Corrigan v. United States

33 Cust. Ct. 540, 1954 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1090
United States Customs Court·Decided November 24, 1954·No. Reap. Dec. 8355; Entry Nos. 3009; 3770·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

Ekwall, Judge:

These appeals for reappraisement are before the court pursuant to an order granting a motion for a rehearing and reconsideration of the decision and judgment of this court rendered on January 14, 1954 (E. H. Corrigan v. United States, 32 Cust. Ct. 561, Reap. Dec. 8278), and restoring the case to the calendar “for the purpose of permitting the parties to submit evidence establishing the cost of transportation from Laredo to the terminal in New York." E. H. Corrigan v. United States, 32 Cust. Ct. 599, Reap. Dec. 8295.

[541] These cases are appeals for reappraisement of dehydrated garlic powder exported from Mexico on December 2, 1943, and January 6, 1944. When they were originally before the trial court (Cline, J.), it was held that there was no foreign or export value for the merchandise and that the plaintiff had not sustained the burden of proving United States value or any other value for the merchandise, and the appraised values were affirmed. E. H. Corrigan v. United States, 25 Cust. Ct. 424, Reap. Dec. 7879. The grounds for holding that no United States value had been established were (1) that offers and sales of the imported merchandise made prior to the arrival of the goods in the United States could not be used as a basis for determining that value and (2) that the evidence in regard to certain trial lots previously imported was insufficient since the price at which they were sold was not shown and the quantities were not wholesale quantities.

This decision was affirmed by the first division of this court. E. H. Corrigan v. United States, 27 Cust. Ct. 436, Reap. Dec. 8046.

On appeal to the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, the decision of the appellate division was reversed and the cases remanded for restudy of the evidence in conformity with the court’s holding on the law. E. H. Corrigan v. United States, 40 C. C. P. A. (Customs) 171, C. A. D. 514. After affirming the findings of the appellate division in connection with trial lots received prior to the within importations, the court of appeals stated in its decision (p. 182):

Returning now to the importations immediately involved, we feel constrained to hold that offers of sale and sales for future delivery properly may be taken into consideration in determining United States value as defined in section 402 (e), supra, in cases where the facts and circumstances show that such procedure is followed in the ordinary course of trade, and the other requisite statutory elements are present.

In a clarification of its decision written after a petition for rehearing, the court held that, as to the first shipment, imported on December 2, 1943, the sales and offers of sale made prior to the importation should have been taken into consideration in determining United States value, and, that, as to the second shipment, imported on January 6, 1944, sales and offers of sale of merchandise from either importation should have been considered.

Thereafter, the first division of this court remanded the case to me for further proceedings consistent with the opinion of the court of appeals (Abstract 57332). Accordingly, a decision and judgment were rendered on January 14, 1954, in which a United States value was found for each of the two shipments. E. H. Corrigan v. United States, 32 Cust. Ct. 561, Reap. Dec. 8278. That decision and judgment have been set aside and the case restored tp the calendar, as stated above.

[542] The case has been resubmitted on the record heretofore made and on the following stipulation of counsel:

IT IS HEREBY STIPULATED AND AGREED between counsel, subject to the approval of the Court, that the merchandise involved in the above reap-praisement appeals was released from customs custody at Laredo, Texas to the plaintiff or its representatives and that while in the sole custody and control of the plaintiff or its representatives said merchandise was shipped from Laredo to either Baltimore, Maryland, Newark, New Jersey or the terminal in New York.
IT IS FURTHER STIPULATED AND AGREED that the cost of transportation of the garlic powder in issue from Laredo, Texas, to the terminal in New York was $3.07 per 100 lbs. (gross weight) plus 3 per centum federal transportation tax; that in the case of Reappraisement No. 160603-A said cost was $625.71 although the actual cost of transportation charges to Baltimore and Newark was $596.13; and that in the case of Reappraisement No. 160604^A said cost was $260.36.
IT IS FURTHER STIPULATED AND AGREED that this stipulation is without prejudice to any argument advanced or to be advanced by the United States, defendant, with respect to the propriety of deducting such costs in determining the United States value of the merchandise covered by said appeals for reappraisement and does not in any way constitute a concession that such amounts are properly deductible in determining United States value.
* * * * * * %

On this rehearing, the Government contends, first, that no United States value can be found for the merchandise on the ground that the evidence does not show that the method of doing business by the importer herein constituted the ordinary course of trade and that other requisite statutory elements of United States value have not been established, and, second, that if a United States value is found, freight charges from Laredo to New York are not deductible. Plaintiff maintains the contrary.

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Corrigan v. United States, 33 Cust. Ct. 540, 1954 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1090 (cusc 1954).

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