Horizon Lines, LLC v. United States

31 Ct. Int'l Trade 1853, 2007 CIT 172
CourtUnited States Court of International Trade
DecidedNovember 20, 2007
DocketCourt 05-00435
StatusPublished

This text of 31 Ct. Int'l Trade 1853 (Horizon Lines, LLC v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of International Trade primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Horizon Lines, LLC v. United States, 31 Ct. Int'l Trade 1853, 2007 CIT 172 (cit 2007).

Opinion

OPINION

Background

RESTANI, Chief Judge:

This matter is before the court on Defendant United States’ motion for summary judgment. Plaintiff Horizon *1854 Lines, LLC, challenges the partial denial of a protest against certain duties required for repairs made to a vessel under 19 U.S.C. § 1466.

Plaintiff operates the U.S.-flag vessel Horizon Crusader (“the Crusader”), a vessel used primarily for trade with Puerto Rico. Following its arrival in Hong Kong on September 4, 2001, with a shipment of empty containers, the Crusader departed for Karimun Sembawang Shipyard (“KSS”), a shipyard in Indonesia. (See Pl.’s Ex. 1 (Walla Aff. ¶ 19); see also Pl.’s Mem. in Opp’n Mot. Summ. J. (“Pl.’s Br.”) 2-3.) The Crusader was required to undergo American Bureau of Shipping (“ABS”) inspections by September 25, 2001. 1 (Pl.’s Ex. 2 (Dolan Aff. ¶ 25).) Since the vessel could not complete inspections by the deadline, the Crusader went into lay-up 2 at KSS on September 7, 2007, at which point the required deadline was held in abeyance. (Id. ¶ 26; see also Pl.’s Ex. 1 (Walla Aff. ¶ 20).) The Crusader remained in lay-up at KSS until November 28, 2001. (Pl.’s Ex. 1 (Walla. Aff. ¶ 20).) Pursuant to guidelines provided by ABS, a survey was conducted by ABS on October 20, 2007, which determined that the Crusader had been laid-up properly. (Id. ¶ 21.)

After securing a dry-dock facility to undergo ABS inspection, the Crusader was towed to the Jurong Shipyard in Singapore (“Jurong”) on November 29, 2001. (Pl.’s Ex. 2 (Dolan Aff. ¶¶ 23, 27).) The Crusader was then placed in dry-dock from December 8 to December 15, 2001, where it underwent inspections as well as certain repairs. (Id. ¶ 28.) Following the repairs and inspection, the Crusader departed Jurong on January 7, 2002, and returned to the United States, arriving at the Port of Tacoma, Washington on January 26, 2002. (Def.’s Br. 4.)

Upon arrival in the United States, Plaintiff was required to notify U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“Customs”) of all foreign repairs conducted on the vessel on a Customs Form CF-226. Such repairs are dutiable at a 50 percent ad valorem rate on the cost of equipment, materials and parts or for expenses of repairs made to U.S.-flag vessels outside the United States. 19 U.S.C. § 1466. Under Section 4.14 of the Customs regulations, vessel owners are required to complete CF-226 within ninety days from the date of arrival. Plaintiff submitted the form on January 31, 2002 (Def.’s Ex. 1 (Horizon’s Form 226)), but did not submit all of the supporting documentation detailing the vessel’s repairs until June 24, 2002 (Def.’s Ex. 2 (Horizon’s June 24, 2002 Letter to Customs)), more than ninety days after the date of arrival. On August 30, 2002, after receiving all the *1855 required documentation, Customs liquidated the repair entry and concluded that Plaintiff owed $810,295.99 in duties. (Def.’s Ex. 3 (Custom’s Notice of Liquidation).) Customs further concluded that Plaintiff’s application for relief from repair duties included in the June 24, 2002 letter was untimely and would not be considered. 3 (Id.)

On November 27, 2002, Plaintiff timely filed a protest of Customs’ liquidation determination. (Def.’s Ex. 4 (Horizon’s Protest and Memorandum to Customs (“Horizon’s Protest”)).) On December 15, 2004, Customs Headquarters granted Plaintiff’s protest in part, and denied it in part. [¶] 116237 (Dec. 15, 2004). Pursuant to that decision, Plaintiff’s duties were reduced to $534,636.14. (Def.’s Ex. 6 (Custom’s Reliquidation Spreadsheet at 3).) On October 13, 2005, Plaintiff filed suit to challenge the partial denial of its protest and to obtain a refund of all excess duties paid. (Def.’s Ex. 7 (Horizon’s Complaint).) This Court has jurisdiction pursuant to 19 U.S.C. § 1514 and 28 U.S.C. § 1581(a).

The parties’ dispute involves three primary issues. First, Defendant contends that Horizon’s decision to lay-up the Crusader in KSS was made, at least in part, for the purpose of obtaining repairs at Jurong Shipyard. Second, Defendant contends that, because various general expenses associated with the lay-up were also incurred to obtain repairs at Jurong, those expenses are dutiable under 19 U.S.C. § 1466, in part. Third, Defendant argues that a variety of expenses incurred in Jurong itself were related entirely or in part to the repair of the vessel. The court will address each issue in turn. 4

Standard of Review

On a motion for summary judgment, the Court must determine whether any genuine issues of fact are material to the resolution of *1856 the action and whether the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law. See USCIT R. 56; see also Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc., 477 U.S. 242, 248 (1986). “Only disputes over facts that might affect the outcome of the suit under the governing law will properly preclude the entry of summary judgment.” Id. Consequently, factual issues may not be tried or resolved upon a motion for summary judgment. Phone-Mate, Inc. v. United States, 12 CIT 575, 577, 690 F. Supp. 1048, 1050 (1988).

Discussion

I. Whether the “Lay-Up” of the Crusader Was Made in Part for the Purpose of Obtaining Foreign Repairs

The Federal Circuit has often repeated that the phrase “expenses of repairs” in 19 U.S.C. § 1466 is to be read broadly. Texaco Marine Serv. Inc. v. United States, 44 F.3d 1539, 1544 (Fed. Cir. 1994). In cases involving expenses incurred solely for the purpose of repairs, the Federal Circuit applies a “but for” test to determine whether a particular expense is dutiable. SL Serv., Inc., 357 F.3d at 1360. Thus, expenses incurred by repairs include all expenses “ ‘which, but for dutiable repair work, would not have been incurred.’ ” Id. (citing Texaco, 44 F.3d at 1544). That standard, however, does not apply in cases involving so-called “dual-purpose” expenses, i.e., those expenses incurred in part for reasons other than the repair of a vessel. SL Serv., Inc., 357 F.3d at 1361.

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Related

Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.
477 U.S. 242 (Supreme Court, 1986)
Colantuoni v. Alfred Calcagni & Sons, Inc.
44 F.3d 1 (First Circuit, 1994)
Sl Service, Inc. v. United States
357 F.3d 1358 (Federal Circuit, 2004)
XL Specialty Insurance v. United States
341 F. Supp. 2d 1251 (Court of International Trade, 2004)
Phone-Mate, Inc. v. United States
690 F. Supp. 1048 (Court of International Trade, 1988)

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Bluebook (online)
31 Ct. Int'l Trade 1853, 2007 CIT 172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/horizon-lines-llc-v-united-states-cit-2007.