CIT Upholds Use of Questionnaire In Lieu of On-Site Verification in CVD Case

The Court of International Trade on March 16 upheld the Commerce Department's final determination in the countervailing duty investigation into aluminum sheet from Turkey. Judge M. Miller Baker said that Commerce "easily" defeated respondent Teknik Aluminyum Sanayi's challenge to Commerce's use of a questionnaire in lieu of on-site verification since Teknik cited no authority requiring the agency to carry out a certain verification procedure during a global pandemic. Baker also upheld Commerce's use of partial adverse facts available over Teknik's failure to submit screenshots of audited financial statements and ledgers, citing Teknik's failure to submit certain information in the form and manner requested.