Cavalier Shipping Co. v. United States

57 Cust. Ct. 652, 1966 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1755
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedOctober 19, 1966
DocketR.D. 11231; Entry Nos. N-135; 1135
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 57 Cust. Ct. 652 (Cavalier Shipping Co. 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
Cavalier Shipping Co. v. United States, 57 Cust. Ct. 652, 1966 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1755 (cusc 1966).

Opinion

Fono, Judge:

The above appeals for reappraisement, consolidated for the purpose of trial, cover certain incomplete debarking machines which were appraised under section 402(f), cost of production, or 402(d), constructed value, Tariff Act of 1930, or as amended by the Customs Simplification Act of 1956, Public Law 927, 84th Congress, 91 Treas. Dec. 295, T.D. 54165, depending upon the date of entry. There is no dispute either as to the basis of appraisements, plaintiffs having conceded this in its statement filed pursuant to rule 15 of the Customs Court, or the appraised value in Swedish crowns.1 The portion of the appraisement utilizing the Swedish crowns is the actual invoiced unit values. The dispute arises only with respect to an addition of a sum in United States dollars, which allegedly represents a royalty for each machine, which sum was obtained from the books of the importer.

The pertinent portions of the statutes involved herein are as follows: Section 402, Tariff Act of 1930:

(f) Cost on Production. — For the purpose of this title the cost of production of imported merchandise shall be the sum of—
(1) The cost of materials of, and of fabrication, manipulation, or other process employed in manufacturing or producing such or similar merchandise, at a time preceding the date of exportation of the particular merchandise under consideration which would ordinarily permit the manufacture or production of the particular merchandise under consideration in the usual course of business;
(2) The usual general expenses (not less than 10 per centum of such cost) in the case of such or similar merchandise;
. (3) The cost of all containers and coverings of whatever nature, and all other costs, charges, and expenses incident to placing the particular merchandise under consideration in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States; and
(4) An addition for profit (not less than 8 per centum of the sum of the amounts found under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subdivision) equal to the profit which ordinarily is added, in the case of merchandise of the same general character as the particular merchandise under consideration, by manufacturers or producers in the country of manufacture or production who are engaged in the production or manufacture of merchandise of the same class or kind.

[654]*654Section 402, as amended, supra:

(d) ConstRtjcted 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 of 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.

The sole issue presented deals with certain royalties provided for in an agreement entered into between the manufacturer, the parent corporation of the importer, and the inventors.

The invoices and entry papers in each of the two appeals were received in evidence. Plaintiffs called the sole witness, Mr. Gus Jacobson, the president and general manager of the importing company since its incorporation. The witness was familiar with the merchandise involved in both appeals, with his company’s accounts, and with the royalty agreement entered into 'between the exporter and the debarking machine inventors. Plaintiffs’ exhibit 1, the affidavit of one Lars Dalman, president and general manager of the Swedish export company since 1941, was also received in evidence. The affidavit, executed and sworn to before the American Consul in Stockholm, states that Mr. Dalman was familiar with the machines involved in these appeals. He is also acquainted with his firm’s accounting system and records. The record also contained defendant’s collective exhibit A, United States Treasury Department Report No. 3-703/821, prepared for the commissioner of customs by Arno Hellthaler, Treasury representative in Frankfurt, Germany. The report discloses an interview with Mr. Lars Dalman and Mr. Goesta Wirtavouri, the latter being the sales manager of the Swedish export firm. Mr. Wirtavouri furnished Mr. Hellthaler with information verified by the exporter’s books of account and other records. Also received in evidence was defendant’s collective exhibit B, report No. 3-17, prepared for the commissioner of [655]*655customs by William P. Hunton, customs agent in charge, Mobile, Ala. The information contained in this report, was furnished by Mr. W. R. Meehan, comptroller of Soderhamn Machine Manufacturing Co., the importer. The report purported to 'be an up-to-date indication of royalty payments made, pursuant to an agreement between the Swedish manufacturer and the debarker inventors, on each imported machine that had been sold by the importer.

Reappraisement R61/12950 involves six machines invoiced at a unit price of 29,968 Swedish kronor, plus packaging and delivery charges. The machines were appraised at the invoice value with addition in United States dollars of $1,448.20 each. The serial numbers corresponding to these six identical Cambio debarkers were 58836 through 58841. Reappraisement R61/12951 involves two Cambio de-barkers invoiced at 56,717.50 Swedish kronor each. These two identical machines were appraised at their invoice prices, plus an addition in United States dollars equal to $1,648.86 in the case of the machine corresponding to serial number 60505, and $1,479 in the case of the debarker bearing serial number 60506. The invoice prices for both shipments did not include royalty payments. The six machines comprising the earlier of the two importations were the “Cambio 35 De-barkers,” while the two machines imported later were designated as “C-66 Cambio Barkers,” both models being basically the same, the latter however, being larger. Both models of the debarker are imported inlto the United States in an incomplete state, containing some components manufactured in the United States and installed in Sweden prior to export. The machines were completed in the United States at the Soderhamn Machine Manufacturing Co. plant by the addition of components manufactured in the United States. The costs incurred by the American firm in completing these machines vary from approximately $1,500 to $2,000 per machine, in the case of the smaller debarker, and from $2,000 to $3,000 in the case of the larger machine.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
57 Cust. Ct. 652, 1966 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1755, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/cavalier-shipping-co-v-united-states-cusc-1966.