Japan Import Co. v. United States

86 F.2d 124, 24 C.C.P.A. 167, 1936 CCPA LEXIS 175
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedNovember 2, 1936
DocketCustoms Appeal 4007
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 86 F.2d 124 (Japan Import Co. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Japan Import Co. v. United States, 86 F.2d 124, 24 C.C.P.A. 167, 1936 CCPA LEXIS 175 (ccpa 1936).

Opinion

GRAHAM, Presiding Judge.

The appellant imported from Japan, under the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C.A. § 1001 et seq.), at the port of New York, certain shoes with canvas tops and rubber soles, which were dutiable at 35 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1530 (e), § 1, of said Tariff Act (19 U.S.C.A. § 1001, par. 1530 (e). Appraisement was made of the shoes on the basis of American selling price, as provided in section 402 (g) of said Tariff Act (19 U.S.C.A. § 1402 (g), by virtue of the Proclamation of the President under the provisions of section 336 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C.A. § 1336), which proclamation was issued February 1, 1933 (47 Stat. 2552) (T.D. 46158), 63 Treas.Dec. 232.

The importer, being dissatisfied with the appraisement, appealed to reappraisement, and after the taking of considerable testimony, both on the part of the importer and of the government, Presiding Judge McClelland, sitting as a single judge, sustained the appraisement. Appeal was then taken to the United States Customs Court and assigned to the Third Division, which affirmed the decision of the single judge. The importer has appealed.

The appellant makes two principal contentions here, as follows:

“1. Subdivision (b) of section 336 [19 U.S.C.A. § 1336 (b)], under which the appraisement was made, namely, the author *126 ity to prescribe the American selling price of a like or similar article of domestic manufacture upon which to base the ad valorem duty, is unconstitutional.

“2. By reason of the superiority of the American shoe to the imported shoe in appearance, workmanship, construction, cost of production, and selling price, the domestic shoe is not like or similar to the foreign-made shoe within the meaning of the words ‘like or similar’ as used in section 336 of the Tariff Act of 1930 [19 U.S. C.A. § 1336] and appearing in the President’s proclamation, under which appraisement was made.”

In support of his contention, counsel for appellant argues: “ * * * that section 336 (b) is an unlawful delegation of the taxing power committed to the Congress under the Constitution; that the assessment of duties in the instant case on the American selling price' of an alleged like or similar domestic shoe is violative of the due process clause; and that the measuring of the tax (duty) on one person’s property by reference to the property of another'is, as held by the Supreme Court in the case of Hoeper v. Tax Commission of Wisconsin et al., 284 U.S. 206, 52 S. Ct. 120, 76 L.Ed. 248, likewise contrary to due process of law as guaranteed by the Constitution.”

It has been conclusively established that the fact-finding powers delegated to the President under the provisions of section 315 (a) of title 3, of the Tariff Act of 1922 (19 U.S.C.A. § 154), the predecessor section of section 336 of the Tariff Act of 1930, were not an unconstitutional delegation of legislative power to the President. Hampton, Jr., & Co. v. United States, 14 Cust.App. 350, affirmed in Id., 276 U.S. 394, 48 S.Ct. 348, 72 L.Ed. 624. Counsel for appellant, as we understand it, concedes this, but argues that that case and later cases have not passed upon the constitutionality of the plan provided by section 336 (b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, which permits the President, on finding that an equalization of differences of cost of production cannot be accomplished by additional rates to those provided by statute, to equalize the same by directing that the ad valorem rates of duty may be based upon the American selling price of the domestic article, as the same is defined in section 402 (g) of said act (19 U.S.C.A. § 1402 (g).

The material portions of said act are as follows (included is paragraph 1530 (e), § 1, of said act, under which the imported merchandise is dutiable) :

“Sec. 336. Equalization of Costs of Production.

“(a) Change of classification or duties. In order to put into force and effect the policy of Congress by this Act [chapter] intended, the commission (1) upon request of the President, or (2) upon resolution of either or both Houses of Congress, or (3) upon its own motion, or (4) when in the judgment of the commission there is good and sufficient reason therefor, upon application of any interested party, shall investigate the differences in the costs of production of any domestic article and of any like or similar foreign article. In the course of the investigation the commission shall hold hearings and give reasonable public notice thereof, and shall afford reasonable opportunity for parties interested to be present, to produce evidence, and to be heard at such hearings. The commission is authorized to adopt such reasonable procedure and rules and regulations as it deems necessary to execute its functions under this section. The commission shall report to the President the results of the investigation and its findings with respect to such differences in costs of production. If the commission finds it shown by the investigation that the duties expressly fixed by statute do not equalize the differences in the.costs of production of the domestic article and the like or similar foreign article when produced in the principal competing country, the commission shall specify in its report such increases or decreases in rates of duty expressly fixed by statute (including any necessary change in classification) as it finds shown by the investigation to be necessary to equalize such differences. In no case shall the total increase or decrease of such rates of duty exceed 50 per centum of the rates expressly fixed by statute.

“(b) Change to American selling price. If the commission finds upon any such investigation that such differences can not be equalized by proceeding as hereinbefore provided, it shall so state in its report to the President and shall specify therein such ad valorem rates of duty based upon the American selling price (as defined in section 402 (g) ) [section 1402 (g) ] of the domestic article, as it finds shown by the *127 investigation to be necessary to equalize such differences. In no case shall the total decrease of such rates of duty exceed 50 per centum of the rates expressly fixed by statute, and no such rate shall be increased.

“Sec. 402 (g) American selling price. The American selling price of any article manufactured or produced in the United States shall be the price, 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 delivery, at which such article is freely offered for sale to all purchasers in the principal market of the United States, in the ordinary course of trade and in the usual wholesale quantities in such market, or the price that the manufacturer, producer, or owner would have received or was willing to receive for such merchandise when sold in the ordinary course of trade and in the usual wholesale quantities, at the time of exportation of the imported article.

“Par.

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86 F.2d 124, 24 C.C.P.A. 167, 1936 CCPA LEXIS 175, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/japan-import-co-v-united-states-ccpa-1936.