L. Heller & Son (Inc.) v. United States

20 C.C.P.A. 257, 1932 CCPA LEXIS 233
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedNovember 30, 1932
DocketNo. 3534
StatusPublished

This text of 20 C.C.P.A. 257 (L. Heller & Son (Inc.) 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
L. Heller & Son (Inc.) v. United States, 20 C.C.P.A. 257, 1932 CCPA LEXIS 233 (ccpa 1932).

Opinions

Lenroot, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal from a judgment of the United States Customs Court overruling the protest of appellant and holding certain solid, [258]*258imitation-pearl beads, loosely strung, to be dutiable at one-half of one cent per inch and 60 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1503 of the Tariff Act of 1930, thereby sustaining the classification made by the collector.

Appellant’s protest reads as follows:

Protest is hereby made against your decision in assessing duty of 60% plus one-half of one cent per inch under paragraph 1503, on the following shipment: S/S Olympic — 6/18/30.
Entry number Date of entry Date of liquid.
949907 6/20/30 8/18/30
Since it appears to be a clerical error on the part of your office in making this assessment, in view of the appraiser’s report returning the merchandise properly dutiable at 60% only as imitation solid-pearl beads, valued at less than one-fourth of one cent per inch, the merchandise contained in the shipment being properly dutiable as originally entered at 60% under paragraph 1503, we respectfully request that the customs entry be reliquidated with the proper assessment of duty as herein stated.

The pertinent part of said paragraph 1503 of the Tariff Act of 1930 reads as follows:

* * * imitation solid-pearl beads, valued at not more than one-fourth of 1 cent per inch, 60 per centum ad valorem; valued at more than one-fourth of 1 cent and not more than 1 cent per inch, one-half of 1 cent per inch and 60 per centum ad valorem; * * *.

Appellant contends that the appraiser found the value of the beads to be under one-fourth of one cent per inch, but that the collector improperly added the sum of $7.50, the cost of the wooden and tin container in which the beads were shipped to the appraised value of the beads, with the result that the merchandise was improperly found by the collector to be of a value more than one-fourth of one cent per inch and dutiable at the higher rate.

The protest was submitted to the court below upon a stipulation and the record. The stipulation reads as follows:

It is stipulated and agreed by and between the respective parties, as follows:
1. That the merchandise consists of imitation solid-pearl beads, loosely strung on strings, put up in bundles of a dozen or more strings, wrapped in tissue paper around which is wrapped other paper and a number of bundles then packed in cardboard cartons, six of which cartons are then encased in a tin-lined wooden case.
2. That the per se prices of $4.85, $5.30, and $5.75 per one hundred strings, less 20% and 5% discount approved by the appraiser, included the cost-of the packing of tissue paper, wrapping paper, and paper cartons.
3. That in the usual course of trade the cost of the packing of tissue paper, wrapping paper, and paper cartons is included in the per se cost of the merchandise.
4. That in the usual course of trade, the cost of the outer tin-lined wooden case is not included in the per se price of the merchandise.
5. That in the usual course of trade the cost of the outer tin-lined wooden case constitutes no part of the market value of the goods per se, and its value was not included by the appraiser in his appraisement of the imitation solid-pearl beads.
[259]*2596. That in the usual course of trade cheap imitation solid-pearl beads are not ’ acked in tin-lined wooden cases.
7. That a tin-lined wooden case such as contained the cardboard cartons in which the imitation solid-pearl beads were packed costs $7.50, whereas a similar wooden case without the tin lining costs $2.
8. That the per se value of the imitation solid-pearl beads, according to the inch measures as found by the appraiser in the condition as imported, wrapped in tissue paper and other paper and packed in cardboard cartons (but not including the value of the tin-lined wooden case) is .002441 cent per inch, or less than one-fourth of one cent per inch.
9. That if the cost of a tin-lined wooden case, to wit, $7.50, is added to the appraiser’s per se value of the imitation solid-pearl beads, the same are of a value in excess of one-fourth of one cent per inch.
10. That if the cost of a plain wooden case, to wit, $2, is added to the appraiser’s per se value of the imitation solid-pearl beads, the same are valued at .002459 per inch, or less than one-fourth of one cent per inch.
11. That in the usual course of trade, cheap imitation pearl beads are exported to the United States in plain wooden cases, not tin lined.
12. The protest is submitted on this stipulation and the record.

The record consists in part of an invoice with notations thereon, together with the appraiser’s report and the consumption entry.

Upon the face of the consular invoice appears a typewritten slip describing the merchandise and giving a price per unit, and a total invoice price of $381.77, less 20 per centum discount and 5 per centum discount, leaving a net price of $290.15. Upon this typewritten slip the appraiser has noted in red ink the length of the strands of beads, and has also made this notation, likewise in red: “Im pearl beads under 60% 1503.” At the bottom of this typewritten statement, typed in red, we observe the word “Continues,” and, turning over to the next page, which consists of the usual form of consular invoice, we find that the total valuation on the typewritten slip, $290.15, has been carried forward to the invoice. Immediately below this entry are found the words “Consular fee,” opposite which and under the figures $290.15 are found the figures 2.50, encircled in black ink, with the letter “X” within the circle and before the figures 2.50. Immediately below this entry there is found the following: “ 1 wooden & tin case,” opposite which and beneath the figures 2.50 are found the figures 7.50. Below this entry is found a total of $300.15.

A sheet entitled “Summary of examination and appraisement,” which is the report of the appraiser, is attached to the entry and contains the printed notation that—

A check mark (V) indicates that appraisement, classification, or quantities are as entered or that packing charges arc believed to be correct.

Immediately below this notation are eight columns, headed respectively, “Marks and numbers,” “Examiner and date of examination,” “Appraised,” “Advisorily classified,” “Quantities,” “Packing charges,” “Date of delivery order,” and “Remarks.” A check mark in red is found in the column headed “Appraised,” and a like check mark is [260]*260found in the column beaded “Packing charges.” The reverse side of said sheet has a heading: “Summary of entered value,” upon which, under the heading “Statistical,” are found two columns, one headed “Quantity” and the other “U. S. dollars.” In the column under “Quantity” is found, in typewriting, “165 lb. 7203 pcs.,” and in the “U. S.

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Related

United States v. Mills & Gibb Corp.
13 Ct. Cust. 137 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1925)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
20 C.C.P.A. 257, 1932 CCPA LEXIS 233, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/l-heller-son-inc-v-united-states-ccpa-1932.