Indussa Corp. v. United States

40 Cust. Ct. 800
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedMay 1, 1958
DocketReap. Dec. 9139; Entry No. 825257
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 40 Cust. Ct. 800 (Indussa Corp. 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
Indussa Corp. v. United States, 40 Cust. Ct. 800 (cusc 1958).

Opinion

Laweence, Judge:

There was imported from Belgium on or about January 8, 1955, certain enameled cast iron cooking ware.

The merchandise was entered and appraised on the basis of foreign value, as that value is defined in section 402 (c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Administrative Act of 1938 (19 U. S. C. § 1402 (c)). Appraisement was made at the per se unit prices, less 27 per centum discount, plus 9 per centum Belgian home sales tax, and packing charges.

Plaintiff agrees that foreign value is the proper basis of valuation, but contends that the' dutiable value of the imported articles is the per se unit prices, less 40 per centum discount, plus 9 per centum Belgian home sales tax, and packing charges.

The record upon which determination of this cause of action must be made is solely documentary. On behalf of plaintiff, there was received in evidence collective exhibit 1, which consists of an affidavit of Philippe Romain, director of Fonderie and Emaillerie d’Au-denarde, the seller of the enameled cast iron cooking ware in question. Attached thereto was a price list in French, together with an English translation. There was subsequently received in evidence, as plaintiff’s exhibit 2, a supplementary affidavit of said Philippe Romain. On behalf of the defendant, a report of American Consul Roger L. Heacock of Antwerp, Belgium, together with accompanying papers, was received in evidence as collective exhibit A.

Due to its pertinence to the determination of the present issue, the affidavit accompanying collective exhibit 1 is here set forth:

Before me R. S. Alfonzo, Vice-Consul of tfie United States of America, duly commissioned and qualified, personally came Philippe Romain, of Audenarde, Belgium, who being first duly sworn, deposes and says:
[802]*802That he is the Director of Fonderie and Emaillerie d’Audenarde, located at Audenarde, Belgium, and has held that position since 1952. He is personally familiar with the facts stated hereafter, all of which pertain to the sale of enamelled cast-iron cooking ware.
Sales to the United States.
Since March 1953 their sales for export to the United States of enamelled cast iron cooking ware have been made exclusively to Indussa Corporation of 511 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York, and such or similar merchandise has not been freely offered for sale to the United States to other buyers.
Sales for Home Consumption in Belgium.
Since June 1, 1954 all of their sales of such enamelled cast iron cooking ware in Belgium have been made in accordance with a price list, signed copy of which is hereto attached and marked Exhibit “A”.
The greatest number of sales for consumption in Belgium of such enamelled cast-iron cooking ware in quantities of 500 kilograms or more and carried the discount of 40% from the list price. For example, their sales for home consumption in Belgium for the period July 1, 1954 to June 30, 1956 were as follows:
Discount Number of Sales
500 kilograms or more_ 40% 479
350 kilograms to 500 kilograms_ 35% 6
200 kilograms to 350 kilograms_ 30% 32
50 kilograms to 200 kilograms_ 27% 77
Prior to July 16, 1955 such sales in Belgium were subject to a Taxede Transmission of 9 % of the net invoice amount and after such date such tax was 10 % of the net invoice amount.

In order to make more specific the information contained in the foregoing affidavit with regard to sales for home consumption in Belgium, at or about the time the instant merchandise was exported, permission was granted to plaintiff by the court, without objection by the defendant, to submit the supplementary affidavit of Philippe Romain (exhibit 2), the pertinent portion of which is quoted below—

That'the sales for home consumption in Belgium for the period July 1, 1954 to December 31, 1954 were as follows:
Discount Number of Sales
500 kilograms or more_ 40% 105
350 kilograms to 500 kilograms_ 35% 3
200 kilograms to 350 kilograms_ 30% 8
50 kilograms to 200 kilograms_ 27% 18

There is agreement by the parties hereto that export value, as such value is defined in section 402 (d) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U. S. O. § 1402 (d)), did not exist for such or similar merchandise at the time of exportation of the enameled cast iron cooking ware here in issue, for the reason that the plaintiff corporation was the exclusive importer thereof.

It is apparent from the record that the issue before the court is a limited one, namely, whether, within the confines of statutory foreign value, the discount to be allowed on merchandise of the kind here in controversy when freely offered for sale to all purchasers in the [803]*803principal markets of the country from which exported, in the usual wholesale quantities, and in the ordinary course of trade, should be 27 per centum, as determined by the appraiser of merchandise, or 40 per centum, as claimed by plaintiff.

The determination of the proper applicable discount necessarily involves a question of the usual wholesale quantities.

The evidence of record discloses that merchandise identical to that before the court was freely offered for sale in the home markets and that the manufacturer does not attempt to control prices to the consumer. It further appears that, prior to June 1, 1954, there were three categories of purchasers — wholesalers, semiwholesalers and large retailers, and consumers. At that time, such or similar merchandise was freely sold in the principal market of Belgium at list prices, with discounts of 40 per centum, 35 per centum, and 30 per centum, to the foregoing respective purchasers. Subsequent to June 1, 1954, there was a change in the manufacturer’s sales policy to the extent that it was the ordinary course of trade to allow a discount predicated on the weight of the items purchased and not on the category of the purchaser. Anyone purchasing in quantities of 500 kilograms or more would be given a 40 per centum discount; for purchases of 350 kilograms to 500 kilograms, a 35 per centum discount would apply; from 200 kilograms to 350 kilograms, 30 per centum, and from 50 kilograms to 200 kilograms, 27 per centum.

From the summary of sales for home consumption in Belgium for the period from July 1 to December 31, 1954, contained in plaintiff’s exhibit. 2, it appears that sales to all purchasers in quantities of 500 kilograms or more clearly predominated, and for such sales a discount of 40 per "centum was allowed. Based upon the foregoing, plaintiff’s contention, supported as it is by satisfactory evidence, is a valid one and should be granted.

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Related

United States v. Indussa Corp.
42 Cust. Ct. 701 (U.S. Customs Court, 1959)

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Bluebook (online)
40 Cust. Ct. 800, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/indussa-corp-v-united-states-cusc-1958.