Heller, Deltah Co. v. United States

24 Cust. Ct. 595, 1950 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2085
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedApril 21, 1950
DocketNo. 7819; Entry No. 87121, etc.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 24 Cust. Ct. 595 (Heller, Deltah 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
Heller, Deltah Co. v. United States, 24 Cust. Ct. 595, 1950 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2085 (cusc 1950).

Opinion

Ford, Judge:

This application for a review of the judgment of the trial court, covering the appeals listed in schedule “A,” hereto attached and made a part hereof, was filed under the provisions of section 501 of the Tariff Act of 1930. The merchandise, the value of which is here in question, consists of imitation pearl beads, known as qualities 292 and 313, exported from Spain and entered at the port of New York. Quality 292, in sizes 3-7 to 6-12, was entered at $3.90 per 100 strings. Quality 313, in sizes 3-7 to 5-10, was entered at $3.80, sizes 6-12 at $6, and sizes 3-7 to 5-10 at $3.90, all per 100 strings of 40 centimeters in length, packed, the price for the shorter or longer strings being in direct proportion.

The merchandise was appraised on the basis of foreign value in pesetas per 100 strings, packed, at different prices, depending upon the length of the string. It is the contention of appellants that there was no foreign value for such or similar merchandise at or about the dates of exportation; that the merchandise should be appraised on the basis of export value, and that such values are represented by the invoiced and entered values. On the other hand, appellee contends that the proper basis of appraisement is the foreign value, and that the invoiced and entered values do not represent export value because, as it contends, all sales were confined to the appellants herein.

The lower court found that:

Since the appraisements here were made on the basis of foreign value, which finding embraces the presumption that the export value for such or similar merchandise either is not higher than such foreign value or does not exist, I am of opinion that the failure of the plaintiffs herein to disprove the foreign value either as to basis or amount obviates the necessity of resolving the question as to the claimed export value. * * *

The trial court accordingly affirmed the appraised values.

[596]*596As supporting its contention that there was no foreign value for merchandise such as or similar to that here involved, counsel for appellants offered and there was received in evidence by the court below an affidavit of one Edouard Heusch, who qualified as having had 25 to 30 years' experience in the manufacture and sale of imitation pearl beads such as and similar to those here involved. Affiant stated that:

* * * I further know that during the period from November 1936 to April 1938 no imitation pearl beads except those manufactured by the Industria Es-pañola de Perlas Imitation S. A. were either sold or offered for sale in the principal markets of Spain, either for consumption in Spain or for exportation to any country.

After listing all the sales for exportation to the United States of qualities 292 and 313 during the period here involved, affiant also says that:

I further state that the above sales were the only sales of qualities 292 and 313 for exportation to the United States and that there were no sales of any other qualities such as or similar to the said qualities 292 and 313.
As regards actual sales in the 'principal markets of Spain for home consumption in Spain of qualities 292 and 313, I further state that during the period from November 1936 until April 1938 there were no sales made whatsoever in either qualities 292 or 313.
I further state that during said period there were no sales for home consumption in Spain of any qualities similar to qualities 292 or 313.
I further state that during the period from November 1936 to April 1938 no qualities similar to qualities 292 and 313 were freely offered for sale for home consumption in Spain for the same reasons.
I further state that a few other qualities of imitation pearl beads were made by the Industria Española de Perlas Imitation S. A. in addition to qualities 292 and 313 but that none of the other qualities were similar to qualities 292 and 313. Such other qualities as were made by the Industria Española de Perlas Imitation S. A. differed widely from qualities 292 and 313 since they were manufactured with different degrees of care and since the cost of materials and labor for such other qualities varied substantially.
I further state that at no time during the period from November 1936 to April 1938 was there any connection, financial or otherwise, between the Industria Española de Perlas Imitation S. A. or The Indra Pearl Co. Ltd., and D. Lisner & Co. Inc., the Heller-Deltah Co. Inc., or Perlas Import Corporation.

After stating prices for certain sizes and lengths of imitation pearl beads, affiant further states:

In exact accordance with the above mentioned prices, said imitation pearl beads were freely offered for sale to all purchasers in the principal markets of Spain in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade, for exportation to the United States, 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, * * *

[597]*597The evidence contained in the above-quoted affidavit, admitted in evidence as plaintiffs’ exhibit 16, in and of itself, and without any contradictory evidence, might be considered sufficient to establish the contention of the appellants herein. However, the record before us is replete with evidence which contradicts all the statements contained in the aforesaid affidavit, to enter into a detailed analysis and discussion of which would extend this opinion to unwarranted length.

In collective exhibit 17, which is a report of the special agent, the following is found:

The numbers 313 and 350 have not been offered or sold in the home market during the past year. Mr. Rich states, however, that one or two^offers were made in 1937 and early 1938 on instructions from Heusch in an effort to show foreign value for the benefit of the United States Customs. No sales, however, were made as the quantity required on orders was 10,000 strings which was far too large for the Spanish market.
In reality, however, the same qualities as 313 and 350 are sold in the home market under the quality names “crack” and “check” respectively. The numbers 313 and 350 are simply numbers indicating these qualities (“crack” and “check”) when sold for export to the United States. Ample evidence in this regard is given in the correspondence between Rich and Heusch, which is submitted with this report.
Qualities “check” and “crack” have been freely offered and sold in the home market as evidenced by the following sales as copied from the sales records:
* * * * * * *
Under Exhibit “D” are submitted extracts of letters (Rich to Heusch and vice versa) taken from the correspondence files, for the years 1938 and 1939, of the I. E. P. I. of Manacor.

In exhibit “D,” attached to collective exhibit 17, we find the following:

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Related

Robert E. Landweer & Co. v. United States
59 Cust. Ct. 648 (U.S. Customs Court, 1967)
Tanous v. United States
50 Cust. Ct. 379 (U.S. Customs Court, 1963)
D. Lisner & Co. v. United States
34 Cust. Ct. 116 (U.S. Customs Court, 1955)
Heller Deltah Co. v. United States
39 C.C.P.A. 101 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1951)

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Bluebook (online)
24 Cust. Ct. 595, 1950 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2085, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/heller-deltah-co-v-united-states-cusc-1950.