Opinion ID: 813702
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Purpose of AFA

Text: The errors advanced by majority opinion portend grave consequences in the application of the U.S. antidumping statutes. In particular, the majority opinion creates a new AFA standard for cooperating respondents whose data is incomplete or inaccurate. This is because the majority sees only one side of the AFA deterrence coin, that AFA rates are intended to compel participation in dumping cases. It fails to see the flip side of the coin; AFA rates also ensure that a cooperating respondent whose data for whatever reason is insufficient is not undeservedly awarded a de minimis or zero dumping rate. See Nippon Steel Corp. v. United States, 337 F.3d 1373, 1381 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (“Commerce may impose an adverse inference after determining that a respondent has not been fully cooperative or has failed to act to the best of its ability in gathering information.” (emphasis added)). At bottom, the majority addresses an issue not in controversy to inject its view of fairness into dumping proceedings by replacing the judgment of the administrating agency with its own.