Daystrom, Inc., Intl. Sales Div. v. United States

53 Cust. Ct. 447, 1964 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2286
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedOctober 20, 1964
DocketReap. Dec. 10834; Entry Nos. 463682; 772748
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 53 Cust. Ct. 447 (Daystrom, Inc., Intl. Sales Div. 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
Daystrom, Inc., Intl. Sales Div. v. United States, 53 Cust. Ct. 447, 1964 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2286 (cusc 1964).

Opinion

Foed, Judge:

Tbe three cases listed above, consolidated for the purpose of trial, involve two entries and present for determination the proper dutiable value of certain electronic tubes, exported from Japan.

Appeal K61/21866 taken by the importer involves one entry and embraces the following tubes manufactured by Tokyo Shibaura Electric Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Toshiba”) :

6 0 4
12 BH 7 A
6 J 6
6 U 8
6 BE 6

the other entry is involved in a cross-appeal by the importer, E62/9215, and an appeal by the collector of customs at the port of New York, R62/5795, and involves the following tubes manufactured by New Nippon Electric Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as N.E.C.) :

12 AV 6
12 BE 6
12 BA 6
35 W 4
50 O 5

[449]*449There is no dispute between the parties that the merchandise involved herein, electronic tubes used for radio and television receivers, are contained on the final list as compiled by the Secretary of the Treasury, 93 Treas. Dec. 14, T.D. 54521, and as a consequence was appraised under the provisions of section 402a of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Simplification Act of 1956, 91 Treas. Dec. 295, T.D. 54165.

The parties are also in agreement that appraisement was made under the provisions of section 402a (c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, supra, foreign value, and the attorneys for the importers contend the proper basis for appraisement is cost of production under the provisions contained in section 402a(f) of said act, as amended, supra.

The parties have orally stipulated the following facts for the trial of this matter:

1.That, if the court finds foreign value to be the proper basis for appraisement, the following represent the correct dutiable foreign value of the several itemized tubes in appeal R62/5795 as defined by the statute:

Value (each)
12 AV 6 315 Yen, less 50%, plus export packing
12 BE 6 450 “ “ “
12 BA 6 380 “ “ “ “
35 W 4 365 “ “ “ “
50 C 5 600 “ “ “ “

2. That all tubes bearing the same description number are similar in all respects to any other tube bearing the same description number made by any other manufacturer in Japan.

3. That on or about the date of exportation of the merchandise herein involved such or similar merchandise was not freely offered for sale for export to the United States.

4. That on or about the date of exportation such or similar merchandise was not freely offered for sale in the principal markets of the United States.

5. That in the event the court finds there is no foreign value for such or similar merchandise, as defined in section 402a (c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, supra, then the cost of production, as defined in section 402a (f), as amended, supra, is the proper basis of appraisal, and the cost of production is equal to the invoice prices, less ocean freight, in R61/21866 and to the unit invoice price, net packed, in reappraisements R.62/9215 and R62/5795.

[450]*450The foreign value and cost of production definitions referred to above read as follows:

Section 402a, Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, supra, 19 U.S.C.A., section 1402:

FoReign Yaltje
(e) The foreign value of imported merchandise shall be the market value or the price at the time of exportation of such merchandise to the United States, at which such or similar merchandise is freely offered for sale for home consumption to all purchasers in the principal markets of the country from which exported, in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade, including the cost of all containers and coverings of whatever nature, and all other costs, charges, and expenses incident to placing the merchandise in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States.
* * * * 5Ü * *
Cost of Production
(f) For the purpose of this subtitle 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 mechandise of the same class or kind.

With, the exception of the oral stipulation entered into by and between counsel for the respective parties, the record is documentary and consists of 34 affidavits, received on 'behalf of the importers, and 13 exhibits consisting of 9 reports of customs agents and 4 affidavits, received on behalf of the United States.

The evidence adduced on behalf of the importers establishes that, on or about the date of exportation herein, there were 13 manufacturers of electronic tubes in Japan. The importers by virtue of exhibits 3A, 3B, 6, 7, and 10 through 17, have negated the existence of a for[451]*451eign. value for 10 of these manufacturers. This fact is conceded by the Government in its brief.

By virtue of the stipulation and the elimination of 10 of the 13 manufacturers, the remaining 3 manufacturers, thus involved in the importation herein, are Toshiba and N.E.C., plus the additional manufacturer, Kobe Kogyo Corp. With respect to these three manufacturers, the record establishes, and the parties have agreed by statements contained in their briefs, that, by virtue of certain restrictions by these manufacturers, there is no foreign value for the tubes manufactured by these companies on the primary level. In the case of Toshiba all sales were to one selected purchaser, its wholly owned subsidiary Toshiba Shoji. New Nippon restricted its sales to original equipment manufacturers, to other manufacturers subject to use restrictions, to selected dealers in areas outside of Tokyo in which N.E.C.

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Bluebook (online)
53 Cust. Ct. 447, 1964 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2286, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/daystrom-inc-intl-sales-div-v-united-states-cusc-1964.