Changzhou Trina Solar Energy v. United States ( 2020 )


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  • Case: 20-1004    Document: 64    Page: 1   Filed: 09/03/2020
    United States Court of Appeals
    for the Federal Circuit
    ______________________
    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY CO., LTD.,
    TRINA SOLAR (CHANGZHOU) SCIENCE &
    TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD., TRINA SOLAR (U.S.)
    INC.,
    Plaintiffs-Appellees
    v.
    UNITED STATES,
    Defendant-Appellee
    v.
    SOLARWORLD AMERICAS, INC.,
    Defendant-Appellant
    ______________________
    2020-1004
    ______________________
    Appeal from the United States Court of International
    Trade in Nos. 1:17-cv-00199-CRK, 1:17-cv-00217-CRK,
    Judge Claire R. Kelly.
    ______________________
    Decided: September 3, 2020
    ______________________
    JONATHAN FREED, Trade Pacific PLLC, Washington,
    DC, argued for plaintiffs-appellees. Also represented by
    ROBERT GOSSELINK.
    Case: 20-1004     Document: 64      Page: 2    Filed: 09/03/2020
    2          CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY      v. UNITED STATES
    JOSHUA E. KURLAND, Commercial Litigation Branch,
    Civil Division, United States Department of Justice, Wash-
    ington, DC, argued for defendant-appellee. Also repre-
    sented by ETHAN P. DAVIS, JEANNE DAVIDSON, REGINALD
    THOMAS BLADES, JR.; IAN ANDREW MCINERNEY, Office of
    the Chief Counsel for Trade Enforcement and Compliance,
    United States Department of Commerce, Washington, DC.
    TIMOTHY C. BRIGHTBILL, Wiley Rein, LLP, Washington,
    DC, argued for defendant-appellant. Also represented by
    LAURA EL-SABAAWI, DOUGLAS C. DREIER, STEPHEN JOSEPH
    OBERMEIER, JOHN ALLEN RIGGINS, ENBAR TOLEDANO.
    ______________________
    Before DYK, WALLACH, and CHEN, Circuit Judges.
    WALLACH, Circuit Judge.
    Appellees Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co., Ltd.,
    Trina Solar (Changzhou) Science & Technology Co., Ltd.,
    and Trina Solar (U.S.), Inc. (collectively, “Trina”) filed suit
    against Appellee the United States (“Government”) in the
    U.S. Court of International Trade (“CIT”), challenging the
    U.S. Department of Commerce’s (“Commerce”) final results
    in the first administrative review of the antidumping (“an-
    tidumping” or “AD”) duty order covering certain crystalline
    silicon photovoltaic products from the People’s Republic of
    China (“PRC”). See Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovol-
    taic Products From the People’s Republic of China, 
    82 Fed. Reg. 32,170
    , 32,172 (Dep’t of Commerce July 12, 2017) (fi-
    nal results) (“Final Results”). Appellant SolarWorld Amer-
    icas, Inc. (“SolarWorld”), a domestic producer of like
    products, participated as petitioner and defendant-interve-
    nor. The CIT remanded “Commerce’s decision not to offset”
    Trina’s export price by a countervailed export subsidy as
    “contrary to law,” instructing Commerce “to recalculate
    Trina’s [export] price[]” with the offset, while sustaining,
    inter alia, “Commerce’s surrogate value selection[] for
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    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY      v. UNITED STATES            3
    valuing . . . module glass.” Changzhou Trina Solar Energy
    Co. v. United States (Trina I), 
    359 F. Supp. 3d 1329
    , 1344
    (Ct. Int’l Trade 2019). Commerce issued its remand rede-
    termination, recalculating Trina’s export price in accord-
    ance with Trina I, under protest. J.A. 6764–65; see J.A.
    6764–70 (Remand Redetermination). The CIT sustained
    Commerce’s Remand Redetermination. See Changzhou
    Trina Solar Energy Co. v. United States (Trina II), 
    393 F. Supp. 3d 1245
    , 1251 (Ct. Int’l Trade 2019); J.A. 16–17
    (Judgment).
    SolarWorld appeals. We have jurisdiction pursuant to
    
    28 U.S.C. § 1295
    (a)(5). We affirm.
    BACKGROUND
    I. Legal Framework
    Antidumping duties may be imposed on “foreign mer-
    chandise [that] is being, or is likely to be, sold in the United
    States at less than its fair value.” 
    19 U.S.C. § 1673
    (1). Do-
    mestic industries may seek “relief from [such] imports,” Al-
    legheny Ludlum Corp. v. United States, 
    287 F.3d 1365
    ,
    1368 (Fed. Cir. 2002), by filing a petition with Commerce
    and the U.S. International Trade Commission (“ITC”) to in-
    itiate an antidumping duty investigation, see 19 U.S.C.
    §§ 1673a(b), 1677(9)(C). Following investigation, if Com-
    merce determines that imported merchandise “is being, or
    is likely to be, sold in the United States at less than its fair
    value,” id. § 1673(1), and the ITC determines that the im-
    portation or sale of that merchandise has “materially in-
    jured” or “threaten[s]” to “materially injur[e]” “an industry
    in the United States,” id. § 1673(2), then Commerce will
    “publish an antidumping duty order . . . direct[ing] [U.S.
    Customs and Border Protection] to assess . . . antidumping
    dut[ies]” on subject merchandise, id. § 1673e(a)(1). Each
    year after the order is published, “if [Commerce receives] a
    request for . . . review” of that order from an interested
    party, Commerce will “review[] and determine . . . the
    amount of any antidumping duty” under the order. Id.
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    4          CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY      v. UNITED STATES
    § 1675(a)(1)(B) (providing for the “[p]eriodic review of [the]
    amount of duty”); see 
    19 C.F.R. § 351.213
    (b) (providing for
    the “[a]dministrative review of orders” on the request of “an
    interested party”). 1
    In the course an investigation or review, Commerce
    “determine[s] the estimated weighted average dumping
    margin for each exporter and producer individually inves-
    tigated” or reviewed and “the estimated all-others rate for
    all exporters and producers not individually investigated”
    or reviewed. 19 U.S.C. § 1673d(c)(1)(B)(i); see id. § 1677f-
    1(c) (providing for the “[d]etermination of dumping mar-
    gin[s]” in investigations and reviews for “a reasonable
    number of exporters or producers”). A dumping margin re-
    flects the amount by which the “‘normal value’ (the price a
    producer charges in its home market) exceeds the ‘export
    price’ (the price of the product in the United States) or ‘con-
    structed export price.’” U.S. Steel Corp. v. United States,
    
    621 F.3d 1351
    , 1353 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (footnote omitted) (cit-
    ing 
    19 U.S.C. § 1677
    (35)(A)); see 19 U.S.C. §§ 1677b(a)(1)
    (defining “normal value” as “the price at which the [mer-
    chandise] is first sold . . . for consumption” in the home
    country or a third country), 1677a(b) (defining “constructed
    export price” as “the price at which the subject merchan-
    dise is first sold . . . in the United States” to “a purchaser
    not affiliated with the producer or exporter”). Where mer-
    chandise is subject to both antidumping and countervailing
    duties (“countervailing duties” or “CVD”), Commerce will
    increase the export price or constructed export price by “the
    1   An “interested party” includes: “a foreign manufac-
    turer, producer, or exporter, or the United States importer,
    of subject merchandise”; “the government of a country in
    which such merchandise is produced or manufactured or
    from which such merchandise is exported”; and, “a manu-
    facturer, producer, or wholesaler in the United States of a
    domestic like product.” 
    19 U.S.C. § 1677
    (9)(A)–(C).
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    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY    v. UNITED STATES           5
    amount of any countervailing duty imposed on the subject
    merchandise . . . to offset an export subsidy[.]”
    19 U.S.C.§ 1677a(c)(1)(C); see id. § 1671(a)(1) (providing
    that countervailing duties may be imposed on imported
    merchandise to countervail subsidies provided by, e.g., the
    government of the exporting country, for “the manufacture,
    production, or export of” that merchandise). If Commerce
    finds that the exporting country is a “nonmarket economy”
    (“NME”) country 2 and “that available information does not
    permit the normal value of the subject merchandise to be
    determined under [§ 1677b(a)],” then Commerce calculates
    the normal value using surrogate values for the “factors of
    production” in a comparable “market economy country.”
    Id. § 1677b(c)(1).
    II. Procedural History
    A. The AD and CVD Orders
    In December 2013, SolarWorld, “a domestic producer of
    solar cells and panels,” filed “antidumping [and counter-
    vailing] duty . . . petition[s] concerning imports of certain
    crystalline silicon photovoltaic products” from the PRC,
    then Commerce initiated antidumping and countervailing
    duty investigations in response. Certain Crystalline Sili-
    con Photovoltaic Products From the People’s Republic of
    China and Taiwan, 
    79 Fed. Reg. 4,661
    , 4,661 (Dep’t of
    Commerce Jan. 29, 2014) (initiation of antidumping duty
    2   An NME country is “any foreign country that [Com-
    merce] determines does not operate on market principles of
    cost or pricing structures, so that sales of merchandise in
    such country do not reflect the fair value of the merchan-
    dise.” 
    19 U.S.C. § 1677
    (18)(A). Commerce considers the
    PRC to be an NME country. Certain Crystalline Silicon
    Photovoltaic Products From the People’s Republic of China,
    
    82 Fed. Reg. 12,793
    , 12,795 (Dep’t of Commerce Mar. 7,
    2017) (preliminary results) (“Preliminary Results”).
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    6          CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY      v. UNITED STATES
    investigations); see Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic
    Products From the People’s Republic of China, 
    79 Fed. Reg. 4,667
    , 4,668 (Dep’t of Commerce Jan. 29, 2014) (initiation
    of countervailing duty investigation) (similar). Trina was
    a mandatory respondent in the CVD investigation proceed-
    ings. See Countervailing Duty Investigation of Certain
    Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products From the People’s
    Republic of China, 
    79 Fed. Reg. 76,962
    , 76,963 (Dep’t of
    Commerce Dec. 23, 2014) (final affirmative countervailing
    duty determination) (“Final CVD Determination”).
    In calculating Trina’s countervailing duty rate, Com-
    merce found various “[p]rograms . . . to be countervailable,”
    Issues & Decisions Mem., Certain Crystalline Silicon Pho-
    tovoltaic Products From the People’s Republic of China, C-
    570-011, Investigation at 16 (Dec. 15, 2014), https://en-
    forcement.trade.gov/frn/summary/prc/2014-30071-1.pdf
    (adopted in Final CVD Determination, 
    79 Fed. Reg. 76,962
    )
    (“Final CVD I&D Mem.”), among them, “Export Buyer’s
    Credits,” as “[e]xport [c]redit [s]ubsidies” (“Ex-Im Bank
    Buyer’s Credit Program”) provided by the Export-Import
    Bank of China (“Ex-Im Bank”), 
    id. at 30
    . Commerce ex-
    plained that, “through this program, the [Ex-Im Bank] pro-
    vides loans at preferential rates for the purchase of
    exported goods from the PRC.” Id.; see 
    id. at 94
     (“[W]here
    we have found that such export buyer’s credits have been
    used [by buyers], we have consistently found such financ-
    ing to be countervailable as a subsidy benefitting the ex-
    porter”). While Trina had reported that it had not used the
    Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s Credit Program, see 
    id. at 94
    , Com-
    merce “was not able to verify [Trina’s] reported non-use . . .
    during verification with the [Government of China],” 
    id. at 30
    . Commerce, accordingly, “rel[ied] upon [adverse facts
    available (‘AFA’)]” to determine that “Trina . . . used [the]
    program during the [period of investigation].” Id.; see 19
    U.S.C. §§ 1677e(a)(2)(A) (providing for “[d]eterminations
    [made] on [the] basis of facts available” where an “inter-
    ested party . . . withholds [requested] information”),
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    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY     v. UNITED STATES           7
    1677e(b)(1) (providing for the use of “[a]dverse inferences”
    “in selecting from among the facts otherwise available”
    where Commerce “finds that an interested party has failed
    to cooperate . . . to the best of its ability”). Commerce con-
    cluded that Trina had “benefited from this program at [a]
    rate of 10.54 percent ad valorem, the highest rate deter-
    mined for a similar program in a prior PRC proceeding.”
    Final CVD I&D Mem. 16.
    In February 2015, Commerce issued antidumping and
    countervailing duty orders covering “certain crystalline sil-
    icon photovoltaic products,” specifically, “modules, lami-
    nates and/or panels consisting of crystalline silicon
    photovoltaic cells, whether or not partially or fully assem-
    bled into other products, including building integrated ma-
    terials.” Certain Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Products
    From the People’s Republic of China, 
    80 Fed. Reg. 8,592
    ,
    8,592 (Dep’t of Commerce Feb. 18, 2015) (antidumping
    duty order and amended final affirmative countervailing
    duty determination and countervailing duty order) (“AD
    and CVD Orders”). 3
    3    The AD and CVD Orders discussed here are dis-
    tinct from and in addition to the 2012 AD and CVD orders
    on “crystalline silicon photovoltaic cells, whether or not as-
    sembled into modules, laminates, and/or panels, from the
    PRC.” AD and CVD Orders, 80 Fed. Reg. at 8,593 (footnote
    omitted); see Crystalline Silicon Photovoltaic Cells,
    Whether or Not Assembled Into Modules, From the People’s
    Republic of China, 
    77 Fed. Reg. 73,018
     (Dep’t of Commerce
    Dec. 7, 2012) (amended final determination of sales at less
    than fair value, and antidumping duty order); Crystalline
    Silicon Photovoltaic Cells, Whether or Not Assembled Into
    Modules, From the People’s Republic of China, 
    77 Fed. Reg. 73,017
     (Dep’t of Commerce Dec. 7, 2012) (countervailing
    duty order).
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    8          CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY     v. UNITED STATES
    B. The First Administrative Review
    In February 2016, Commerce filed notice of the oppor-
    tunity to request administrative review of the AD and CVD
    Orders. Opportunity to Request Administrative Review, 
    81 Fed. Reg. 5,712
    , 5,713 (Dep’t of Commerce Feb. 3, 2016);
    see 
    19 U.S.C. § 1675
    (a)(1); 
    19 C.F.R. § 351.213
    . Commerce
    received multiple requests for review. J.A. 6562 (Prelimi-
    nary I&D Mem.). Commerce initiated the AD Order’s first
    administrative review, covering the period of review of July
    31, 2014, through January 31, 2016. Initiation of Anti-
    dumping and Countervailing Duty Administrative Re-
    views, 
    81 Fed. Reg. 20,324
    , 20,324 (Dep’t of Commerce
    Apr. 7, 2016). Commerce selected Trina as the sole man-
    datory respondent. J.A. 6562. Having been the petitioner
    in the original AD and CVD investigations, SolarWorld
    participated as an interested party. J.A. 6563.
    In March 2017, Commerce issued its preliminary re-
    sults. See Preliminary Results, 82 Fed. Reg. at 12,794; see
    J.A. 6561–87 (Preliminary I&D Mem.). Commerce de-
    clined to increase Trina’s export price “by the amount of
    any countervailing duty imposed to offset an export sub-
    sidy.” J.A. 6586. Commerce explained that, “[a]s a result
    of noncooperation by the Government of China in the com-
    panion CVD investigation,” Commerce had relied on AFA
    to “determine[] that Trina benefited from the Export
    Buyer’s Credits Program,” and, as such, “did not deter-
    mine” whether “the program in question was export contin-
    gent.” J.A. 6586. “Without a determination in the
    companion CVD investigation that this program provides
    an export subsidy,” Commerce concluded it was inappropri-
    ate to offset Trina’s export price by the amount of the coun-
    tervailing duty imposed. J.A. 6586. Further, because
    “[Commerce] considers the PRC to be an NME country,”
    J.A. 6567, Commerce selected Thailand as a surrogate
    market economy country to provide surrogate values to cal-
    culate Trina’s normal value, J.A. 6575; see also 19 U.S.C.
    § 1677b(c)(1) (providing for the use of surrogate values to
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    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY   v. UNITED STATES          9
    calculate normal value for NME respondents). Commerce
    valued Trina’s module glass input using Harmonized Tariff
    Schedule (“HTS”) Subheading 7007.19.90000 (covering
    “Toughened (Tempered) Safety Glass, Not Suitable For In-
    corporation In Vehicles, Aircraft, Spacecraft Or Vessels;
    Other”). J.A. 140 (Final I&D Mem.).
    In July 2017, Commerce issued its Final Results.
    82 Fed. Reg. at 32,170; see J.A. 113–56 (Final I&D Mem.).
    Commerce calculated a 9.61 percent weighted average
    dumping margin for Trina. Final Results, 82 Fed. Reg. at
    32,171. Consistent with the Preliminary Results, Com-
    merce declined to offset Trina’s export price by any coun-
    tervailed export subsidy. J.A. 121. Commerce explained
    that it “did not make a determination in the [companion]
    CVD investigation . . . that the [Ex-Im Bank] Buyer’s
    Credit Program was an export subsidy,” because it had re-
    lied on AFA to countervail the program. J.A. 121. For
    Trina’s normal value, Commerce “continued to value
    Trina’s module glass using Thai imports of tempered glass
    classified under HTS [Subheading] 7007.19.90000[.]” J.A.
    141. Commerce rejected SolarWorld’s argument that
    “Trina’s module glass should be valued using HTS [Sub-
    heading] 7007.29.90 (i.e., Laminated safety glass: Other;
    Other),” because “laminated glass is ‘made in sandwich
    form, with one or more interlayers of plastics between two
    or more sheets of glass,’” J.A. 141 (quoting WCO EN
    7007.29.90), and there was “no record evidence of addi-
    tional working [of Trina’s module glass] that would result
    in glass comparable to laminated glass,” J.A. 142.
    Both SolarWorld and Trina filed suit against the Gov-
    ernment in the CIT, challenging Commerce’s Final Results
    as unsupported by substantial evidence and contrary to
    law. Trina I, 359 F. Supp. 3d at 1331. On the offset issue,
    the CIT remanded to Commerce, concluding that “Com-
    merce’s decision to not offset the Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s
    Credit Program [wa]s contrary to law[.]” Id. at 1332. The
    CIT reasoned that, because AFA “does not obviate the need
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    10         CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY     v. UNITED STATES
    for Commerce to affirmatively find that the elements of the
    statute have been satisfied,” Commerce must have “neces-
    sarily found that the [Ex-Im Bank] [B]uyer’s [C]redit
    [P]rogram was an export subsidy,” and, therefore, “Com-
    merce’s decision to deny an offset for the countervailing du-
    ties imposed” as a result of the Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s Credit
    Program “is contrary to law[.]” Id. at 1339. The CIT “di-
    rected [Commerce] to recalculate Trina’s [export] prices to
    account for the offset[.]” Id. at 1332. On the valuation of
    Trina’s inputs, the CIT “sustain[ed] Commerce’s selection
    of surrogate values for,” inter alia, “module glass” as sup-
    ported by substantial evidence. Id. The CIT explained that
    “Commerce [had] reasonably determined that [Thai] im-
    port data under HTS [S]ubheading 7007.19.90000 consti-
    tute[d] the best available information with which to value
    [that] input.” Id. at 1336; see 19 U.S.C. § 1677b(c)(1)
    (providing that Commerce’s surrogate value determina-
    tions must “be based on the best available information re-
    garding the values of [relevant] factors in a market
    economy country or countries”).
    “In accordance with [Trina I],” Commerce, “under re-
    spectful protest, increased Trina’s [export] price[] by the
    amount countervailed” based on the Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s
    Credit Program subsidy “in the most recently completed
    segment of the corresponding [CVD] proceeding.”
    J.A. 6764–65 (citing Final CVD Determination, 
    79 Fed. Reg. 76,962
    ); see Viraj Grp., Ltd. v. United States, 
    343 F.3d 1371
    , 1376 (Fed. Cir. 2003) (explaining that Commerce
    may “adopt[] under protest a contrary position forced upon
    it by the [CIT]” and subsequently appeal that position to
    this court). Commerce maintained that, while it had
    “properly determined not to grant Trina an offset to its [ex-
    port] prices for the countervailed . . . Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s
    Credit Program,” it nonetheless “compl[ied] with the
    [CIT’s] direction” and “increased Trina’s [export] price[.]”
    J.A. 6769. As a result, Trina’s weighted average dumping
    margin was reduced to 3.42 percent. J.A. 6770. The CIT
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    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY     v. UNITED STATES          11
    sustained Commerce’s Remand Redetermination.              See
    Trina II, 393 F. Supp. 3d at 1251.
    DISCUSSION
    SolarWorld argues that: (1) the CIT “erred in sustain-
    ing Commerce’s [Remand Redetermination]—made under
    protest—to offset Trina’s [export] price to account for the
    countervailed” Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s Credit Program, Ap-
    pellant’s Br. 19 (capitalization normalized); and (2) the CIT
    “improperly deferred” to Commerce when it “sustain[ed]
    Commerce’s decision to apply Thai HTS [Subheading]
    7007.19.90000 to Trina’s solar [module] glass,” id. at 31.
    We address each argument in turn.
    I. Standard of Review
    We “apply . . . the same standard” of review as the CIT,
    Downhole Pipe & Equip., L.P. v. United States, 
    776 F.3d 1369
    , 1373 (Fed. Cir. 2015) (internal quotation marks and
    citation omitted), upholding Commerce’s determinations if
    they are supported “by substantial evidence on the record”
    and otherwise “in accordance with law,” 19 U.S.C.
    § 1516a(b)(1)(B)(i). “Although we review the decisions of
    the CIT de novo, we give great weight to the informed opin-
    ion of the CIT and it is nearly always the starting point of
    our analysis.” Nan Ya Plastics Corp. v. United States, 
    810 F.3d 1333
    , 1341 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (internal quotation marks,
    alterations, and citation omitted).
    We review Commerce’s “statutory interpretations as to
    the appropriate methodology” under Chevron U.S.A., Inc.
    v. Nat. Res. Def. Council, Inc., 
    467 U.S. 837
     (1984). Pes-
    quera Mares Australes Ltda. v. United States, 
    266 F.3d 1372
    , 1379 (Fed. Cir. 2001). If “Congress has directly spo-
    ken to the precise question at issue,” then “that is the end
    of the matter; for the court, as well as the agency, must give
    effect to the unambiguously expressed intent of Congress.”
    Wheatland Tube Co. v. United States, 
    495 F.3d 1355
    , 1359
    (Fed. Cir. 2007) (quoting Chevron, 
    467 U.S. at
    842–43). “In
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    12         CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY      v. UNITED STATES
    order to determine whether a statute clearly shows the in-
    tent of Congress . . . , we employ traditional tools of statu-
    tory construction and examine the statute’s text, structure,
    and legislative history, and apply the relevant canons of
    interpretation.” Kyocera Solar, Inc. v. U.S. Int’l Trade
    Comm’n, 
    844 F.3d 1334
    , 1338 (Fed. Cir. 2016) (internal
    quotation marks and citations omitted). If, however, “the
    statute is silent or ambiguous with respect to the specific
    issue,” we evaluate whether Commerce’s interpretation is
    reasonable. Chevron, 
    467 U.S. at 843
    . The agency’s con-
    struction need not be the only reasonable interpretation or
    even the most reasonable interpretation. See Zenith Radio
    Corp. v. United States, 
    437 U.S. 443
    , 450 (1978).
    We review Commerce’s findings of fact for substantial
    evidence. See SolarWorld Ams., Inc. v. United States, 
    910 F.3d 1216
    , 1222 (Fed. Cir. 2018). Substantial evidence is
    “more than a mere scintilla”; rather it is such “evidence
    that a reasonable mind might accept as adequate to sup-
    port a conclusion.” Downhole Pipe, 776 F.3d at 1374 (inter-
    nal quotation marks and citations omitted). “We look to
    the record as a whole, including evidence that supports as
    well as evidence that fairly detracts from the substantiality
    of the evidence.” SolarWorld, 910 F.3d at 1222 (internal
    quotation marks and citation omitted).
    II. Export Subsidy Offset
    A. Legal Standard
    If imported merchandise is subject to both antidump-
    ing and countervailing duties, Commerce “shall,” when cal-
    culating a respondent’s antidumping duty rate, “increase[]”
    the respondent’s “export price” or “constructed export
    price” by “the amount of any countervailing duty im-
    posed . . . to offset an export subsidy[.]”       19 U.S.C.
    § 1677a(c)(1)(C). Commerce may impose countervailing
    duties when it “determines that the government of a coun-
    try or any public entity within the territory of a country is
    providing, directly or indirectly, a countervailable subsidy”
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    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY     v. UNITED STATES          13
    for “the manufacture, production, or export of” the subject
    merchandise. Id. § 1671(a)(1); see id. § 1677(5) (providing
    that a “countervailable subsidy” is a “financial contribu-
    tion,” “income or price support,” or “funding mechanism”
    provided by “an authority,” such as a government, “to a per-
    son” with “a benefit . . . thereby conferred”). To be counter-
    vailable, a subsidy must be “specific.” Id. § 1677(5)(A). To
    be “specific” a subsidy must be “an export subsidy,” “an im-
    port substitution subsidy,” or one of certain “domestic sub-
    sid[ies].” Id. § 1677(5A)(A). “An export subsidy is a subsidy
    that is, in law or in fact, contingent upon export perfor-
    mance, alone or as [one] of [two] or more conditions.” Id.
    § 1677(5A)(B); see 
    19 C.F.R. § 351.514
    (a) (explaining that
    “a subsidy” is “contingent upon export performance if the
    provision of the subsidy is, in law or in fact, tied to actual
    or anticipated exportation or export earnings, alone or as
    one of two or more conditions”).
    If Commerce finds, in the course of an investigation or
    review, that “necessary information is not available on the
    record” or “an interested party or any other person . . .
    withholds information that has been requested by [Com-
    merce],” “fails to provide such information by the dead-
    lines . . . or in the form and manner requested,”
    “significantly impedes a proceeding,” or “provides such in-
    formation but the information cannot be verified,” then
    Commerce is permitted to use “facts otherwise available”
    in making its determinations. 19 U.S.C. § 1677e(a)(2)(A)–
    (D); see 
    19 C.F.R. § 351.308
     (providing for “[d]etermina-
    tions on the basis of facts available”). If Commerce further
    finds a respondent has “failed to cooperate by not acting to
    the best of its ability to comply with a request for infor-
    mation,” then it “may use an inference that is adverse to
    the interests of that party in selecting from among the facts
    otherwise available” (that is, AFA). 19 U.S.C. § 1677e(b);
    see 
    19 C.F.R. § 351.308
    (a) (similar). In selecting AFA,
    Commerce may use information from the petition, investi-
    gation, prior administrative reviews, or “any other
    Case: 20-1004    Document: 64      Page: 14     Filed: 09/03/2020
    14         CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY      v. UNITED STATES
    information placed on the record.” 19 U.S.C. § 1677e(b); see
    id. § 1677e(b)(2) (providing a list of “[p]otential sources of
    information for adverse inferences”); 
    19 C.F.R. § 351.308
    (c)
    (similar); Gallant Ocean (Thail.) Co. v. United States, 
    602 F.3d 1319
    , 1323 (Fed. Cir. 2010) (providing that, “in the
    case of uncooperative respondents,” Commerce has discre-
    tion to “select from a list of secondary sources as a basis for
    its adverse inferences”). When Commerce “relies on sec-
    ondary information rather than on information obtained in
    the course of an investigation or review,” it “shall, to the
    extent practicable, corroborate that information from inde-
    pendent sources that are reasonably at [its] disposal.” 19
    U.S.C. § 1677e(c); see 
    19 C.F.R. § 351.308
    (d) (providing for
    the “[c]orroboration of secondary information” “to the ex-
    tent practicable” and providing a non-exclusive list of “in-
    dependent sources that are reasonably at [Commerce’s]
    disposal”).
    B. Commerce’s Decision to Not Offset Trina’s Export Price
    Is Contrary to Law
    In its Final Results, Commerce declined to increase
    Trina’s export price by the amount countervailed to offset
    the Ex-Im Bank Buyer Credit Program. J.A. 121. Com-
    merce explained that such an increase was improper be-
    cause Commerce “did not make a determination in the
    [companion] CVD investigation . . . that the [Ex-Im Bank]
    Buyer’s Credit Program was an export subsidy” because it
    had relied on AFA to countervail the program. J.A. 121.
    The CIT remanded to Commerce, concluding that “Com-
    merce’s refusal to offset the CVDs imposed is contrary to
    law because Commerce necessarily determined that the
    [Ex-Im Bank] [B]uyer’s [C]redit [P]rogram was an export
    subsidy in the [companion] CVD investigation.” Trina I,
    359 F. Supp. 3d at 1337. The CIT “directed [Commerce] to
    recalculate Trina’s [export] prices to account for the off-
    set[.]” Id. at 1332. On remand, Commerce, “under respect-
    ful protest, increased Trina’s [export] price[] by the amount
    countervailed” as a result of the Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s Credit
    Case: 20-1004    Document: 64     Page: 15    Filed: 09/03/2020
    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY    v. UNITED STATES         15
    Program. J.A. 6764–65. The CIT sustained Commerce’s
    Remand Redetermination. Trina II, 393 F. Supp. 3d at
    1251. SolarWorld asserts that “[t]he CIT erred in ordering
    Commerce to offset Trina’s [export] price to account for the
    countervailed Ex-Im [Bank] Buyer’s Credit Program,” Ap-
    pellant’s Br. 17, and in “sustaining Commerce’s decision
    [as] made under protest,” id. at 19. 4 We disagree with So-
    larWorld.
    Commerce’s decision to not increase Trina’s export
    price by the amount countervailed for the Ex-Im Bank
    Buyer’s Credit Program is contrary to law. Where, as here,
    merchandise is subject to both antidumping and counter-
    vailing duties during the period of review, Commerce
    “shall,” when calculating a respondent’s antidumping duty
    rate, “increase[]” the respondent’s “export price” or “con-
    structed export price” by “the amount of any countervailing
    duty imposed . . . to offset an export subsidy[.]” 19 U.S.C.
    § 1677a(c)(1)(C); see AD and CVD Orders, 80 Fed. Reg. at
    8,592 (providing that Trina’s merchandise is subject to an-
    tidumping and countervailing duties). As such, when cal-
    culating Trina’s antidumping duty rate, Commerce was
    required to increase Trina’s export price by any counter-
    vailing duty imposed in the companion CVD investigation
    to offset an export subsidy. See Lexecon Inc. v. Milberg
    Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach, 
    523 U.S. 26
    , 35 (1998) (ex-
    plaining that “shall” generally creates “an obligation im-
    pervious to judicial discretion” (citing Anderson v.
    Yungkau, 
    329 U.S. 482
    , 485 (1947))).
    4    While Commerce issued its Remand Redetermina-
    tion under respectful protest, J.A. 6764–70; see Viraj, 
    343 F.3d at 1376
     (providing that the Government may appeal
    Commerce’s determinations made under protest), the Gov-
    ernment does “not appeal” the CIT’s reversal of this policy
    and “do[es] not address the issue substantively in [its]
    brief,” Gov’t’s Br. 7 n.1.
    Case: 20-1004     Document: 64      Page: 16    Filed: 09/03/2020
    16         CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY       v. UNITED STATES
    Here, Commerce failed to increase Trina’s export price
    by a countervailing duty imposed to offset an export sub-
    sidy. In the companion CVD investigation, Commerce first
    determined that the Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s Credit Program
    was countervailable as an export subsidy. Commerce de-
    scribed the program as providing “[e]xport [c]redit [s]ubsi-
    dies,” explaining that “[t]hrough th[e] program, the [Ex-Im
    Bank] provides loans at preferential rates for the purchase
    of exported goods from the PRC.” Final CVD I&D Mem.
    30; see 
    19 U.S.C. § 1677
    (5A)(B) (“An export subsidy is a
    subsidy that is, in law or in fact, contingent upon export
    performance, alone or as [one] of [two] or more condi-
    tions.”). Next, “[un]able to verify [Trina’s] reported non-
    use of [the program],” Commerce resorted to AFA to deter-
    mine that Trina had “used [the] program during the [period
    of investigation].” Final CVD I&D Mem. 30. Commerce,
    accordingly, imposed a countervailing duty on Trina’s mer-
    chandise to offset the Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s Credit Program.
    See 
    id. at 16
    . Having determined that the Ex-Im Bank
    Buyer’s Credit Program was an export subsidy and im-
    posed a countervailing duty on Trina’s merchandise as a
    result, Commerce was required to increase Trina’s export
    price by the offset. Commerce’s decision to do otherwise
    was contrary to law. See 19 U.S.C. § 1677a(c)(1)(C) (provid-
    ing that a respondent’s “export price shall be[] increased
    by . . . the amount of any countervailing duty imposed on
    the subject merchandise . . . to offset an export subsidy”);
    Kyocera Solar, 844 F.3d at 1338 (explaining that, where
    “‘Congress has directly spoken to the precise question at
    issue[,]’ . . . our inquiry ends, for we ‘give effect to the un-
    ambiguously expressed intent of Congress.’” (quoting Chev-
    ron, 
    467 U.S. at
    842–43)).
    Commerce’s reasoning that, because its “determination
    to countervail the [Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s Credit Program]
    was based on [AFA],” it “[had] not” actually “ma[d]e a de-
    termination that the program . . . was [an export subsidy]”
    and, therefore, was not required to offset it, J.A. 121–22, is
    Case: 20-1004    Document: 64      Page: 17     Filed: 09/03/2020
    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY     v. UNITED STATES           17
    incorrect. AFA allows Commerce to “reach[]” a “determi-
    nation” on an incomplete record. 19 U.S.C. § 1677e(a); see
    id. § 1677e(b)(2) (providing “[p]otential sources of infor-
    mation for adverse inferences”). It does not obviate Com-
    merce’s obligation to make “the applicable determination.”
    Id. § 1677e(a); see id. § 1671(a)(1) (providing that Com-
    merce must “determine[] that” an exporter or producer is
    receiving “a countervailable subsidy” before imposing coun-
    tervailing duties). Nor does it obviate Commerce’s obliga-
    tion to support any such determinations “[with] substantial
    evidence.” Id. § 1516a(b)(1)(B)(i); see id. § 1677e(c) (requir-
    ing that Commerce, “to the extent practicable, corroborate
    that information from independent sources that are rea-
    sonably at their disposal”); Gallant Ocean, 
    602 F.3d at 1325
    (vacating and remanding Commerce’s AFA duty rate cal-
    culation as unsupported by substantial evidence);
    Dongguan Sunrise Furniture Co. v. United States, 
    931 F. Supp. 2d 1346
    , 1350 (Ct. Int’l Trade 2013) (“[E]ven an AFA
    rate must be supported by substantial evidence.” (citation
    omitted)). Before imposing a countervailing duty, Com-
    merce must necessarily determine that a subsidy is “spe-
    cific”—that it is an “export subsidy,” “import substitution
    subsidy,” or a “[d]omestic subsidy” meeting certain require-
    ments, 
    19 U.S.C. § 1677
    (5A)—even if it must use AFA to do
    so, 
    id.
     § 1677e (providing that Commerce may “use the
    facts otherwise available in reaching the applicable deter-
    mination”). Otherwise, Commerce cannot impose a coun-
    tervailing duty to offset that subsidy. Id. §§ 1671(a)(1)
    (providing that Commerce may impose countervailing du-
    ties only where it “determines that the government of a
    country or any public entity within the territory of a coun-
    try is providing, directly or indirectly, a countervailable
    subsidy”), 1677(5)(A) (providing that, to be countervailable,
    a subsidy must be “specific”). Accordingly, Commerce’s de-
    cision to not offset Trina’s export price, based on its reli-
    ance on AFA to countervail the Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s Credit
    Program, is contrary to law.
    Case: 20-1004    Document: 64      Page: 18    Filed: 09/03/2020
    18         CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY      v. UNITED STATES
    SolarWorld’s counterarguments are unpersuasive.
    First, SolarWorld argues that, because the term “export
    subsidy” in 19 U.S.C. § 1677a(c)(1)(C) is ambiguous, the
    CIT should have deferred to Commerce’s reasonable inter-
    pretation of that term—that “export subsidy . . . exclude[s]
    AFA determinations[.]” Appellant’s Br. 26 (capitalization
    normalized). This argument is without merit. The term
    “export subsidy” is not ambiguous as to whether it includes
    determinations made using AFA. On its face, it covers all
    export subsidy determinations.              See 
    19 U.S.C. § 1677
    (5A)(B) (defining “export subsidy” as “a subsidy that
    is, in law or in fact, contingent upon export performance,
    alone or as [one] of [two] or more conditions”). Moreover,
    Commerce did not offer an interpretation of “export sub-
    sidy” in either its Final Results, see J.A. 121–22, or its Re-
    mand Redetermination, see J.A. 6764–70. Commerce
    concluded only that, by resorting to AFA, it “[had] not de-
    termine[d]” whether “the subsidies in question were export
    subsidies” within the statutory definition and “as required
    for an offset under [19 U.S.C. § 1677a(c)(1)(C)].” J.A. 121–
    22; see J.A. 122 n.16 (quoting 
    19 U.S.C. § 1677
    (5A)(B) with-
    out comment). At best, SolarWorld’s argued interpretation
    of “export subsidy” comes from the Government’s briefing
    before the CIT. See Def.’s Resp. Br. Opp’n Rule 56.2 Mots.
    J. Agency R. at 23–25, Changzhou Trina Solar Energy Co.
    v. United States, CIT Consol. No. 17-cv-00199-CRK (June
    7, 2018), ECF No. 38 (arguing that, because the term “ex-
    port subsidy” is ambiguous and “does not require that
    Trina’s [export] price be adjusted,” Commerce’s “interpre-
    tation” of 19 U.S.C. § 1677a(c)(1)(C) should be deferred to
    as “reasonable”). Even if the term “export subsidy” were
    ambiguous, see 
    19 U.S.C. § 1677
    (5A)(B) (expressly defining
    “export subsidy”), we do not apply Chevron “to an agency
    counsel’s interpretation of a statute,” much less a defend-
    ant-intervenor’s, “where the agency itself has articulated
    no position on the question,” Bowen v. Georgetown Univ.
    Hosp., 
    488 U.S. 204
    , 212 (1988).
    Case: 20-1004    Document: 64     Page: 19    Filed: 09/03/2020
    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY    v. UNITED STATES          19
    Second, SolarWorld argues that we should give Auer
    deference to Commerce’s interpretation of the Final CVD
    I&D Mem.—erroneously calling it the “CVD Order”—as
    “apply[ing] AFA in finding the Ex-Im [Bank] Buyer’s
    Credit Program was an export subsidy.” Appellant’s Br. 20
    (citing Auer v. Robbins, 
    519 U.S. 452
    , 461 (1997); Diamond
    Sawblades Mfrs. Coal. v. Hyosung D&P Co., 
    809 F.3d 626
    ,
    630 (Fed Cir. 2015)). This argument is irrelevant. Here,
    as SolarWorld concedes, Commerce has determined that
    the Ex-Im Bank Buyer’s Credit Program was an
    “[e]xport[] . . . [s]ubsid[y],” because it “provides loans at
    preferential rates for the purchase of exported goods from
    the PRC.” Final CVD I&D Mem. 30; see Appellant’s Br. 20
    (arguing that Commerce “f[ound] the Ex-Im [Bank] Buyer’s
    Credit Program was an export subsidy” (capitalization nor-
    malized)). As discussed above, whether Commerce used
    AFA to reach that determination is immaterial. See 
    19 U.S.C. §§ 1671
    (a)(1), 1677a(c)(1)(C), 1677e(a).
    Third, SolarWorld argues that “providing . . . an offset
    would inappropriately reward noncompliance with Com-
    merce’s request for information[]” from the Government of
    China in the CVD investigation, “eliminating any incentive
    for the [Government of China] to cooperate in future CVD
    investigations of this key subsidy program.” Appellant’s
    Br. 18. SolarWorld neglects the fact that AFA was already
    applied to increase Trina’s countervailing duty rate. See
    Final CVD I&D Mem. 16, 94; see also Dupont Teijin Films
    USA, LP v. United States, 
    273 F. Supp. 2d 1347
    , 1349 n.4
    (2003) (explaining that “[t]he basic economic theory behind
    [19 U.S.C. § 1677a(c)(1)(C)]” is that the any “export sub-
    sidy” received directly “contribute[s] to lower-priced sales
    of subject merchandise . . . by the amount of [that] subsidy.
    The offset is designed to prevent the double application of
    duties when the subsidies and dumping are related.”). Fur-
    ther, SolarWorld’s argument misapprehends the nature of
    AFA. See F.lli De Cecco Di Filippo Fara S. Martino S.p.A.
    v. United States, 
    216 F.3d 1027
    , 1032 (Fed. Cir. 2000)
    Case: 20-1004    Document: 64     Page: 20    Filed: 09/03/2020
    20         CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY     v. UNITED STATES
    (explaining that AFA “is to provide respondents with an in-
    centive to cooperate, not to impose punitive, aberrational,
    or uncorroborated margins”). Accordingly, Commerce’s de-
    cision to not offset Trina’s export price is contrary to law.
    See Wheatland Tube, 
    495 F.3d at 1359
     (“If the intent of
    Congress is clear, that is the end of the matter; for the
    court, as well as the agency, must give effect to the unam-
    biguously expressed intent of Congress.” (quoting Chevron,
    
    467 U.S. at
    842–43)).
    III. Surrogate Value Selection
    A. Legal Standard
    Where, as here, the exporting country has a non-mar-
    ket economy, see Preliminary Results, 82 Fed. Reg. at
    12,795, Commerce calculates the normal value for a re-
    spondent’s subject merchandise using surrogate values
    from a comparable market economy country, see 19 U.S.C.
    § 1677b(c)(1), (4). In selecting surrogate values, Commerce
    “attempts to construct a hypothetical market value of [the
    subject merchandise] in the [NME].” Downhole Pipe, 776
    F.3d at 1375 (internal quotation marks, alterations, and ci-
    tation omitted).
    Commerce’s surrogate value determinations must “be
    based on the best available information regarding the val-
    ues of [relevant] factors in a market economy country or
    countries.” 19 U.S.C. § 1677b(c)(1); see id. § 1677b(a)
    (providing that Commerce constructs the “normal value”
    “to achieve a fair comparison with the export price”). “Com-
    merce has broad discretion to determine” what constitutes
    “the best available information,” as this term “is not de-
    fined by statute.” QVD Food Co. v. United States, 
    658 F.3d 1318
    , 1323 (Fed. Cir. 2011). Commerce “generally selects,
    to the extent practicable, surrogate values that are publicly
    available, are product-specific, reflect a broad market av-
    erage, and are contemporaneous with the period of review.”
    Qingdao Sea–Line Trading Co. v. United States, 
    766 F.3d 1378
    , 1386 (Fed. Cir. 2014) (footnote omitted).
    Case: 20-1004    Document: 64      Page: 21    Filed: 09/03/2020
    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY     v. UNITED STATES          21
    B. Commerce’s Surrogate Value Selection for Trina’s
    Module Glass Is Supported by Substantial Evidence
    In its Final Results, Commerce “value[d] Trina’s mod-
    ule glass using Thai imports of tempered glass classified
    under HTS [Subheading] 7007.19.90000,” J.A. 141; see
    J.A. 140 (providing that Thai HTS Subheading
    7007.19.90000 “Toughened (Tempered) Safety Glass, Not
    Suitable For Incorporation In Vehicles, Aircraft, Spacecraft
    Or Vessels; Other”). Specifically, Commerce found, based
    on “an examination of record information and Trina’s [sub-
    missions]” in the course of administrative review, that
    “Trina’s module glass” was “tempered.” J.A. 141. Pre-
    sented with Thai import data for HTS Subhead-
    ing 7007.19.90000       (“tempered/safety     glass”),    HTS
    Subheading 7007.19.90001 (“float glass”), and HTS Sub-
    heading 7007.29.90 (“laminated safety glass”), Commerce
    concluded that “Trina’s module glass [wa]s appropriately
    valued using Thai HTS [Subheading] 7007.19.90000.”
    J.A. 141. The CIT sustained this determination as sup-
    ported by substantial evidence. See Trina I, 359 F. Supp.
    3d at 1336. SolarWorld argues that “Commerce’s determi-
    nation to use Thai HTS [Subheading] 7007.19.90000 to
    value Trina’s solar glass was not supported by substantial
    evidence.” Appellant’s Br. 31 (capitalization normalized).
    SolarWorld asserts that “[r]ecord evidence . . . makes clear
    that[,] in addition to being tempered, Trina’s solar module
    glass also undergoes additional processing” that “impart[s]
    extreme durability to the glass,” leaving “Thai HTS [Sub-
    heading] 7007.29.90 . . . the only HTS number that re-
    flects” that processing. Id. at 34–35; see J.A. 141 (providing
    that HTS Subheading 7007.29.90 covers “Laminated safety
    glass: Other; Other”). We disagree with SolarWorld.
    Substantial evidence supports Commerce’s decision to
    value Trina’s module glass using Thai imports of tempered
    glass classified under HTS Subheading 7007.19.90000. In
    its submissions to Commerce, Trina described its module
    glass as “tempered.”        J.A. 46–47 (Trina’s Third
    Case: 20-1004    Document: 64      Page: 22     Filed: 09/03/2020
    22         CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY      v. UNITED STATES
    Supplemental Questionnaire Response) (providing that
    “both [its] coated glass and tempered glass” are “tem-
    pered”); see J.A. 5550 (Trina’s Section A Questionnaire Re-
    sponse) (providing Trina advertising material describing
    Trina’s module glass as “[anti-reflective] coated tempered
    glass”), 5713 (Trina’s First Supplemental Questionnaire
    Response) (explaining that Trina’s “tempered glass” is
    “float glass” rather than “rolled glass”). Further, Com-
    merce, examining Trina’s publicly available data, found
    that the “only glass referred to there [was] tempered glass.”
    J.A. 46. Examination of other producers’ publicly available
    data indicated use of “tempered glass” with “antireflection
    surface treatment” and “extremely durable” “front glaz-
    ing,” in some cases “us[ing] a polymer film (plastic) as the
    front sheet.” J.A. 46–47. Trina confirmed that there was
    no “significant difference between the glass referred to in”
    the publicly available information and “the glass Trina con-
    sumed during the [period of review] to produce the subject
    merchandise.” J.A. 47. On this basis, Commerce conclude
    that “Trina’s module glass [wa]s appropriately valued” us-
    ing data for “Thai imports of tempered glass classified un-
    der HTS [Subheading] 7007.19.90000.” J.A. 141; see
    Qingdao Sea–Line, 766 F.3d at 1386 (providing that “Com-
    merce generally selects, to the extent practicable, surro-
    gate values that are,” inter alia, “product-specific”). As
    such, Commerce’s use of Thai tempered glass data to value
    Trina’s tempered module glass is supported by substantial
    evidence. See Downhole Pipe, 776 F.3d at 1374 (providing
    that substantial evidence is such evidence as a “reasonable
    mind might accept as adequate to support a conclusion”
    (citing Consol. Edison Co. of N.Y. v. NLRB, 
    305 U.S. 197
    ,
    229 (1938)).
    SolarWorld’s counterarguments are unpersuasive.
    First, SolarWorld argues that “Commerce failed to use the
    ‘best available information’ to value Trina’s solar glass,” be-
    cause “Commerce valued Trina’s coated, tempered glass
    using Thai imports of standard tempered glass[.]”
    Case: 20-1004    Document: 64      Page: 23    Filed: 09/03/2020
    CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY     v. UNITED STATES          23
    Appellant’s Br. 31 (emphasis omitted). This argument mis-
    apprehends the “best available evidence” standard. “The
    data on which Commerce relies to value inputs must be the
    ‘best available information,’ but there is no requirement
    that the data be perfect.” Home Meridian Int’l, Inc. v.
    United States, 
    772 F.3d 1289
    , 1296 (Fed. Cir. 2014). The
    fact that Trina’s tempered glass has a coating does not pre-
    clude the conclusion that Thai import data for tempered
    glass is the best available information on the record to
    value it. See Nation Ford Chem. Co. v. United States, 
    166 F.3d 1373
    , 1377 (Fed. Cir. 1999) (“The ‘best available infor-
    mation’ . . . may constitute information from the surrogate
    country that is directly analogous to the production experi-
    ence of the NME producer . . . or it may not.”); see also So-
    larWorld, 910 F.3d at 1223 (explaining that, in selecting
    surrogate values, “Commerce is not required to engage in
    a classification analysis but instead is required to deter-
    mine which of the competing subheadings constituted the
    best available information” (internal quotation marks and
    citation omitted)).
    Second, SolarWorld argues that, “[b]ecause Commerce
    did not consider evidence that detracts from its conclusion,”
    specifically, “[record] evidence indicating that Trina’s glass
    [is laminated glass],” Commerce’s decision is “not sup-
    ported by substantial evidence.” Appellant’s Br. 35. This
    argument is premised on a misreading of Commerce’s de-
    termination. Commerce “disagree[d] with [SolarWorld’s]
    suggestion that Trina’s module glass should be valued” as
    “[l]aminated safety glass” using Thai “HTS [Subheading]
    7007.29.90[.]” J.A. 141. Commerce explained that, while
    “laminated glass is ‘made in sandwich form, with one or
    more interlayers of plastics between two or more sheets of
    glass,’” J.A. 141 (quoting WCO EN 7007.29.90), SolarWorld
    could only point to evidence that “Trina’s module glass” had
    potentially “undergone additional working such as surface
    treatments and glazing,” not “additional working that
    would result in . . . laminated glass . . . made of multiple
    Case: 20-1004    Document: 64      Page: 24    Filed: 09/03/2020
    24         CHANGZHOU TRINA SOLAR ENERGY      v. UNITED STATES
    layers of plastic and glass,” J.A. 142. On appeal, Solar-
    World does not challenge Commerce’s definition of lami-
    nated glass or point to missed evidence; rather, SolarWorld
    proffers the same rejected evidence, compare Appellant’s
    Br. 33–34 (arguing that a “datasheet for glass on Trina’s
    website refers to . . . [‘c]oated [t]empered [g]ass’” with “‘a
    polymer film (plastic) as the front sheet . . . for arrays in
    high-impact environments’” and “information from other
    module suppliers, indicating that their glass is ‘high-trans-
    parency tempered glass with an antireflection surface
    treatment’” and “‘front glazing . . . [that] is extremely du-
    rable’” (quoting J.A. 46–47 (Trina’s Third Supplemental
    Questionnaire Response)), with J.A. 140–42 (summarizing
    SolarWorld’s arguments before Commerce as relying on the
    same evidence), and “invite[s] [us] to reweigh [it],” Down-
    hole Pipe, 776 F.3d at 1376. We decline to do so. See
    Matsushita Elec. Indus. Co. v. United States, 
    750 F.2d 927
    ,
    936 (Fed. Cir. 1984) (“That [an appellant] can point to evi-
    dence of record which detracts from the evidence which
    supports the [agency’s] decision and can hypothesize a rea-
    sonable basis for a contrary determination is neither sur-
    prising nor persuasive.”).          Accordingly, substantial
    evidence supports Commerce’s decision to value Trina’s
    module glass using Thai imports of tempered glass classi-
    fied under HTS Subheading 7007.19.90000.
    CONCLUSION
    We have considered the parties’ remaining arguments
    and find them unpersuasive. For the foregoing reasons,
    the Judgment of the U.S. Court of International Trade is
    AFFIRMED
    

Document Info

Docket Number: 20-1004

Filed Date: 9/3/2020

Precedential Status: Precedential

Modified Date: 9/3/2020

Authorities (18)

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. v. The United ... , 750 F.2d 927 ( 1984 )

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Gallant Ocean (Thailand) Co., Ltd. v. United States , 602 F. Supp. 3d 1319 ( 2010 )

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viraj-group-ltd-v-united-states-and-carpenter-technology-corporation , 343 F.3d 1371 ( 2003 )

Nation Ford Chemical Company v. United States, and Yude ... , 166 F.3d 1373 ( 1999 )

Dupont Teijin Films USA, LP v. United States , 27 Ct. Int'l Trade 962 ( 2003 )

Qvd Food Co., Ltd. v. United States , 658 F.3d 1318 ( 2011 )

flii-de-cecco-di-filippo-fara-s-martino-spa-v-united-states-v , 216 F.3d 1027 ( 2000 )

Consolidated Edison Co. v. National Labor Relations Board , 59 S. Ct. 206 ( 1938 )

Zenith Radio Corp. v. United States , 98 S. Ct. 2441 ( 1978 )

Anderson v. Yungkau , 329 U.S. 482 ( 1947 )

Bowen v. Georgetown University Hospital , 109 S. Ct. 468 ( 1988 )

Auer v. Robbins , 117 S. Ct. 905 ( 1997 )

Lexecon Inc. v. Milberg Weiss Bershad Hynes & Lerach , 118 S. Ct. 956 ( 1998 )

Chevron U. S. A. Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, ... , 104 S. Ct. 2778 ( 1984 )

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