CIT Denies Gov't Motion for Postjudgment Interest in China Crawfish AD Case on Technicality

The Court of International Trade denied the U.S. Government’s motion to amend an August 2011 judgment against defendants Great American Insurance Company of New York and Washington International Insurance Company. The government moved to amend the judgment, in which the CIT granted in part the government’s request to recover antidumping duties on bonds covering entries subject to the AD order on freshwater crawfish tail meat from China (A-570-848), in order to collect pre and post-judgment interest. CIT denied the government’s Rule 59(e) motion to amend the judgment because the Government’s request was to consider the issue for the first time, rather than reconsider the issue, which contravenes the purpose of a Rule 59(e) motion. The CIT did not consider the Government’s argument that it is entitled to prejudgment under 19 USC 580. (CIT Slip Op. 12-49, dated 04/11/12, Judge Goldberg)