether Jiangsu
had met the threshold for granting a preliminary injunction, and
not on the merits of the case. See Jiangsu, 26 CIT ___, 240 F.
Supp. 2d 1313.
12
Commerce’s assignment of a single duty rate to two or
more entities is also referred to as “collapsing” the entities into
a single entity. See Hontex, 27 CIT at ___, 248 F. Supp. 2d at
1337-1342. While the antidumping duty statute does not expressly
provide for the collapsing of entities, this Court has upheld the
practice, in the market economy context, as a reasonable
interpretation of the statute. See id. (discussing the steps
Commerce follows in determining whether a market economy producer
should be collapsed).
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 50

stated NME collapsing methodology.”13 Id. at 1341.

In the case at bar, Commerce found that the nature of the

connections between the two companies constituted a web of control

relationship. Commerce asserts that it re-examined the

relationship between the two companies and conducted a verification

of the information presented during this review. See id. Commerce

argues that Hontex had the burden of creating an administrative

record, but failed to produce any evidence indicating a change in

circumstances. See Commerce’s Mem. at 43-44. Commerce concluded

that “the relationships existing in 1997, which formed the basis

for the finding that these two entities were so intertwined that

they should be assigned a single rate, remain essentially

unchanged.” Id. at 44. Based on the reasoning found in Hontex, 27

CIT ___, 248 F. Supp. 2d 1323, it is not “ clear . . . which set of

factors formed the basis of Commerce’s collapsing determination.”

Queen’s Flowers De Colom. v. United States, 21 CIT 968, 979, 981 F.

Supp. 617, 628 (1997). Accordingly, the Court remands this issue

for further proceedings with instructions to Commerce to

sufficiently articulate: (a) why its collapsing methodology for NME

exporters is a permissible interpretation of the antidumping duty

statute; and (b) why its findings warranted the collapsing of

13
The Court thoroughly discusses, in turn, each of the
factors considered by Commerce in its collapsing methodology for
NME country exporters. See Hontex, 27 CIT at ___, 248 F. Supp. 2d
at 1342-1347.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 51

Jiangsu and Nanlian.

VII. Commerce’s Failure to Issue the Final Results Within the
Required Statutory Time Period Does Not Render Them Void Ab
Initio

1. Contentions of the Parties

Bo Asia et al. and Hontex complain that Commerce’s Final

Results are void ab initio because Commerce failed to issue them

within the time frame required by the antidumping duty statute and

its implementing regulations. See Bo Asia’s Br. at 13-17; Hontex’s

Mem. at 24-26. Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1675(a)(3)(A) (1994) and 19

C.F.R. § 351.213(h)(1) (1999), Commerce was required to issue the

Final Results on February 8, 2001.14 See Hontex’s Mem. at 24.

Rather than extend the deadline for the issuance of the Final

Results, pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1675(a)(3)(A) and 19 C.F.R. §

351.213(h)(1), Commerce issued the Final Results on April 11, 2001,

which was two months after the deadline passed. See Hontex’s Mem.

at 24. Hontex maintains that its counsel called Commerce to

inquire whether an extension for the issuance of the Final Results

had been formally issued and did not receive a response. See id.

Bo Asia et al. assert that the Statement of Administrative

Action (“SAA”) accompanying H.R. 5110, H.R. Doc. No. 316, Vol. 1,

14
Bo Asia et al. contend that the deadline for the issuance
of the Final Results was February 11, 2001. See Bo Asia’s Br. at
14.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 52

103d Cong., 2d Sess., at 815 (1994), clearly indicates Congress’

intention “to issue a mandate regarding deadlines to [Commerce] to

prevent the dilatory style that was so problematic in pre-Uruguay

Round administrative review.” Bo Asia’s Br. at 16. Hontex and Bo

Asia et al. contend that Commerce wilfully violated the statute

and should be held accountable. See id. 16-17; Hontex’s Mem. at

25-26. Bo Asia et al. argue that “[u]nless this Court acts now to

enforce the statutory and regulatory timetable, the procedural

gains of the Uruguay Round will be lost, Congress’ mandate will be

contravened and parties will find themselves back in pre-Uruguay

Round posture . . . .” Bo Asia’s Br. at 16. Accordingly, the

Final Results should be voided in order to “send a clear signal

that deadlines have a meaning, and the willful failure to meet

statutory deadlines has consequences.” Hontex’s Mem. at 26.

Commerce responds that its failure to meet the statutory

deadline for the issuance of the Final Results does not render the

results void ab initio. See Commerce’s Mem. at 46-48. Commerce

points out that no statute “establishes a consequence or penalty

for issuing the final results after 120 days.” Id. at 47.

Consequently, the deadline imposed by the statute is directory and

not mandatory. See id. Commerce maintains that the publication of

the Final Results after the deadline’s expiration does not render

them void ab initio. See id.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 53

2. Analysis

Section 1675(a)(3)(A) of Title 19 of the United States Code

provides that Commerce issue its final results “within 120 days

after the date on which the preliminary determination is

published.” Under the statute, Commerce may extend the 120 day

period to 180 days if it is not practicable to complete the review

within the 120 day time frame. Hontex and Bo Asia et al. point out

that Commerce did not meet the 120 day deadline and failed to

extend the deadline to 180 days. The Court finds that the statute

is directory and not mandatory. While the statute uses the word

“shall,” which generally suggests mandatory action, see Escoe v.

Zerbst, 295 U.S. 490, 493 (1935), a time period provided for in a

statute “is not mandatory unless it both expressly requires an

agency or public official to act within a particular time period

and specifies a consequence for failure to comply with the

provision.” Alberta Gas Chemicals, Inc. v. United States, 1 CIT

312, 315-16, 515 F. Supp. 780, 785 (1981) (citations omitted).

Commerce should not shirk its duty to meet statutory deadlines and

should strive to carry out the mandate codified in 19 U.S.C. §

1675(a)(3)(A). Nonetheless, there is no statutory consequence for

Commerce’s failure to comply in a timely fashion. Even though

Commerce issued the Final Results after the deadline expired, they

are not void ab initio.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 54

VIII. Commerce Properly Determined that Fujian and Pacific
Coast are not Affiliated Parties

1. Contentions of the Parties

Bo Asia et al. complain Commerce improperly determined that

Fujian and Pacific Coast are not affiliated parties. See Bo Asia’s

Br. at 17-22. Bo Asia et al. argue that there was ample evidence

on the record indicating that Fujian owned a significant percentage

of Pacific Coast. See id. at 17. Fujian submitted to Commerce:

(a) a copy of the memorandum of understanding between Fujian and

Pacific Coast reflecting an agreement whereby Fujian was to acquire

shares of Pacific Coast; (b) the promissory note signed as

consideration for the acquisition of shares in Pacific Coast; and,

(c) an explanation that its investment was made in the form of

merchandise which was sold and the proceeds of which were deposited

in Pacific Coast’s account as payment upon the promissory note.

See id. at 17-18. Nonetheless, Commerce found that there was no

record evidence showing that Fujian had acquired any of Pacific

Coast’s equity. See id. at 18. The promissory note under

Washington State law, the venue where the sale took place, can

serve as adequate consideration for equity ownership. See id.

Bo Asia et al. maintain that Commerce did not reference the

promissory note, which “is the principal instrument evidencing

Fujian Pelagic’s purchase of corporate shares; [and] any

determination without its consideration is by definition
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 55

unsupported by substantial evidence on the record and otherwise not

in accordance with law.” Id. at 18-19. Commerce’s focus on

whether Fujian actually paid Pacific Coast for the corporate shares

is misplaced. See id. at 19. Under Washington law, the transfer

of stock ownership would be deemed to occur once the promissory

note was executed, and “[t]he fact that Fujian Pelagic did in fact

make a payment in the form of the delivery of merchandise only

substantiates further the veracity of the acquisition.” Id. Bo

Asia et al. contend that in Commerce’s view all corporate shares

must be purchased in cash even though Washington law recognizes

that “shares are acquired by many means [] other than cash

investment.” Id. at 20. Commerce equated Fujian’s shares in

Pacific Coast with the amount it paid to Pacific Coast during the

POR. See id. Instead, Commerce should have based Fujian’s

ownership interest on the full amount it was obligated to pay under

the terms of the promissory note. See id. Commerce chose not to

verify Pacific Coast’s records and did not request further

documentation of the arrangements between Pacific Coast and Fujian.

Consequently, Fujian’s responses to Commerce’s questionnaire

stating its acquisition of a percentage of Pacific Coast, “along

with submission of the promissory notes and the memorandum of

understanding, should be sufficient to establish the acquisition

absent contradictory evidence on the record, which in this case,

there is not.” Id. at 21.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 56

If the Court finds that the two companies are not affiliated

by virtue of common ownership, Bo Asia et al. alternatively argue

that the companies are affiliated pursuant to 19 U.S.C. §

1677(33)(G) (1994). See Bo Asia’s Br. at 21. The statute provides

for the finding of an affiliation between persons when one controls

another person. See id. Fujian’s president and general manager

serves as the vice president of Pacific Coast, and each of Fujian’s

shareholders is a member on Pacific Coast’s Board of Directors.

See id. at 22. Consequently, Fujian “is involved in all key

decision making matters of Pacific Coast,” and exercises control

over the management of Pacific Coast. Id.

B. Commerce’s Contentions

Commerce replies that it properly determined that Fugian and

Pacific Coast are not affiliated because there was no record

evidence indicating potential control or ownership between the two

entities. See Commerce’s Mem. at 48-53. Commerce argues that it

properly treated Fujian’s sales to the United States “as export

price [] sales because the first sales were made to unaffiliated

purchasers prior to importation, and constructed export price []

was not otherwise warranted.” Id. at 48. Pursuant to 19 U.S.C. §

1677(33), Commerce considered whether Fujian’s investment in

Pacific Coast amounted to five percent of the total shares of

Pacific Coast. See id. at 50. Commerce argues that there was no

record evidence demonstrating a transfer of investment through
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 57

money or merchandise between the two companies. See id. at 49-50.

Bo Asia et al.’s statement that the promissory note is ample

consideration for the issuance of corporate shares is misplaced

because Commerce “applies the antidumping duty law, and under 19

U.S.C. § 1677(33), Fujian Pelagic has failed to demonstrate that

there was any investment in Pacific [Coast] or that these two

companies are affiliated in any other way.” Id. at 51. Fujian

failed to provide documentation illustrating that it had paid in

capital to Pacific Coast before or during the POR; “[t]he only

documentation submitted by Fujian Pelagic et al. that relates to

Fujian Pelagic’s claimed investment in Pacific Coast is the sale

from Pacific Coast to a seafood broker in the United States.” Id.

(quoting Issues & Decision Mem. at 51). Commerce asserts that Bo

Asia et al. has the burden of creating a complete and accurate

record and failed to do so in this review. See id. at 52.

Commerce also contends that Bo Asia et al. failed to

adequately establish that Fujian controls Pacific Coast. Commerce

could not “determine that one person was legally or operationally

in control of Fujian Pelagic and Pacific Coast because Bo Asia, et

al. failed to provide any evidence concerning the role and

responsibilities that the one individual had as both the president

of Fujian Pelagic and the vice president of Pacific Coast.” Id. at

50-51. Commerce points out that the record indicates that a person
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 58

unaffiliated with Pacific Coast served as treasurer. See id. at

52. Finally, the evidence does not support a determination that

Fujian and Pacific Coast are affiliated.

2. Analysis

The Court finds that Commerce properly determined that Fujian

and Pacific Coast are not affiliated parties under the relevant

statutes. Section 1677(33) of Title 19 of the United States Code

defines “affiliated persons” as:

(B) Any officer or director of an organization and
such organization.

. . .

(E) Any person directly or indirectly owning,
controlling, or holding with power to vote, 5 percent or
more of the outstanding voting stock or shares of any
organization and such organization.

(F) Two or more persons directly or indirectly
controlling, controlled by, or under common control with,
any person.

. . .

a person shall be considered to control another person if
the person is legally or operationally in a position to
exercise restraint or direction over the other person.

Bo Asia et al. argue that Fujian owns more than five percent of

Pacific Coast, rendering the two companies affiliated pursuant to

19 U.S.C. § 1677(33)(E). In its review, Commerce requested Fujian

“provide any documentation to demonstrate that it had actually paid

in capital to Pacific Coast prior to or during the POR.” See

Issues & Decision Mem. at 51. Fujian subsequently submitted
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 59

documents demonstrating a sale from Pacific Coast to a United

States seafood broker. See id. Fujian’s submission included (a)

the invoice/packing list from Pacific Coast; (b) a purchase order

from the seafood broker to Pacific Coast; and (c) proof of payment

from the seafood broker to Pacific Coast. See id.

Fujian has the burden of producing a complete and accurate

record. See Zenith Elecs. Corp. v. United States, 988 F.2d 1573,

1583 (Fed. Cir. 1993). Fujian’s submissions, however, do not

sufficiently demonstrate that the merchandise sold by Pacific Coast

originated from Fujian. Commerce reasonably determined that “there

is no documented connection which ties [the sale from Pacific Coast

to the seafood broker] to the shipment from Fujian Pelagic that

purportedly represents Fujian Pelagic’s investment in Pacific

Coast.” Issues & Decision Mem. at 52. Bo Asia et al.

alternatively argue that Fujian and Pacific Coast are affiliated

because of their common control. While the record indicates that

Fujian’s president and general manager is also vice-president of

Pacific Coast, there is no evidence depicting the duties of Pacific

Coasts vice-president. Without such evidence, Commerce reasonably

determined that it could not evaluate how much, if any, control

Fujian exerted over Pacific Coast. The Court finds that Commerce

reasonably determined that Fujian had not made an investment,

whether in cash or in the form of a promissory note, in Pacific
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 60

Coast and that Fujian did not exercise control over Pacific Coast.

IX. Commerce Properly Applied Facts Available to Qingdao Zhengri
and Yaou

1. Contentions of the Parties

Bo Asia et al. complain that Commerce erred in applying

adverse facts available to Qingdao Zhengri and Yaou. See Bo Asia

et al.’s Mem. at 22-27. Qingdao Zhengri and Yaou submitted a

consolidated response to sections C and D of Commerce’s

questionnaire. See id. at 22. While Qingdao Zhengri informed

Commerce that it would not participate in a verification of its

questionnaire responses, Yaou indicated that it would participate

in such verification. See id. at 23. Commerce subsequently

determined that the consolidated questionnaire responses could not

be verified because Qingdao Zhengri would not permit verification

of its responses. See id. Consequently, Commerce applied adverse

facts available to Qingdao Zhengri and Yaou which resulted in a

PRC-wide rate for all of Yaou’s subject sales. See id. Bo Asia et

al. assert that adverse facts available should not be applied to

Yaou because it acted to the best of its ability to cooperate with

Commerce. See id. Yaou did not wilfully withhold information from

Commerce and responded to all the questionnaires and requests made

by Commerce. See id. Yaou offered Commerce all of its company

books and records at verification and provided Commerce all of its
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 61

sales and FOP information. See id.

Bo Asia et al. assert that under the relevant statute

Commerce must meet a high standard before it can take an adverse

inference. See id. at 23-24. Commerce may take such an inference

“only where if can determine that an interested part[y] has ‘failed

to cooperate by not acting to the best of its ability to comply

with a request for information by [Commerce].” Id. at 24 (quoting

19 U.S.C. § 1677e(b) (1994). In addition, Commerce must first find

willful misconduct before applying an adverse inference. See id.

Commerce’s determination must be made through a reasoned inquiry

and supported by substantial evidence. See id. Bo Asia et al.

maintain Commerce should have applied neutral facts available to

approximate Yaou’s dumping rate because Commerce did not provide a

reasoned analysis and its determination that Yaou did not act to

the best of its ability was not based on substantial evidence. See

id. at 25.

Commerce responds that it was proper to apply a PRC-wide rate

to Qingdao and Yaou. See Commerce’s Mem. at 53-56. Commerce

argues that its inability to verify the questionnaire responses

submitted by Qingdao Zhengri and Yaou justified the application of

adverse facts available to Yaou. See id. at 53. Commerce found

that the two companies constituted a single entity, and that since

one refused to submit to verification Commerce could not verify
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 62

only part of the consolidated response. See id. at 53-54.

Commerce could not determine the veracity of the information

submitted by Qingdao Zhengri and Yaou because it could not verify

such information. See id. at 54. Under the relevant statute, the

application of adverse facts available is warranted when Commerce

cannot verify the information provided. See id. Commerce also

asserts that it reasonably determined that Yaou failed to cooperate

on account of Qingdao Zhengri’s refusal to participate in

verification. Since Commerce considered Qingdao Zhengri and Yaou

to be a single entity, it “could not verify part of the entity and

assign a separate antidumping margin for Yaou.” Id. Commerce

maintains that Yaou did not challenge the collapsing of the two

entities and that it properly applied adverse facts available to

Qingdao Zhengri and Yaou. See id.

2. Analysis

The Court finds Bo Asia et al.’s argument, that Commerce

unjustifiably applied adverse facts available to Qingdao Zhengri

and Yaou, has no merit. Under section 1677e(a)(2) of Title 19 of

the United States Code, Commerce shall use “facts otherwise

available” when “(1) necessary information is not available on the

record, or (2) an interested party or any other person—(A)

withholds information that has been requested . . . or (D) provides

such information but the information cannot be verified . . . in

reaching the applicable determination under this subtitle.” 19
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 63

U.S.C. § 1677e(a). The antidumping duty statute mandates that

Commerce use “facts otherwise available” (commonly referred to as

“facts available”) if “necessary information is not available on

the record” of an antidumping proceeding. See 19 U.S.C. §

1677e(a)(1).

Furthermore, if Commerce determines that “an interested party

has failed to cooperate by not acting to the best of its ability to

comply with a request for information . . . [then Commerce] may use

an inference that is adverse to the interests of that party in

selecting from among the facts otherwise available.” 19 U.S.C. §

1677e(b). Commerce may apply facts available when it determines

that an interested party withholds requested information or fails

to cooperate with a request for information. See 19 U.S.C. §

1677e(a) & (b). The legislative goal behind Commerce’s right to

use facts available is to “induce respondents to provide Commerce

with requested information in a timely, complete, and accurate

manner . . . .” National Steel Corp. v. United States, 18 CIT

1126, 1129, 870 F. Supp. 1130, 1134 (1994). Consequently, Commerce

enjoys broad, although not unlimited, discretion with regard to the

propriety of its use of facts available. See generally, Olympic

Adhesives Inc. v. United States, 899 F.2d 1565 (Fed. Cir. 1990)

(acknowledging Commerce’s broad discretion to use facts available,

but pointing out that Commerce's resort to facts available is an
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 64

abuse of discretion where the information Commerce requests does

not and could not exist).

The Court finds Commerce’s rationale for resorting to adverse

facts available convincing and reasonable. During the subject

review, Qingdao Zhengri and Yaou reported to Commerce that their

responses to Commerce’s questionnaire regarding volume and value

information would be consolidated because the two companies shared

a common owner. See Issues & Decision Mem. at 52. Qingdao Zhengri

informed Commerce that it would not participate in verification.

See id. Commerce informed both companies that, based on Qingdao’s

refusal to submit to verification, Commerce could not verify only

part of the consolidated responses. See id. at 55. Commerce

indicated to the companies that “if a company objects to

verification, [Commerce] will not conduct verification and may

disregard any or all information submitted by the company in favor

of the use of facts available . . . .” Id. Yaou was provided with

notice that adverse facts available would be used by Commerce, yet

Yaou failed to contact or arrange verification with Commerce.

Commerce reasonably concluded that its inability to verify the

questionnaire responses was a result of Yaou’s failure to cooperate

with Commerce. See 19 U.S.C. § 1677e(a) & (b). Consequently,

Commerce properly applied adverse facts available and a PRC-wide

rate to Qingdao Zhengri and Yaou.
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 65

X. Payment of Dumping Duties to the Domestic Crawfish Industry

1. Contentions of the Parties

Bo Asia et al. contend that the Continued Dumping and Subsidy

Offset Act of 2000 (the “Byrd Amendment”)15 transformed the

antidumping law into a “penal” statute and conferred upon United

States entities, which are importers, full “due process rights.”

See Bo Asia’s Br. at 30-36. The Byrd Amendment provides that

antidumping and countervailing duties collected on or after October

1, 2000, by the United States Customs Service16 shall be distributed

to affected domestic parties on an annual basis. See id. at 32.

Bo Asia et al. assert that under the Byrd Amendment “the amount

collected is no longer ‘an additional duty,’ it is a penalty.” Id.

at 32-33. The Byrd Amendment, rather than equalize competitive

conditions in the United States, shifts revenue from importers to

the domestic industry and undermines the remedial purpose of the

antidumping duty statute. See id. at 33. Bo Asia et al. assert

that “[d]istributing the collected duties to domestic petitioners

is tantamount to penalizing the foreign producers and/or exporters

15
The Byrd Amendment was enacted after the publication of
the Final Results as part of the Agricultural, Rural Development,
Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriation
Act, 2001. See Title X of H.R. Bill 4461.
16
The United States Customs Service was renamed the Bureau
of Customs and Border Protection of the Department of Homeland
Security, effective March 1, 2003. See H.R. Doc. No. 108-32
(2003).
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 66

by providing a subsidy to their direct competitors.” Id.

Accordingly, Commerce’s actions during the review at issue violates

the United States Constitution because the United States

respondents were not afforded their full due process rights,

including a hearing by a neutral judge, before the imposition of

antidumping duties. See id. at 33-35.

Commerce responds that Bo Asia et al.’s argument is without

any merit. See Commerce’s Mem. at 55. Commerce points out that

the CAFC held that “the Byrd Amendment in no way alters the

responsibilities of Commerce, the Byrd Amendment did not convert

the antidumping statute into a penal statute . . . .” Id. (citing

Huaiyin Foreign Trade Corp. (30) v. United States, 322 F.3d 1369,

1379-1380 (Fed. Cir. 2003)). Accordingly, Commerce contends that

the Byrd Amendment “did not confer upon Bo Asia et al. the

constitutional protection of the Fifth Amendment or necessitate a

hearing by a neutral judge before dumping duties may be imposed.”

Id.

2. Analysis

The Court finds that Bo Asia et al.’s argument is without

merit. The CAFC has held that the Byrd Amendment does not change

the nature of the antidumping duty statute because it does not

impose a penalty. See Huaiyin, 322 F.3d at 1379-1380. The duties

imposed “remain proportional to the amount of harm caused by the
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 67

anticompetitive conduct.” Id. at 1380. Consequently, the duties

assessed pursuant to the Byrd Amendment are identical to those

assessed prior to its passage. See id. The Byrd Amendment

enhances rather than detracts from the remedial nature of the

antidumping duty statute because “[t]he duties now bear less

resemblance to a fine payable to the government, and look more like

compensation to victims of anticompetitive behaviors.” Id.

Pursuant to the CAFC’s holding, the Court finds that the Byrd

Amendment did not confer upon United States importers the

constitutional protections of the Fifth Amendment, including a

hearing before a neutral judge, before Commerce may impose dumping

duties.

The Court has considered all other arguments raised by CPA and

Plaintiffs/Defendant-Intervenors and finds them without merit.

CONCLUSION

This case is remanded to Commerce with instructions to (1)

include the submissions made by Hontex on March 19, 2002, and March

20, 2002, as part of the administrative record and explain what

bearing, if any, these submissions have on Commerce’s final

determination; and (2) sufficiently articulate (a) why its

collapsing methodology for NME exporters is a permissible

interpretation of the antidumping duty statute; and, (b) why its
Consol. Court No. 02-00376 Page 68

findings warranted the collapsing of Jiangsu and Nanlian. Commerce

is affirmed in all other aspects.

/s/ Nicholas Tsoucalas
NICHOLAS TSOUCALAS
SENIOR JUDGE

Dated: May 6, 2004
New York, New York