The Commerce Department erred by finding that South Korea's provision of electricity below cost "conferred a non-measurable benefit," countervailing duty petitioner Nucor Corp. argued in a June 6 complaint at the Court of International Trade. Nucor railed against the "evidentiary flaws" Commerce relied on from cost data from South Korea's sole supplier of electricity, the Korean Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), but said that even using this data, it's clear that a benefit was conferred to the mandatory respondents (Nucor Corporation v. United States, CIT #22-00137).

The Commerce Department altered the basis for its use of adverse facts available on remand at the Court of International Trade in an antidumping case after the court said that antidumping respondent Dalian Meisen Woodworking's false advertisements cannot be used as grounds for AFA. Submitting its remand results on June 6, Commerce said that after issuing a host of new questionnaires to Meisen, including a questionnaire in lieu of on-site verification, it changed its bases for AFA, now basing it on the respondent's failure to provide "critical information" in the questionnaire and all of its U.S. affiliates (Dalian Meisen Woodworking Co. v. United States, CIT #20-00109).

In a series of three opinions, the Court of International Trade denied domestic honey, crawfish, garlic and mushroom producers' bids for reconsideration of the court's past ruling dismissing some of their claims as time-barred by the statute of limitations. The cases, led by Adee Honey Farms, Hilex Poly and American Drew, sought court orders to get CBP to distribute delinquency interest that should be paid to affected domestic producers under the Continued Dumping and Subsidy Offset Act of 2000. Previously, Judge Timothy Stanceu said that the only timely claims were the ones relating to the application of the Final Rule to the plaintiffs' individual CDSOA distributions happening in the two years before their implementing their actions. In the June 8 opinions, Stanceu held that no "valid reason" was put forth as to why the court should vacate or modify the decisions to dismiss the untimely claims.

Magnesia alumina carbon (MAC) brick exporter Fedmet Resources' move to oppose the U.S. stay motion in an Enforce and Protect Act case only delays resolution, DOJ argued in a June 3 reply brief at the Court of International Trade. Fedmet opposes the stay and seeks the filing of a voluntary remand in a window that the U.S. says is impossible since it needs a covered merchandise referral determination from the Commerce Department -- the matter at the heart of the contested stay motion (Fedmet Resources v. U.S., CIT #21-00248).

Imported carbon steel tubing lined with epoxy coating are insulated for tariff schedule purposes, and should be classified under heading 8547 as insulating fittings for electrical machines, appliances or equipment, importer Shamrock Building Materials said in a motion for summary judgment filed June 6 at the Court of International Trade (Shamrock Building Materials, Inc. v. United States, CIT # 20-00074).

Legalization at the state level allows importer Keirton USA to “manufacture, possess, or distribute” marijuana but doesn't constitute a specific authorization to go against the "uniform Federal ban" on drug paraphernalia imports, DOJ said in a June 6 brief at the Court of International Trade (Keirton USA v. U.S. Customs and Border Protection, CIT #21-00452).

The Court of International Trade in a June 6 opinion dismissed test taker Byungmin Chae's lawsuit contesting five questions on the customs broker license exam. Judge Timothy Reif said CBP was right to dismiss Chae's appeal of four of the questions but that the agency wrongly denied the test taker's appeal for the fifth question. The reversal of one question wasn't enough to for a passing grade for Chae, who was two questions shy of the 75% threshold needed to pass the test.

The Commerce Department erred by not hitting antidumping duty respondent Chandan Steel Limited with adverse facts available based on the company's inaccurate and incomplete reporting of information, the Coalition of American Flange Producers said in a June 3 complaint at the Court of International Trade. The coalition filed its case to challenge Commerce's final results in the administrative review of the AD order on stainless steel flanges from India. The AD petitioner also challenged Commerce's decision not to hit Kisaan Die Tech Private Limited with AFA based on its allegedly "inaccurate and incomplete reporting" (Coalition of American Flange Producers v. United States, CIT #22-00168).

Agricultural net wrap imported by RWW Klerks can only be used in harvesting machinery, and should be classified as a part of harvesting machinery of Harmonized Tariff Schedule heading 8433, rather than as liquidated by CBP in heading 6005 as a textile material, the importer said in a June 3 motion filed at the Court of International Trade (RKW Klerks Inc. v. United States, CIT # 20-00001).

An importer seeks a refund of antidumping and countervailing duties for defective plywood that it says should have been valued at less than it was at liquidation, it said in a June 3 motion for summary judgment filed at the Court of International Trade. Bral asked the court to issue an order that the subject merchandise be reappraised to a value equal to 18% of its original value, order the assessment of ad valorum duties on the reappraised value of the merchandise, and order the refund of all excess duties plus interest (Bral Corporation v. United States, CIT # 20-00154).