Asiatic Petroleum Corp. v. United States

30 Cust. Ct. 169, 1953 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 25
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedApril 9, 1953
DocketC. D. 1516
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 30 Cust. Ct. 169 (Asiatic Petroleum Corp. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Customs Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Asiatic Petroleum Corp. v. United States, 30 Cust. Ct. 169, 1953 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 25 (cusc 1953).

Opinion

Johnson, Judge:

The controversy in this case involves the applicability of an internal revenue tax assessed by the collector of customs upon 26,703 gallons of bonded fuel oil from warehouse entry number 10360, entered January 2, 1948, and 27,059 gallons of bonded fuel oil from warehouse entry number 03872, entered October 9, 1947. The fuel oil in question was imported by the plaintiff. The American-Hawaiian Steamship Co. ordered said quantities of fuel oil from the plaintiff to be delivered to the steamship Frank A. Munsey for use as fuel supplies. The internal revenue tax was assessed by the collector upon said quantities of fuel oil covered by the foregoing entries, and demand was made upon the plaintiff for payment of same. The tax was levied at the rate of % of 1 cent per gallon under the provisions of sections 3420 and 3422 of the Internal Revenue Code. Counsel for the plaintiff claims that the controversial fuel oil is exempt from the imposition of the tax under the provisions of section 309 (a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Administrative Act of 1938 (19 U. S. C. § 1309).

At the trial, it was stipulated and agreed between counsel for both sides as follows:

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED by and between counsel for the plaintiff and the Assistant Attorney General for the United States as follows:
1. That the SS “FRANK A. MUNSEY” was a vessel of United States Registry engaged in foreign trade prior to January 16, 1948 and that it surrendered such registry on January 16, 1948 at the Port of New York.
2. That the SS “FRANK A. MUNSEY” was enrolled and licensed at the Port of New York on January 16, 1948 for a voyage between the Atlantic and Pacific ports of the United States.
3. That after the said vessel was enrolled and licensed on January 16, 1948 that 26,703 gallons of bonded fuel oil from WHB entry No. 10360 entered January 2, 1948 (protest No. 167820-K) and 27,059 gallons of bonded fuel oil from WHB entry No. 03872 entered October 9, 1947 (protest No. 167821-K) together with other bonded fuel oil from other entries not involved herein were withdrawn from bonded warehouse and actually laden for vessel supplies aboard the SS “FRANK A. MUNSEY” at New York on January 16, 1948.
4. That the itinerary of the vessel for the voyage from the Atlantic coast to the Pacific coast of the United States was as follows:
[171]*171Jan. 12, 1948 Arrived New York from Algiers
“ 19 Sailed in ballast for Boston
“ 20 Arrived Boston — loading cargo
“ 22 Sailed for Philadelphia
24 Arrived Philadelphia — loading cargo
“ 28 Sailed for New York
“ 29 Arrived New York — loading cargo
Peb. 1 Sailed for West Coast
9 Arrived Cristobal and transited Canal
“ 20 Arrived Los Angeles — -discharging cargo
24 Sailed for San Francisco
26 Arrived San Francisco — discharging cargo
“ 29 Sailed for Seattle
Mar. 4 Arrived Seattle — discharging cargo
“ 5 Sailed for Portland
6 Arrived Portland — discharging cargo
7 Cargo discharged and voyage ended
Vessel then entered foreign trade and cleared for Yokohama.
5. That said vessel surrendered enrollment at San Francisco on February 27, 1948.
6. That all pertinent Customs Regulations required for the voyage aforesaid with the exception of the timely filing of the so-called certificate of use prescribed by section 10.64 of the Customs Regulations of 1943 (19 C. F. R. § 10.64) were complied with.
IT IS FURTHER, STIPULATED AND AGREED that the protests be submitted on this stipulation, and that counsel for plaintiff be granted 30 days from the date of filing of this stipulation within which to file a brief and that government counsel be granted 30 days thereafter within which to file a reply brief.

Section 309, as amended by the Customs Administrative Act of 1938, and the customs regulations in question provide, as far as applicable, as follows:

SEC. 309. SUPPLIES FOR CERTAIN VESSELS AND AIRCRAFT.

(a) Exemption prom Customs Duties and Internal-Revenue Tax.— Articles of foreign or domestic manufacture or production may, under such regulations as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe, be withdrawn from bonded warehouses, bonded manufacturing warehouses, or continuous customs custody elsewhere than in a bonded warehouse free of duty or internal-revenue tax for supplies (not including equipment) * * * of vessels * * * actually engaged in foreign trade or trade between the Atlantic and Pacific ports of the United States or between the United States and any of its possessions, * * *.
(b) Drawback. — Articles withdrawn from bonded warehouses, bonded manufacturing warehouses, or continuous customs custody elsewhere than in a bonded warehouse and articles of domestic manufacture or production, laden as supplies upon any such foreign vessel or any such vessel * * * of the United States * * * shall be considered to be exported within the meaning of the drawback provisions of this Act.
(c) Articles Removed in, or Returned to, the United States. — Any article exempted from duty or tax, or in respect of which drawback has been allowed, under this section or section 317 of this Act and thereafter removed in the United States from any vessel or aircraft, or otherwise returned to the United States, shall be treated as an importation from a foreign country.
* * * * $ * ^

[172]*172Sections 10.59 and 10.64 of the Customs Regulations of 1943 (19 C. F. R. § 10.59 and § 10.64) are as follows:

10.59 Exemption from customs duties and internal-revenue tax. — (a) A vessel shall not be considered to be actually engaged in the foreign trade, or in trade between the Atlantic and Pacific ports of the United States, or between the United States and its possessions, as the case may be, for the purpose of withdrawing supplies from bonded warehouses free of duty and internal-revenue tax pursuant to section 309 (a), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, unless it is—
(2) Actually transporting passengers or merchandise to or from a foreign port, a port on the opposite coast of the United States, or between a port in a possession of the United States and a port in the United States or in another of its possessions;
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Related

Browne Vintners Co. v. United States
33 Cust. Ct. 402 (U.S. Customs Court, 1954)
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30 Cust. Ct. 296 (U.S. Customs Court, 1953)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
30 Cust. Ct. 169, 1953 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 25, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/asiatic-petroleum-corp-v-united-states-cusc-1953.