Jenkins v. United States

14 Cust. Ct. 304, 1945 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 390
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJanuary 31, 1945
DocketNo. 6090; Entry No. 339-K, etc.
StatusPublished

This text of 14 Cust. Ct. 304 (Jenkins 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
Jenkins v. United States, 14 Cust. Ct. 304, 1945 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 390 (cusc 1945).

Opinion

Cole, Judge:

In these cases, plaintiff has appealed for a reap-praisement of shipments of firebrick exported by Clayburn Co., [305]*305Ltd., of Vancouver, British Columbia, and entered at the port of Sumas, Wash. The product was in different forms, variously described on the invoices as “Squares,” “Squares #10-13,” “Side Arch #1,” “Side Arch #2.” The entered and appraised values of each are set forth in the following tabulation:

The merchandise covered by the three cases was exported on September 8, 1941, June 16, 1941, and January 13, 1941, respectively. The sales tax referred to did not apply until April 29, 1941. Hence the omission of that item in the appraiser’s finding in Reappraisement 150522-A. i

The, appraiser testified that foreign value, section 402 (c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Administrative Act of 1938 (19 U. S. C. 1940 ed. § 1402 (c)),1 was the basis for his appraisement, and that the values reported are f. o. b. Vancouver, B. C., prices.

Plaintiff contends that the following invoice base prices are representative of statutory dutiable value.

The Vancouver prices are claimed to be the dutiable foreign values, section 402 (c) as amended, supra; the United States prices are claimed to be dutiable export values, section 402 (d) of the Tariff Act of 1930 [306]*306(19 U. S. C. 1940 ed. § 1402 (d)),2 if I found no statutory foreign value existing for tbe instant merchandise.

Although a 10 per centum discount is mentioned with the invoice (Vancouver) prices and the record contains testimony concerning various discounts allowed different classes of purchasers, the discussion herein will give no consideration thereto. The lack of proof from which to determine the applicability of any particular rate is conceded by plaintiff’s counsel in this statement from their brief:

* * * counsel has in mind the fact that discounts were granted in regard to many sales. However, as the record is silent as to whether the major portion of Clayburn’s sales in the usual wholesale quantity were subject to a discount * * *, no argument will be now made that the foreign value should include the discount.

The Canadian exporter’s managing director with 20 years’ experience and whose duties include price fixing as well as sales supervision described the course of business followed by his company. His testimony supports the following summation: Clayburn Co., Ltd., has its office at Vancouver, B. C., with a factory, where the firebrick products in question are manufactured, at Kilgard, B. C., approximately 50 miles from Vancouver. .Kilgard is without a railroad connection so all merchandise shipped therefrom is sent by truck. Shipments by railroad are taken by truck to a “raff head,” Abbotsford, B. C., about 5 miles distant, where the merchandise is loaded on cars and shipped to its destination. The firebrick products of the Clayburn Co. are superior in quality to those manufactured by other firms in Canada. Except for sales to small retailers (characterized as retail sales and therefore not to be considered here), who purchase in comparatively small quantities, “anything from ten brick to several hundred brick,” all transactions of the manufacturer in the Canadian market are in wholesale quantities and without variation as to prices for the particular wholesale quantity purchased. Hence the question of usual wholesale quantity is not before me. Jenkins v. United States, 25 C. C. P. A. 90, T. D. 49093.

Sales by the manufacturer are generally made to builders’ supplies dealers or merchants. But if an order is received from a so-called consumer (pulp mill, saw mill, or foundry), it is accepted and upon delivery a commission is credited to the dealer considered to be entitled thereto. The testimony in this connection is quoted:

Q. Now, you referred to different types of sales yesterday. You will probably recall them, Mr. Roaf, and I want to ask you whether if in addition to those [307]*307sales you made any sales to so-called consumers as to which you allowed a commission to any other person?- — -A. Yes, we did.
Q. And describe those transactions, please. — A. Any dealer or merchant we sell to, I am speaking of the building supply merchants, who would hand us an ■order for shipment to a concern, would receive a commission for having negotiated that sale. Is that the answer?
Q. Yes, that is the answer. Is that the only instance, or does that represent the only type of instance? — -A. That is our general practice.
Q. Did you also, Mr. Roaf, make sales yourself to consumers and give to some dealer any sum of money?- — A. We would accept orders. We do not go out and solicit orders. We would accept orders and after the sale has been made we would credit a merchant or dealer with the commission that we considered he was entitled to.

'The foregoing testimony clearly shows that the manufacturer’s transactions with consumers have the legal effect of sales to dealers. I therefore find that, so far as the present issue is concerned, the manufacturer’s course of business is confined to dealers.

During the period covered by the importations under consideration, the Clayburn Co. sold merchandise, like that in question, at definite base prices. Prior to August 1, 1941, squares, including the sorcalled “cooler #10-13” type, sold at $57.50 per thousand, and side arches No. 1 and No. 2 at $58.50 per thousand. Due' to increased manufacturing costs, the price of all was advanced, as of August 1, 1941, to $61 per thousand. All prices are Canadian currency, and those mentioned evidently relate to sales throughout British Columbia because the record also shows sales to builders’ supply dealers in Calgary and Edmonton at lower prices. This difference, however, becomes wholly immaterial in the fight of uncontradicted proof showing that prices to all dealers are either f. o. b. Kilgard or f. o. b. Ab-botsford. The oral testimony on this point finds corroboration in the manufacturer’s catalog (plaintiff’s exhibit 6) as follows:

The Clayburn Company’s plant is located at Kilgard, British Columbia, and quotations, unless otherwise specified, are on the basis of our yard at that point. For carload shipments, by rail, prices are quoted f. o. b. cars, Abbotsford, British ■Columbia. •

The foregoing factual structure supports but one conclusion when the quoted statutory law is applied. This law is peculiarly for tariff purposes, and it is difficult, if not impossible, to find recognized authorities — text and case law — other than the able expressions of this court and the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals, discussing questions similar to those with which I am here concerned. Particularly applicable now is the statutory term “principal market,” which is of primary importance at this point; whether it is Kilgard, as claimed by plaintiff, or Vancouver, British Columbia, as found by [308]*308the appraiser. , Plaintiff’s counsel, in their brief, submit this argument:

Although Clayburn’s office is in Vancouver its stock of merchandise was at Kilgard, none being kept in Vancouver (R.

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14 Cust. Ct. 304, 1945 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 390, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/jenkins-v-united-states-cusc-1945.