Clayton Chemical & Packaging Co. v. United States

49 Cust. Ct. 409, 1962 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1301
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedOctober 5, 1962
DocketReap. Dec. 10347; Entry No. 635, etc.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 49 Cust. Ct. 409 (Clayton Chemical & Packaging 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
Clayton Chemical & Packaging Co. v. United States, 49 Cust. Ct. 409, 1962 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1301 (cusc 1962).

Opinion

OliyeR, Chief Judge:

These are three appeals for reappraisement of the values returned by the appraiser on a photographic developing agent known by the trade name of Phenidone. The appeals, which were consolidated for trial and disposition, represent eight shipments of the merchandise from England during the period between July 1, 1953, and February 10,1954. Upon importation, it was appraised on the basis of United States value, as defined in section 402 (e) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as in existence at that time. The said definition is quoted in the margin.1

Plaintiff and defendant are in agreement that the correct basis of value for the merchandise is United States value, as so defined, the dispute being as to the correct amount or amounts representing the said value. Defendant primarily contends that the appraised values, ranging from $15.87 to $24.11 per pound, are the correct values of the merchandise. Alternatively, the defendant contends that the correct United States value for each shipment was $16.77 per pound.

Plaintiff primarily contends that the correct United States value for each shipment is $6,929 per pound and, alternatively, that the said value is $16.77 per pound.

Thus, while it appears that, under contentions alternative to their primary contentions, both parties are in agreement as to the correct United States value of the merchandise, $16.77 per pound, they are far apart with respect to their primary contentions.

There are two basic differences between the parties, the first being with respect to the United States selling price called for by the United States value definition, that is to say, the price at which such or similar [410]*410imported merchandise was sold in the principal market of the United States without deduction for the statutory allowances. The second difference is with respect to the amounts which should be deducted from the said price for profit and general expenses in accordance with the statute.

The record establishes that Phenidone is an ingredient used in photographic developers and that, in such use, it is not used alone; that it had not appeared on the United States market prior to January 1958, when the plaintiff company, a formulator and manufacturer of photographic chemicals for sale to the photographic trade, began importing it. The plaintiff company used the imported Phenidone in the manufacture of several of its products and also offered it for sale to “anybody wishing to buy.”

It appears that, in June 1953, the plaintiff company, by arrangement with the English manufacturer and exporter, became the exclusive American importer of Phenidone. Because at that time the product was new to this market, it was necessary for the plaintiff company to do certain promotional work, including securing publicity, contacting those who might be consumers of the product, and disseminating information concerning its nature and availability.

The record shows that the effort of the plaintiff company was along the line of contacting manufacturers of photographic solutions for sale to others and large users of photographic developers — in other words, those who would purchase what might be considered to be wholesale, as distinguished from retail, quantities. However, in order to initially attract the orders of such persons or firms, the plaintiff company offered Phenidone for sale in quantities as small as 1 ounce.

It is the plaintiff’s contention that the sales in that quantity, and others in similar small quantities, were sample quantities; that they were made for experimental and testing purposes and were not sales for regular or ordinary commercial use or resale. Consequently, plaintiff contends such sales cannot be considered as sales “in the ordinary course of trade.”

The “ordinary course of trade” in the purchase and sale of a product such as Phenidone, it is claimed, was for use in the production of photographic developers for resale as a commercial proposition or for consumption on a large scale, and the sales of sample quantities for experimental and testing purposes should be disregarded on the ground that they were not made in the ordinary course of trade.

Proof as to the nature of such sales was offered by the plaintiff as follows: The general manager of the plaintiff company testified that, in connection with the initial promotion of the product, a circular letter was sent to persons or firms who had inquired of the plaintiff company concerning Phenidone. A copy of the letter was received [411]*411in evidence as plaintiff’s exhibit 1 and corroborates the testimony of the witness in that it urged inquirers to “send your order for a sample quantity of Phenidone.”

A list of the sales made by the plaintiff company during the period from June 19,1953, to January 27,1954, received in evidence as plaintiff’s exhibit 2, shows that, of the 49 sales made during that period, 13 were in quantities of 1 ounce, and all but 8 sales were in quantities of 5 pounds or less.

The 49 sales were to 35 persons or firms. At the time the litigation here involved arose, plaintiff caused to be sent to each of such persons or firms affidavits, with certain portions in blank to be filled in by the recipients, stating the disposition of the Phenidone, the sales of which are listed in plaintiff’s exhibit 2.

The record shows that 14 affidavits (which were received in evidence as plaintiff’s exhibits 7-20, inclusive) were returned to plaintiff, 5 persons or firms did not reply, 5 could not be located, 3 replied by letter instead of by affidavit (the said letters not being received in evidence), 3 replied by letter, stating they had no record of the disposition of the merchandise, and 3 witnesses testified orally concerning the disposition of the merchandise made by 4 of the remaining 5 firms.

Consequently, there is evidence as to the disposition made by 18 of the 35 firms who purchased Phenidone from the plaintiff company during the period in question. These 18 firms were the purchasers in 30 sales. Of these sales, the evidence shows that the Phenidone involved in 15 was wholly used for experimental and testing purposes; in 6, it was used partly for experimental and partly for other purposes; in 1, it was used partly by the purchaser in the preparation of photographic developers for its own use and partly resold to others without change; in 1, it was resold as it was; and, in 7, it was used by the purchaser for its own purposes.

It must be noted that the 7 sales last enumerated were each in quantities of 100 pounds or more at the price of $11.90 claimed by the plaintiff herein to represent the United States selling price of the merchandise. It would appear, therefore, that of the 23 sales in lesser quantities, 15 were used for experimental and testing purposes, and 6 partly for those purposes.

Considering the situation with respect to the importation of the product at the times in question, that is to say, that it was a product new to this market, and of its nature required testing by prospective purchasers prior to the purchase of any substantial quantities, together with the foregoing breakdown of the actual sales made, I am satisfied that the evidence establishes that by far the greater portion of sales made in the United States at the pertinent times was for experimental and testing purposes, as plaintiff contends.

[412]*412The very words “ordinary course of trade” suggest buying and selling for use or resale.

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Related

Clayton Chemical & Packaging Co. v. United States
64 Cust. Ct. 634 (U.S. Customs Court, 1970)
Clayton Chemical & Packaging Co. v. United States
383 U.S. 821 (Supreme Court, 1965)
United States v. Clayton Chemical & Packaging Co.
52 Cust. Ct. 620 (U.S. Customs Court, 1964)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
49 Cust. Ct. 409, 1962 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1301, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/clayton-chemical-packaging-co-v-united-states-cusc-1962.