No. 18-534

Well Luck Company, Inc. v. United States

Lower Court: Federal Circuit
Docketed: 2018-10-23
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Tags: administrative-law customs-classification customs-law explanatory-notes general-rules-of-interpretation hts-heading-1206 hts-heading-2008 legislative-intent nesoi prior-statutory-construction statutory-construction statutory-interpretation tariff-classification trade-classification
Key Terms:
Arbitration JusticiabilityDoctri
Latest Conference: 2019-03-01
Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the panel disregarded legislative intent and prior statutory construction to improperly use the General Rules of Interpretation and the Explanatory Notes to justify its classification of the sunflower seeds under HTS Heading 2008, despite its NESOI language

Question Presented (from Petition)

QUESTION PRESENTED The Federal Circuit panel’s initial unqualified finding was that the sunflower seeds at issue (roasted, salted, and/or flavored sunflower seeds; a.k.a. “snacking sunflower seeds”) were prima facie classifiable under both HTS Heading 1206 — covering “Sunflower seeds, whether or not broken”; as well as under 2) HTS Heading 2008, which provides for “Fruit, nuts and other edible parts of plants, otherwise prepared or preserved, whether or not containing sugar or other sweetening matter or spirit, not elsewhere specified or included” (NESOI) (Emphasis added). The snacking sunflower seeds cannot be classified under both HTS Heading 1206 and HTS Heading 2008. The question presented is: Whether the panel disregarded legislative intent and prior statutory construction to improperly use the General Rules of Interpretation and the Explanatory Notes to justify its classification of the sunflower seeds under HTS Heading 2008, despite its NESOI language. ll RULES 14.1 AND 29.6 STATEMENTS All parties are identified in the caption of this petition. Petitioner was the plaintiff in the United States Court of International Trade and was the appellant in the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit. Well Luck Co. does not have a parent company and no publicly held corporation owns 10% or more of Well Luck Co.’s stock. Respondent United States was the defendant in the United States Court of International Trade. Respondent was listed as defendant-appellee in the decision of the Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

Docket Entries

2019-03-04
Petition DENIED.
2019-02-13
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/1/2019.
2019-02-11
Reply of petitioner Well Luck Company, Inc. filed. (Distributed)
2019-01-25
Brief of respondent United States in opposition filed.
2018-12-04
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including January 25, 2019.
2018-11-30
Motion to extend the time to file a response from December 26, 2018 to January 25, 2019, submitted to The Clerk.
2018-11-15
Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including December 26, 2018.
2018-11-14
Motion to extend the time to file a response from November 23, 2018 to December 24, 2018, submitted to The Clerk.
2018-10-17
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due November 23, 2018)

Attorneys

United States
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent
Noel J. FranciscoSolicitor General, Respondent
Well Luck Company, Inc.
Robert T. GivensGivens & Johnston,PLLC, Petitioner
Robert T. GivensGivens & Johnston,PLLC, Petitioner