Corrigan v. United States

25 Cust. Ct. 424, 1950 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 655
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedSeptember 18, 1950
DocketNo. 7879; Entry Nos. 3009; 3770
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 25 Cust. Ct. 424 (Corrigan 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
Corrigan v. United States, 25 Cust. Ct. 424, 1950 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 655 (cusc 1950).

Opinion

Cline, Judge:

These are appeals for reappraisement of dehydrated garlic powder exported from Mexico on December 2, 1943, and January 6, 1944.

The merchandise was invoiced, entered, and appraised as follows:

Invoiced and entered value, per kilo, Reap. No. Merchandise Mexican pesos Appraised value, per kilo, Mexican pesos
160603-A 35 tins A. P_. 2.42 5.00 less nondutiable charges 0.05979%.
465 tins A. C„ 2.75 5.00 less nondutiable charges 0.05979%.
160604r-A 214 tins A. O— 2. 75 5.00 less nondutiable charges 0.0668%.

At the trial, plaintiff called Ernesto Ibarra, food broker, who testified that he had made an investigation to determine whether there [425]*425were any markets in Mexico for the sale of dehydrated garlic powder for consumption in Mexico or for exportation to the United States; that there were no such markets in Mexico; that he had sold garlic powder for exportation to the United States to Charles T. Wilson Co., Inc., but not to anyone else; that there was only one manufacturer of garlic powder in Mexico, namely, PAISA [Productos Alimenticios Industrializados, S. A.]; that he had examined the books of that manufacturer; that he did not find any sales of garlic powder other than to Charles T. Wilson Co., Inc.; that he was responsible for the formation of the manufacturing company; that he negotiated the sales covered by these reappraisements to Charles T. Wilson Co., Inc.; that he did not sell such merchandise to anyone else either for exportation to the United States or for consumption in Mexico; that the entire output of the factory was sold to Charles T. Wilson Co., Inc.

Lloyd M. Trafford, vice president of Charles T. Wilson Co., Inc., called as a witness by the plaintiff, testified that he was familiar with the purchase and sale of garlic powder in the United States; that New York and the Pacific Coast were the principal markets for the sale of imported garlic powder in the United States; that he sold dehydrated garlic powder imported from Mexico into the United States; that he made 15 to 20 sales; that the quantity involved in the greatest number of sales was 5 tons; that sales ranged from one-half ton to 5 tons; that prior to the date of the first importation involved herein, he was offering dehydrated garlic powder for sale; that trial lots had been brought in prior to these importations, some through Laredo and some through New York; that approximately 20 tins of 33 pounds each were brought in; that the greater part of this was sold, but some of it was given away as samples.

The witness testified that the merchandise covered by reappraisement No. 160603-A was sold prior to importation to McCormick & Co. on October 5 and 19, 1943, and to H. C. Brill & Co. on September 24, 1943, at 55 cents a pound; that there were no restrictions on his offers to sell; that the price of 55 cents a pound was the maximum price set by the Office of Price Administration; that the following expenses were incurred in connection with this shipment:

Transportation_$596. 13
Customs entry and forwarding- 60. 00
Weighing, sampling, and recoopering_ 12. 50
Telegraphic charges_ 11. 45
Brokerage_ 454. 70

The witness stated that the profit on this shipment amounted to $2,267.71, or more than 8 per centum; that overhead and general expenses ran between 15 and 18 per centum; that they were never less than 15 per centum. -

Mr. Trafford testified that he sold the merchandise covered by re-[426]*426appraisement 160604-A to various purchasers on December 3, 1943, January 27, February 5, and April 20, 1944, at 55 cents per pound; ■that the following expenses were incurred:

Shipping_$260. 36
Customs entry_ 24. 50
Weighing, sampling, and recoopering_ 22. 50
Storage and labor charges_ 26. 75
Brokerage_ 194. 15

'The witness stated that the profit on this transaction was $929.73, 'being more than 8 per centum of the cost price; that the general expenses were the same as in connection with the previous entry.

On cross-examination, Mr. Trafford stated that his firm had contracted with the manufacturing company to buy its entire output; that the contract price for the merchandise covered by entry 3009 '[reappraisement No. 160603-A] was 2.75 per kilo (Mexican currency) dor the A. C. grade and 2.42 for the A. P. grade; that the price for the merchandise covered by entry 3770 [reappraisement No. 160604-A] ■was 2.75 (Mexican currency) per kilo; that after the merchandise was ■purchased, his firm agreed to give the manufacturer a bonus over and .•above a certain basis.

Defendant introduced into evidence two reports of Treasury Representative Francis X. DiLucia, dated January 21 and April 30, 1945, ■respectively (defendant’s exhibits 1 and 2). They relate to a visit made to the offices of PAISA and statements made by Jose Palma, technician and secretary, concerning the bonus or profit-sharing arrangements between PAISA and Charles T. Wilson Co., Inc. Several •of the statements in these reports were contradicted by plaintiff’s witnesses, Ernesto Ibarra and Lloyd M. Trafford. There were also received in evidence a copy of an unsigned letter from Examiner J. W. Molay relating to an interview with Mr. Trafford (defendant’s exhibit 3), an order from Charles T. Wilson Co., Inc., to PAISA for 16,500 pounds of garlic powder at 24 cents per pound, dated October ■2, 1943 (plaintiff’s exhibit 4), an order from Charles T. Wilson Co., Inc., to PAISA for 1,103 pounds of garlic powder A. P. at 22 cents -per pound and 15,433 pounds of garlic powder A. C. at 25 cents per •pound, dated October 18, 1943 (plaintiff’s exhibit 5), and copies of •correspondence with the Bureau of Customs advising the Bureau of -the profit-sharing arrangements between Charles T. Wilson Co., Inc., •and PAISA (plaintiff’s collective exhibits 6, 7, and 8). The contents •of these documents will not be discussed since they relate mainly to the profit-sharing arrangement which is not material to the issue -involved herein.

At a subsequent hearing there was received in evidence entry papers -in connection with a shipment of one crate of powdered garlic exported from Mexico on July 8, 1943, and entered for consumption on August 10, 1943 (plaintiff’s exhibit 9).

[427]*427Mr. Trafford, recalled as a witness for the plaintiff, stated that this was one of the trial shipments to which he had referred; that there were two grades on that invoice, A. P. and A. C.; that the two grades were the same type garlic as came in on entry 3009; that entry 3770 covered only one grade, A. C.; that both grades were sold at the same price; that expenses were incurred in connection with the importation •covered by plaintiff’s exhibit 9; that they included a brokerage charge •of 5 per centum, a forwarding charge from Laredo to New York of :$3.16 as set forth on an invoice received in evidence as plaintiff’s ■exhibit 10, and expenses for customs entry, cartage, and recoopering.

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Related

Corrigan v. United States
40 C.C.P.A. 171 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1953)
Corrigan v. United States
27 Cust. Ct. 436 (U.S. Customs Court, 1951)

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Bluebook (online)
25 Cust. Ct. 424, 1950 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 655, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/corrigan-v-united-states-cusc-1950.