Opinion ID: 627995
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The United States' Appeal

Text: 17 Initially, we note that the circumstances in Finkelstein and Travelstead differ significantly from the circumstances in this case. In Finkelstein and Travelstead, there were only two parties involved, the secretaries of the respective agencies and the private petitioners. In contrast, here there are two private opposing parties and the government, which is aligned with one of those parties. One of the concerns in Finkelstein and Travelstead was that an important legal question raised by the remand might evade further review because the government could not seek review either in the remanding court or, later, in the circuit court, of a decision issued by the agency as mandated by the remanding court's instructions. Those concerns are not important factors here because the case may return to the trial court and because, even if the government cannot appeal, either Brother or Smith Corona may appeal any future adverse judgment of the Court of International Trade and make arguments concerning the previous remand order and determinations on remand. 18 We note that there is a possibility, if one of the private parties does not appeal from a final judgment, that the United States could not make its arguments concerning the remand order on appeal from a future final judgment. In Zenith Electronics Corp. v. United States, 875 F.2d 291 (Fed.Cir.1989), this court dismissed an appeal from a final judgment of the Court of International Trade because the United States' appeal did not present a case or controversy. In Zenith, the United States appealed from the Court of International Trade's final judgment, seeking review of a remand order issued two years earlier. Under both the earlier method utilized by Commerce and the method directed by the Court of International Trade on remand, Commerce came to the same result concerning the dumping margin. This court held that the government has no stake in the legality of the remand order and thus did not satisfy the case or controversy requirement. 19 Unlike the present appeals, no party other than the government appealed in Zenith, and thus other options normally open to the United States (such as making its arguments as an appellee) were not available. We conclude that the possibility, however remote, that the United States might not be able to challenge the remand order in this court is not analogous to the circumstances in Finkelstein and Travelstead. In those cases, the government likely would have been unable to return to the remanding court or to appeal to the circuit court because the only other party, the private petitioner, would likely have won on remand. Here, the United States may appear again before the trial court and would also be able to challenge the remand as an appellee in the event that the Court of International Trade affirms the post-remand determination and one of the private parties appeals. See, e.g., Trent Tube Division, Crucible Materials Corp. v. Avesta Sandvik Tube AB, 975 F.2d 807, 812 (Fed.Cir.1992) (the government argues, as an appellee, that its initial determination [before remand] had sufficient basis in fact and law, and should have been affirmed. But if the remand is deemed to have been correct, the remand determination, too, was sufficient); Timken Co. v. United States, 894 F.2d 385 (Fed.Cir.1990). In the event that the Court of International Trade reverses the government's post-remand determination, the government itself can appeal. The lack of a case or controversy after the entry of final judgment in Zenith does not render this remand order appealable based on speculations. 20 Additionally, this remand did not unquestionably terminate the action before the Court of International Trade as the remand orders did in Finkelstein and Travelstead. See Finkelstein, 496 U.S. at 625 (the district court's remand order was unquestionably a 'judgment,' as it terminated the civil action challenging the Secretary's final determination ..., set aside that determination, and finally decided that the Secretary could not follow his own regulations in considering the disability issue); Travelstead, 978 F.2d at 1248 (the Court of Veterans Appeals' decision remanding the case unquestionably terminated the action before the court). See also Monongahela Valley Hosp., 945 F.2d at 587 (district court's remand order terminated the action challenging the Secretary's determination). In this case, the private parties may return to the Court of International Trade. A final appealable judgment would thereafter be entered when the Court of International Trade reviews the determinations made after remand. 21 Clearly, this procedure was not contemplated by the trial court in Finkelstein or by the Court of Veterans Appeals in Travelstead. In both Finkelstein and Travelstead, the remand orders were final judgments; the remand orders reversed the secretaries' positions and directed the secretaries to make certain determinations on remand because the earlier determinations were contrary to statutes. Further review was not likely by the remanding courts in those cases. See Badger-Powhatan, 808 F.2d at 825 (a remand order is not final if the parties will still need to appear before the Court of International Trade if any of them challenges the amended determination). Accordingly, this court can review the issues raised in the remand order if one of the parties appeals later from a final judgment. Cf., Trent Tube, 975 F.2d at 813 (Fed.Cir.1992) (after an affirmance by the Court of International Trade of the post-remand determination, this court reviews the Court of International Trade's remand order and, if necessary, the affirmance of the post-remand determination). 22 Moreover, we do not view the issues raised by these appeals as comparable to the issues in Finkelstein and Travelstead, i.e., invalidation of a regulation or governmental action as contrary to a statute. The Court of International Trade here remanded to the ITA to consider whether Brother filed the petition 'on behalf of' the domestic industry, and if so, to proceed with an investigation under the antidumping laws. Finally, even though the Court of International Trade did finally decide one issue, i.e., that Brother was an interested party, appeal of that one issue is likewise inappropriate at this time. Jeannette Sheet Glass, 803 F.2d at 1580.