Gal v. United States

28 Cust. Ct. 656, 1952 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 662
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedMay 26, 1952
DocketNo. 8119; Entry Nos. 720153/1; 708931; 859096/2
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 28 Cust. Ct. 656 (Gal 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
Gal v. United States, 28 Cust. Ct. 656, 1952 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 662 (cusc 1952).

Opinion

Rao, Judge:

Various importations of aluminum metal covered paper were entered on behalf of the plaintiff at values which were stated to represent the export values of said merchandise. In the cases of reappraisement 139494-A and reappraisement 139535-A, the merchandise was appraised on the basis of foreign value, while cost of production formed the basis of appraisement of the merchandise covered by reappraisement 140802-A. In each instance, the appraised values constituted advances over the entered values, and an appeal for reappraisement was filed. The three appeals thus resulting were consolidated for the purposes of trial.

At the trial, it was conceded by the defendant that the appraised values in reappraisements 139494-A and 139535-A were erroneous, and that there were, in fact, no foreign values for the involved merchandise. Plaintiff likewise endeavored to repudiate his entered values, and sought to establish United States values for the merchandise at bar. In this connection, three witnesses were called to testify on behalf of the plaintiff and three exhibits were introduced in evidence. No testimony, oral or documentary, was offered by the defendant.

Plaintiff’s exhibit 1 consists of a ledger containing records of sales of aluminum covered paper, together with records of payments for invoices issued. Plaintiff’s exhibit 2 is a tabulation of information contained in plaintiff’s exhibit 1, as well as information concerning profits, general expenses and insurance, about which plaintiff testified at the trial, and the computation of the resulting figures into an alleged United States value for each imported item.-' Plaintiff’s exhibit 3 consists of an agreement in German between Nicholas Gal and Aluminiumwerk Tscheulin G. m. b. H. (hereinafter called Tscheu-lin), dated April 15, 1937, with a true translation thereof into English.

Plaintiff, Nicholas Gal, testified that from 1933 or 1934 to the end of 1939, he was engaged in the business of selling in the United States aluminum metal covered paper imported from Germany. He stated that during the period covered by the instant importations, he actually had in stock merchandise such as or similar to that at bar, which he had previously imported from Germany; that he freely offered such merchandise for sale in the United States to all who desired to purchase it, there being no restrictions whatsoever attached to such sales; [658]*658that delivery usually was made between 3 to 8 weeks, and sometimes longer, after the order was taken; that New York City was the principal market in the United States for the sale of such or similar merchandise; that there was no fluctuation in price during the period in question, nor did the prices vary by reason of the wholesale quantities sold; and that his prices included the packing.

This witness stated further that he did not make any profit from the sale of merchandise such as or similar to that in issue; that this was an unusual circumstance but explainable by the fact that by virtue of his importations of aluminum metal covered paper from Germany, he was authorized to export cotton and copper to Germany, on which transactions his profit was realized. He also stated that his usual general expenses for the involved period, covering salaries, drawings, telephone and cable charges, traveling expenses, brokers’ fees, warehouse and freight charges, cost of entertainment of customers, and miscellaneous expenses averaged about 4 per centum of an annual volume of business of over $300,000, or approximately $13,000 to $14,000 per year, and that sea insurance cost one-half of 1 per centum of the invoice value of his importations.

On cross-examination, witness Gal testified that as of February 6, 1937, his relationship with the foreign manufacturer changed, and that as the result of an agreement between himself and the manufacturer (plaintiff’s exhibit 3), he thereafter became a purchaser of the manufacturer’s merchandise, with exclusive rights to buy all aluminum metal covered paper manufactured by that concern. When he received an order for aluminum metal covered paper, he either sent it on to the factory in Germany, or filled it from such or similar previously imported merchandise which he had in stock.

At a subsequent hearing, plaintiff, Nicholas Gal, testified that during the period in which he was in the aluminum metal covered paper business, he became familiar with the various kinds of such paper which were manufactured in Germany and exported to the United States, by observing the manufacturing process of the Tscheulin factory, and by approaching the users of such merchandise produced by other German manufacturers. He obtained samples of the materials purchased from other German sources, and had them analyzed physically and chemically. He also discussed with his customers the problems resulting from the use of aluminum metal covered paper obtained from competitive sources. He collaborated with a technical staff from his factory in the development of a type of paper which to a large extent solved the problems the users had been experiencing with this paper.

In the opinion of this witness, the aluminum metal covered paper manufactured by Tscheulin differed in many respects from that manufactured by other German concerns. It appears from the testi[659]*659mony of this witness that metal covered paper is a combination of aluminum foil and paper, the aluminum foil being mounted on the paper by an adhesive; and that differences existed in the foil, in the adhesive, and in the paper itself. Aluminum foil, according to this witness, is a combination of scrap aluminum and virgin aluminum. In making its aluminum foil, Tscheulin used about 70 per centum scrap and 30 per centum virgin aluminum. Without being able to give the precise proportions used by other manufacturers, Gal, nevertheless, stated that the factory used much more virgin aluminum and much less scrap than Tscheulin; and that the combination used by Tscheulin resulted in a much softer foil. He also stated that Tscheulin used lighter and softer paper, in many instances, cellulose, where competitors used bond paper; that the adhesive used by Tscheu-lin eliminated certain acids which the other adhesives contained, thus avoiding corrosion caused by the humid climate here; that Tscheulin’s foil was rolled to the lower end of the plus-minus 10 per centum tolerance always added for the thickness of the foil; and that it did not eliminate all the lubricating oils used in the manufacture and rolling out of the foil, all of which processes resulted in a much more pliable and satisfactory foil from the standpoint of operation on the machines. By virtue of the use of a greater percentage of scrap aluminum, the rolling of the foil to the lower end of the tolerance, and more efficient production methods, Tscheulin’s product was lower in price, in most instances, than the competitive products. It also served its users, who are box makers and, to a certain extent, seal and label manufacturers, more efficiently as it did not tear or break as readily. It was of a better tensile strength than competitive foil, and eliminated unreasonable waste.

Plaintiff concluded his direct examination by stating that Tscheu-lin’s products were not commercially interchangeable with those of other German manufacturers and that delivery of the latter would not have been a satisfactory delivery for the former.

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Related

Reliance International Mfg., Ltd. v. United States
62 Cust. Ct. 816 (U.S. Customs Court, 1969)
Chicago Bird & Cage Co. v. United States
57 Cust. Ct. 575 (U.S. Customs Court, 1966)
Gal v. United States
36 Cust. Ct. 555 (U.S. Customs Court, 1956)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
28 Cust. Ct. 656, 1952 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 662, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gal-v-united-states-cusc-1952.