CIT Rejects Bid for Reliquidation of Steel Entries Subject to 232 Duties

The Court of International Trade dismissed a case from steel importers Voestalpine USA Corp. and Bilstein Cold Rolled Steel requesting reliquidation of two steel entries exclusive of Section 232 steel and aluminum tariffs, in an Aug. 26 order. Chief Judge Mark Barnett said that while the case appropriately sought jurisdiction under Section 1581(i) since it challenged a denied exclusion request from the Commerce Department, the plaintiffs received all the relief available to them from Commerce -- their exclusion request was eventually granted, so that aspect of the case was moot. But to secure a refund, they should have filed a protest to seek CBP reliquidation of the relevant entries, and they did not, Barnett said.