C. J. Tower & Sons of Buffalo, Inc. v. United States

56 Cust. Ct. 653, 1966 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2015
United States Customs Court·Decided March 7, 1966·No. Reap. Dec. 11152; Entry No. 23368, etc.·Published·Cited by 12 cases

Opinion

Nichols, Judge:

The merchandise involved in this case consists of new unfinished brakeshoes, exported from Canada by Aimco Automotive Parts Co. of Toronto, -and Cooksville, Canada (hereinafter called Aimco, Canada), to Aimco Automotive Parts Co. of Buffalo (hereinafter called Aimco, Buffalo). The merchandise was entered at the port of Buffalo in April, May, and June 1963, at the unit invoice prices and was appraised at higher unit values in Canadian dollars, less 5 percent, less 2 percent, packed. The appraisement was on the basis of constructed value, as that value is defined in section 402(d) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Simplification [654]*654Act of 1956. It is claimed that appraisement should have been made on the basis of export value, as defined in section 402(b) of said tariff act, as amended, and that said value is represented by the invoice unit prices, -which were the prices to a selected purchaser and are claimed to fairly reflect the market value of the merchandise.

The pertinent provisions of said tariff act, as amended, are as follows:

Sec. 402. Value.
(b) Expoet Value. — For the purposes of this section, the export value of imported merchandise shall be the price, at the time of exportation to the United States of the merchandise undergoing appraisement, at which such or similar merchandise is freely sold or, in the absence of sales, offered for sale in the principal markets of the country of exportation, in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade, for exportation to the United States, plus, when not included in such price, the cost of all containers and coverings of whatever nature and all other expenses incidental to placing the merchandise in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States.
(d) CONSTRUCTED Value. — For the purposes of this section, the constructed value of imported merchandise shall be the sum of—
(1) the cost of materials (exclusive of any internal tax applicable in the country of exportation directly to such materials or their disposition, but remitted or refunded upon the exportation of the article in the production of which such materials are used) and of fabrication or other processing of any kind employed in producing such or similar merchandise, at a time preceding the date of exportation of the merchandise undergoing appraisement which would ordinarily permit the production of that particular merchandise in the ordinary course of business;
(2) an amount for general expenses and profit equal to that usually reflected in sales of merchandise of the same general class or kind as the merchandise undergoing appraisement which are made by producers in the. country of exportation, in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade, for shipment to the United States; and
(3) the cost of all containers and coverings of whatever nature, and all other expenses incidental to placing the merchandise undergoing appraisement in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States.
(f) Definitions.- — For the purposes of this section—
(1) The term “freely sold or, in the absence of sales, offered for sale” means sold or, in the absence of sales, offered—
(A) to all purchasers at wholesale, or
(B) in the ordinary course of trade to one or more selected purchasers at wholesale at a price which fairly reflects the market value of the merchandise. [655]*655■without restrictions as to the disposition or use of the merchandise by the purchaser, except restrictions as to such disposition or use which (i) are imposed or required by law, (ii) limit the price at which or the territory in which the merchandise may be resold, or (iii) do not substantially affect the value of the merchandise to usual purchasers at wholesale.
(2) The term “ordinary course of trade” means the conditions and practices which, for a reasonable time prior to the exportation of the merchandise undergoing appraisement, have been normal in the trade under consideration with respect to merchandise of the same class or kind as the merchandise undergoing appraisement.

Four witnesses testified for the plaintiff at the trial: (1) Irving Goodman, a partner and general manager of Aimco, Canada, in charge of production and sales; (2) Albert Haworth Carter, plant manager of Aimco, Canada, who also serves as purchasing agent and is in charge of personnel, capital expenditure purchasing, and costing of the commodities the firm manufactures; (3) Alan Marvin Alber, comptroller of Aimco, Canada, and a chartered accountant; and (4) Morris Feldman, a chartered accountant and external auditor of Aimco, Canada. Documentary evidence, hereinafter referred to, was introduced by both parties.

Aimco, Canada, is a manufacturer of brakeshoes, which are part of the wheel assembly which stops a car or truck. The merchandise before the court (unfinished brakeshoes) is designated by a great many different item numbers, representing different sizes or types for different vehicles. Plaintiff’s exhibit 3 is a summary of the item numbers covered by the invoices herein. Unfinished brakeshoes are converted into finished brakeshoes by so-called bonders who bum off the oil, wheelibrate, and bond an asbestos lining to the shoes. Bonders sell brakeshoes through warehouse distributors, jobbers, or chain operators to service stations and garage operators. During the period involved herein, Aimco, Canada, sold unfinished brakeshoes to Canadian bonders (exhibit 5, exhibit A), to Aimco, Buffalo (exhibit 5, exhibit A), and to other countries (exhibit A).

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C. J. Tower & Sons of Buffalo, Inc. v. United States, 56 Cust. Ct. 653, 1966 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2015 (cusc 1966).

56 Cust. Ct. 653 (C. J. Tower & Sons of Buffalo, Inc. v. United States) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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