Opinion ID: 106
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: Balance of Equities/Hardships

Text: The Court of International Trade concluded that the balance of equities tips in Commerce's favor. ASI II, slip op. at 15. It based its conclusion on its perceived inability to toll or permit waiver of the time limits of 19 U.S.C. § 1501 and remarked that Commerce faces a significant hardship if it loses its ability to request Customs to reliquidate the entries pursuant to § 1501. Id. at 14-15. We agree that if Commerce were to be foreclosed from reliquidation by section 1501, this would indeed be a significant hardship. However, we disagree with the Court of International Trade that this outcome is likely. Commerce argues that a preliminary injunction would foreclose Customs from reliquidating entries pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1501 due to the expiration of the ninety-day window in the statute. We cannot agree that Commerce is without a remedy if the ninety-day period elapses without reliquidation, for two reasons. First, under Shinyei, the deadline is inapplicable if reliquidation is ordered by a court. [17] As we noted in that case, the Court of International Trade's relief statute provides for entry of a money judgment for or against the United States in any civil action commenced under section 1581 or 1582 of this title, [19 U.S.C.] § 2643(a)(1), and allows the court to order any other form of relief that is appropriate in a civil action. ... Id. § 2643(c)(1) (emphasis added). The absence of an express reliquidation provision should not be read as a prohibition of such relief when the statute provides the Court of International Trade with such broad remedial powers. Here, the requested relief [reliquidation] is easily construed as any other form of relief that is appropriate in a civil action. Shinyei, 355 F.3d at 1312. Second, and more importantly, waiver by ASI obviates any problem with the ninety-day deadline. In view of the potential hardship, this court required in its October 28, 2009, order, and ASI submitted, a waiver of any defense it might otherwise have against reliquidation of [the applicable] entries pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1501 based on the expiration of the 90-day period for reliquidation set forth therein, during the period in which the injunction entered by this Court is in effect. Waiver of Statute of Limitations Defense at 1, Am. Signature v. United States, No. 2010-1023 (Fed.Cir. Oct. 29, 2009). The Supreme Court has remarked that it has `in the context of a broad array of constitutional and statutory provisions,' articulated a general rule that presumes the availability of waiver, United States v. Mezzanatto, 513 U.S. 196, 200-01, 115 S.Ct. 797, 130 L.Ed.2d 697 (1995). New York v. Hill, 528 U.S. 110, 114, 120 S.Ct. 659, 145 L.Ed.2d 560 (2000). Further, the Supreme Court has announced that absent some affirmative indication of Congress' intent to preclude waiver, we have presumed that statutory provisions are subject to waiver by voluntary agreement of the parties. Mezzanatto, 513 U.S. at 201, 115 S.Ct. 797. Therefore, we conclude this voluntary waiver adequately protects Commerce's interests in being able to reliquidate ASI's entries and prevents it from sustaining irreparable injury. Thus, we conclude that the Court of International Trade erred in its analysis of the potential harm to Commerce. In view of our assessment that Commerce will not be foreclosed from reliquidation, if appropriate, and the uncertainty concerning the remedies available to ASI, we find that the balance of equities favors ASI.