British Steel plc v. US

• Decision Date: 13 August 1996
• Docket Number: and 93-09-00567 thru 93-09-00570-CVD.,Slip Op. 96-130. Court No. 93-09-00550,93-09-00558
• Citation: 936 F. Supp. 1053
• Parties: BRITISH STEEL PLC, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant. USINAS SIDERURGICAS DE MINAS GERAIS, S.A., et al., Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant. INLAND STEEL INDUSTRIES, INC., et al., Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant. LTV STEEL CO., INC., et al., Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant. LACLEDE STEEL CO., et al., Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant. LUKENS STEEL CO., INC., et al., Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant.
• Court: U.S. Court of International Trade

936 F. Supp. 1053

BRITISH STEEL PLC, Plaintiff, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant.

USINAS SIDERURGICAS DE MINAS GERAIS, S.A., et al., Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant.

INLAND STEEL INDUSTRIES, INC., et al., Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant.

LTV STEEL CO., INC., et al., Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant.

LACLEDE STEEL CO., et al., Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant.

LUKENS STEEL CO., INC., et al., Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES, Defendant.

Slip Op. 96-130. Court Nos. 93-09-00550, 93-09-00558, and 93-09-00567 thru 93-09-00570-CVD.

United States Court of International Trade.

August 13, 1996.

COPYRIGHT MATERIAL OMITTED

Regarding British Steel plc v. United States, Consol. Court No. 93-09-00550-CVD: Steptoe & Johnson, Washington, DC (Richard O. Cunningham, Peter Lichtenbaum), (Sheldon E. Hochberg, William L. Martin, II), on brief, (Richard O. Cunningham, Sheldon E. Hochberg), on oral argument, for British Steel plc; Morgan, Lewis & Bockius, Washington, DC (Mark R. Joelson), (Marcela B. Stras, Roger C. Wilson), on brief, for the Government of the United Kingdom, et al.; Dewey Ballantine, Washington, DC (Michael H. Stein), (Alan Wm. Wolff, Thomas R. Howell, Martha J. Talley, John A. Ragosta, Guy C. Smith, John R. Magnus, Jeffrey D. Nuechterlein, Philip Karter, Michael R. Geroe, Jennifer Danner Riccardi), on brief, (Martha J. Talley, John A. Ragosta), on oral argument, for Geneva Steel, et al.; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Washington, DC (John J. Mangan, Robert E. Lighthizer), (D. Scott Nance, Barry J. Gilman), on brief, (D. Scott Nance, Barry J. Gilman), on oral argument, for Geneva Steel, et al.

Regarding Usinas Siderurgicas de Minas Gerais, S.A., et al. v. United States, Consol. Court No. 93-09-00558-CVD: Willkie Farr & Gallagher, Washington, DC (Christopher S. Stokes), (William H. Barringer, Nancy A. Fischer), on brief, (Christopher S. Stokes), on oral argument, for USIMINAS; Dickstein Shapiro & Morin, Washington, DC (Arthur J. Lafave, III, Douglas N. Jacobson), for Companhia Siderurgica Nacional; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Washington, DC (Robert E. Lighthizer, John J. Mangan), (Barry J. Gilman, D. Scott Nance), on brief, (Barry J. Gilman, Scott Nance), on oral argument, for Gulf States Steel, Inc., et al.; Dewey Ballantine, Washington, DC (Michael H. Stein), (Alan Wm. Wolff, John A. Ragosta, Guy C. Smith, Michael R. Geroe), on brief, (John A. Ragosta), on oral argument, for Gulf States Steel, Inc., et al.

Regarding Inland Steel Industries, Inc., et al. v. United States, Consol. Court No. 93-09-00567-CVD: Dewey Ballantine, Washington, DC (Michael H. Stein), (Alan Wm. Wolff, Martha J. Talley, John A. Ragosta, John R. Magnus, Jeffrey D. Nuechterlein, Jennifer Danner Riccardi), on brief, (Martha J. Talley, John A. Ragosta, John R. Magnus), on oral argument, for Inland Steel Indus., Inc., et al.; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Washington, DC (John J. Mangan, Robert E. Lighthizer), (D. Scott Nance), on brief, (Barry J. Gilman, D. Scott Nance), on oral argument, for Inland Steel Indus., Inc., et al.; Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, New York City (Stuart M. Rosen), (M. Jean Anderson, Jeffrey P. Bialos, Diane M. McDevitt, Scott Maberry; and Stuart M. Rosen, Mark F. Friedman, Jonathan Bloom), on brief, (M. Jean Anderson, Stuart M. Rosen), on oral argument, for Usinor Sacilor, Sollac and GTS.

Regarding LTV Steel Co., Inc., et al. v. United States, Consol. Court No. 93-09-00568-CVD: Dewey Ballantine, Washington, DC (Michael H. Stein), (Alan Wm. Wolff, Martha J. Talley, John A. Ragosta, Guy C. Smith, O. Julia Weller, Kristen M. Neller, Michael R. Geroe), on brief, (John A. Ragosta, Guy C. Smith), on oral argument, for LTV Steel Co., et al.; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Washington, DC (John J. Mangan, Robert E. Lighthizer), (D. Scott Nance), on brief, (D. Scott Nance), on oral argument, for LTV Steel Co., et al.; Sharretts, Paley, Carter & Blauvelt, P.C., New York City (Gail T. Cumins), for Thyssen Stahl AG, et al.; LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, L.L.P., New York City (Pierre F. de Ravel d'Esclapon, New York City, Mary Patricia Michel), for AG der Dillinger H¸ttenwerke; Hogan & Hartson, Washington, DC (Lewis E. Leibowitz, Steven J. Routh, Paul Minorini), for Fried, Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, et al.

Regarding Laclede Steel Co., et al. v. United States, Consol. Court No. 93-09-00569-CVD: Dewey Ballantine, Washington, DC (Michael H. Stein), (Alan Wm. Wolff, Martha J. Talley, John A. Ragosta, Linda C. Menghetti, Jeffrey D. Nuechterlein, Jennifer Danner Riccardi), on brief, (John A. Ragosta, Jeffrey D. Nuechterlein, Jennifer Danner Riccardi), on oral argument, for Laclede Steel Co., et al. Armco Steel Co., et al. and Bethlehem Steel Corp., et al.; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Washington, DC (John J. Mangan, Robert E. Lighthizer), (D. Scott Nance), on brief, (D. Scott Nance), on oral argument, for Laclede Steel Co., et al., Armco Steel Co., et al., and Bethlehem Steel Corp., et al.; Morrison & Foerster, Washington, DC (Donald B. Cameron), (Julie C. Mendoza, Craig A. Lewis, Sue-Lynn Koo, Panagiotis C. Bayz), on brief, (Donald B. Cameron, Julie C. Mendoza), on oral argument, Counsel for Dongbu Steel Co., et al.

Regarding Lukens Steel Co., et al. v. United States, Consol. Court No. 93-09-00570-CVD: Dewey Ballantine, Washington, DC (Michael H. Stein), (Alan Wm. Wolff, Martha J. Talley, John A. Ragosta, Guy C. Smith, Scott L. Forseth, Michael R. Geroe), on brief, (John A. Ragosta), on oral argument, for Lukens Steel Co., et al.; Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, Washington, DC (John J. Mangan, Robert E. Lighthizer), (D. Scott Nance), on brief, (D. Scott Nance), on oral argument, for Lukens Steel Co., et al.; Shearman & Sterling, Washington, DC (Jeffrey M. Winton), (Robert E. Herzstein, Shavit Matias), on brief, for Altos Hornos de Mexico, S.A. de C.V.

Regarding Geneva Steel, et al. v. United States, Consol. Court No. 93-09-00566-CVD: Dewey Ballantine, Washington, DC (Michael H. Stein), (Alan Wm. Wolff, Martha J. Talley, John A. Ragosta, Michael R. Geroe), on brief, (Martha J. Talley, Michael R. Geroe), on oral argument, for Geneva Steel, et al.; Barnes, Richardson & Colburn, Washington, DC (Gunter von Conrad), for Fabrique de Fer Charleroi, S.A.; LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae, Washington, DC (Melvin S. Schwechter), for S.A. Forgess de Clabecq; O'Melveny & Myers, Washington, DC (Peggy A. Clarke, Gary N. Horlick), for Sidmar N.V. and TradeARBED, Inc.

Frank W. Hunger, Assistant Attorney General of the United States; David M. Cohen, Director, Commercial Litigation Branch, Civil Division, United States Department of Justice, Washington, DC (A. David Lafer) (Jeffrey M. Telep, Velta A. Melnbrencis); Stephen J. Powell, (Terrence J. McCartin, Robert E. Nielsen, David W. Richardson, Elizabeth C. Seastrum, Marguerite Trossevin, Jeffrey C. Lowe), Office of Chief Counsel for Import Administration, United States Department of Commerce, of Counsel for defendant.

OPINION

CARMAN, Judge:

In British Steel PLC v. United States, 924 F.Supp. 139 (CIT1996) (British Steel II), appeals docketed, Nos. 96-1401-06, (Fed.Cir. June 21, 1996), this Court stayed its consideration of the Department of Commerce's ("Department" or "Commerce") first privatization remand, Final Results of Redetermination Pursuant to Court Remand on General Issue of Privatization (dated July 17, 1995) (Privatization Remand), as it pertained to Certain Steel Products From Germany, 58 Fed.Reg. 37,315 (Dep't Comm. 1993) (final determ.) (German Final Determination), and of all issues related to or dependent upon privatization in LTV Steel Co., Inc., et al. v. United States, Consol.Court No. 93-09-00568-CVD, consisting of LTV Steel Co., Inc., et al. v. United States, Court No. 93-09-00568-CVD, Thyssen Stahl AG, et al. v. United States, Court No. 93-09-00585-CVD, AG der Dillinger H¸ttenwerke v. United States, Court No. 93-09-00596-CVD, and Fried. Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp and Krupp Hoesch Stahl AG v. United States, Court No. 93-09-00603-CVD, pending this Court's jurisdiction pursuant to the remand from the Court of Appeals in Saarstahl, AG v. United States, 78 F.3d 1539 (Fed.Cir.1996), rev'g and remanding Saarstahl, AG v. United States, 858 F.Supp. 187 (CIT1994). Through an April 30, 1996 order, in light of the petition for rehearing before the Court of Appeals in Saarstahl¹ and in the interest of expedition, this Court vacated the stay. In the same order, this Court also ordered Commerce to perform a second remand determination on privatization issues pertaining to the German Final Determination. The present opinion addresses the second remand determination, Final Results of Redetermination Pursuant to Court Remand on Certain Factual Issues Regarding the Privatization in Germany (dated May 22, 1996) (Redetermination), as well as all country-specific challenges related to privatization presented in LTV Steel Co., Inc., et al. v. United States, Consol.Court No. 93-09-00568-CVD. This Court has jurisdiction over this matter under 28 U.S.C. ß 1581(c) (1988).

APPLICATION OF U.S. CIT R. 54(B)

U.S. CIT R. 54(b) provides in part:

When more than one claim for relief is presented in an action, whether as a claim, counterclaim, cross-claim, or third-party claim, or when multiple parties are involved, the court may direct the entry of a final judgment as to one or more but fewer than all of the claims or parties only upon an express determination that there is no just reason for delay and upon an express direction for the entry of judgment.

As explained by the Court,

Underlying rule 54(b) is the recognition that with the liberal joinder of claims now permitted by the federal rules, the policy against piecemeal appellate review implicit in the "single judicial unit" rule must be weighed against the prejudice caused by unjustified delay which can occur when decisions final as to some claims cannot be entered until the litigation is

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