Judson Sheldon International Corp. v. United States

64 Cust. Ct. 760, 1970 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3104
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJune 24, 1970
DocketR.D. 11713; Entry Nos. 49268; 44336; 41037
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 64 Cust. Ct. 760 (Judson Sheldon International 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
Judson Sheldon International Corp. v. United States, 64 Cust. Ct. 760, 1970 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3104 (cusc 1970).

Opinion

Watson, Judge:

The merchandise involved in the 'above consolidated appeals for reappraisement described on the invoices herein as “Prefinished Philippine Lauan Plywood”, was sold by three Philippine mills, Findlay Millar Timber Company (hereinafter called Findlay Millar), International Hardwood & Veneer Co. (hereinafter called Inter-Wood), and Taggat Industries, Inc. (hereinafter called Taggat) to Island Woods International of California (hereinafter called I.W.I., through its buying agent, Island Woods, Inc. of Manila (hereinafter called I.W.M.), and exported therefrom between December 16,1966 and February 2,1967.

The parties have stipulated that the merchandise does not appear on the Final List promulgated by the Secretary of the Treasury, T.D. 54521. The merchandise was appraised on the basis of constructed value as defined in section 402(d), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Simplification Act of 1956. Plaintiffs contend that said basis of appraisement was erroneous and that export value, as defined in section 402 (b) of said act, is the proper basis.

The relevant statutory material reads as follows:

Section 402 (b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Simplification Act of 1956:

(b) ExpoRT Valué. — For the purposes of this section, the export value of imported merchandise shall be the price, isüfc the time of exportation to the United States of the merchandise undergoing appraisement, at which such or similar merchandise is freely sold or, in the absence of sales, offered for sale in the principal markets of the country of exportation, in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade, for exportation to the United States, plus, when not included in such pnce, the cost of all containers and coverings of whatever nature and all other expenses incidental to placing the merchandise in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States.

[762]*762Section 402 (f) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Simplification Act of 1956

(f) Definitions. — For the purposes of this section—
(1) The term “freely sold or, in the absence of sales, offered for sale,” means sold, or, in the absence of sales, offered—
(A) to all purchasers at wholesale, or
(B) in the ordinary course of trade to one or more selected purchasers at wholesale at a price which fairly reflects the market value of the merchandise,
without restrictions as to the disposition or use of the merchandise by the purchaser, * * *.
(2) The term “ordinary course of trade” means the conditions and practices which, for a reasonable time prior to the exportation of the merchandise undergoing appraisement, have been normal in the trade under consideration with respect to the merchandise of the same class or kind as the merchandise undergoing appraisement.

The record in this case consists of the testimony of three witnesses called by the plaintiffs, exhibits offered by the plaintiffs, and one exhibit offered by the defendant.

Plaintiffs’ first witness was Mr. Milton A. Murayama, an import specialist with the United States Customs Service at the port of San Francisco who advisorily appraised the merchandise involved herein. The basis of appraisement he used was constructed value as defined in section 402(d), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Simplification Act 1956 and erroneously included as part of that value was a 1 percent buying commission. Neither a buying nor a selling commission is part of the constructed value.

Plaintiffs’ second witness was Mr. John G. Davidson, the president of I.W.I., the chief party of interest in this action. Its business is primarily the importing of plywood from the Philippines. Mr. Davidson, his brother and two other men are the sole owners of I.W.I. They also own I.W.M. which acts as the buying agent of I.W.I. in the Philippines.

The merchandise at bar consists of various styles of prefinished plywood panels. They were purchased by I.W.M. from three plywood mills in the Philippines, Findlay Millar, Taggat and Inter-Wood.

Mr. Davidson and his brother own most of the stock in the Findlay Millar mill and take an active role in the mill’s affairs.

At the time the merchandise in issue was being sold to I.W.I., the above three mills were selling their entire output of prefinished lauan plywood to plaintiffs. This was necessitated by the fact that the mills [763]*763were located in the forest and their port facilities were far from the normal shipping lanes. In order for a ship to stop at the mill, the cargo had to fill the entire ship, thus necessitating large sales to one customer. Though I.W.I. was at the time the sole purchaser of the merchandise at bar, there was no agreement, oral or written, between the parties whereby it (I.W.I.) agreed to take the entire production of the three mills.

The prices paid by I.W.I. for the lauan plywood were established by the Taggat mill. Findlay Millar and Inter-Wood were paid the same price. Mr. Davidson stated that this was done to protect the minority shareholder of Findlay Millar.

It is well established by both statute and judicial interpretation, that the action of the appraiser is clothed with a presumption of correctness which is not overcome until the appraiser’s findings are Shown to be erroneous and the claimed values are established as correct. 28 U.S.C., section 2633; Brooks Paper Company v. United States, 40 CCPA 38, C.A.D. 495 (1952); Kenneth Kittleson v. United States, 40 CCPA 85, C.A.D. 502 (1952); Kobe Import Co. v. United States, 42 CCPA 194, C.A.D. 593 (1955). To overcome this presumption plaintiff must meet every material issue involved in the case, and if he fails, the value fixed by the appraiser remains in full force and effect. Brooks Paper Company v. United States, supra.

It is plaintiffs’ contention that the proper basis for appraisement of the merchandise at bar is export value as defined by section 402(b), supra. If established, it would take precedence over constructed value. Section 402(a) (1) (2) and (3) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended.

In view of the character of the sales made by the three mills to I.W.I., it seems fair to conclude and the court so holds, that plaintiff was a “selected purchaser” within the meaning of section 402(f) (1) (B), as amended, supra. With regard to sales made from Findlay Millar to plaintiff, I find that I.W.I. is moreover a “related person” within the meaning of section 402(g) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended.

As a “selected purchaser”, the responsibility devolved upon plaintiff (I.W.I.) to establish not only that the sales or offers of sale were made to it in the “ordinary course of trade”, as defined in the valuation statute, but also that such sales fairly reflected the market value of the merchandise. Henry Picard, Jr. v. United States, 57 Cust. Ct. 689, R.D. 11242 (1966).

This court will accept the argument of plaintiffs that the locations of the mills necessitated that sales be made in unusually large lots and to primarily one purchaser, and that such sales are made in the “ordinary course of trade”. However, as a “selected purchaser” plaintiff

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Related

Judson Sheldon International Corp. v. United States
67 Cust. Ct. 577 (U.S. Customs Court, 1971)

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Bluebook (online)
64 Cust. Ct. 760, 1970 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3104, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/judson-sheldon-international-corp-v-united-states-cusc-1970.