Mutual Supply Co. v. United States

10 Cust. Ct. 547, 1943 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1326
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedFebruary 11, 1943
DocketNo. 5815; Entry No. 6693, etc.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 10 Cust. Ct. 547 (Mutual Supply Co. 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
Mutual Supply Co. v. United States, 10 Cust. Ct. 547, 1943 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1326 (cusc 1943).

Opinion

Tilson, Judge:

The appeals listed in schedules A and B, hereto attached and made a part hereof, raise for consideration and determination the proper dutiable value of certain “baby” and “white” clams imported from Japan, which were entered at the port of San Francisco at various dates between December 10, 1934, and March 4, 1940. In each of the appeals the plaintiff filed duress entries under the provisions of section 503 (b) of the act of 1930. The merchandise was appraised on the basis of the American selling price, by virtue of a Presidential proclamation dated May 1, 1934, based upon the provisions of sections 336 and 402 (g) of the act of 1930.

These cases were extensively tried- and because of the length of the record I shall not attempt any detailed statement of the testimony before me. I have, however, carefully examined and considered the entire record, including the samples and exhibits which constitute a part thereof.

[548]*548The testimony offered by counsel for the plaintiffs establishes that as to the thirteen appeals listed in schedule B the provisions of section 499 of the act of 1930, with respect to designation by the collector and examination by the appraiser of the merchandise, were not complied with, and since the appraisement of the merchandise as to said thirteen'appeals was completed prior to the effective date of the administrative act of 1938, these thirteen appeals are not subject to the provisions of the latter act, but are governed by the provisions of section 499, as originally passed by the Congress.

Therefore, under the authority of United States v. Davis, 20 C. C. P. A. 305, and United States v. Tower, 24 C. C. P. A. 456, and the cases therein cited, I hold the appraisement in each of the said thirteen appeals listed in said schedule B to be null and void ab initio, and said appeals are accordingly dismissed.

In the case of North American Mercantile Co. v. United States, Reap. Dec. 5680, Judge Dallinger, in dealing with a very similar situation used the following language, which is quite appropriate here:

Counsel for both the plaintiff and the Government, in their briefs filed herein, contend, however, in spite of the fact that the appraisements herein were null and void ab initio the court must nevertheless proceed to find values for the merchandise at bar, to wit, either values based on the American selling price, as contended for by the Government, or export values which, by stipulation, are the invoiced values herein, as contended for by the plaintiff.
.-J: if: # * * *
Nevertheless, counsel for the Government in his brief filed herein contends that the plaintiff has failed to overcome the. presumption of correctness attaching to the appraised value. It is. manifest, however, that no presumption of correctness exists in the instant case, for the good and sufficient reason that a void appraisement has no presumption. As was aptly said by Brown, Judge, in Mitsubishi Shoji Kaisha, Ltd. v. United States, Reap. Dec. 4570, 2 Cust. Ct. 935, “No statutory presumption then attaches to it. It is the same as if it were not there. Presumptions from nothing do not presume very far. We do not live with Alice in Wonderland.”
Counsel for the Government in his brief filed herein also argues at length that because the President, in his proclamation published in T. D. 47031, supra, has decreed that the American selling price is the basis for determining the value of Japanese minced clams, therefore this court w'illy nilly must find an American selling price for the merchandise herein.
It is to be noted, however, that the President, in and by the provisions of the statute under which he acted, is restricted to declaring an American selling price as the proper basis for determining the value of the imported canned minced clams herein like or similar to domestic canned minced clams. I am precluded, however, from determining whether the domestic minced clams chosen by the appraiser for determining the value of the imported clams are like or similar to the Japanese minced clams imported herein or any other factors relating to value. Inasmuch as the collector and appraiser failed to comply with the mandatory provisions of section 499 of the Tariff Act of 1930, the appraisements herein are null and void ab initio,,and I so hold. * * * .

[549]*549The contention by the Government that there was a special regulation issued by the Secretary of the Treasury authorizing the examination of less than the statutory number of packages in this case is completely exploded by the facts in this record.

The seven appeals listed in schedule A were appraised after the effective date of the administrative act of 1938, and are, therefore, subject to its provisions, since the plaintiffs make no contention or showing that they have been injured by reason of the fact that less than the statutory number of packages were examined. The clams, covered by these seven appeals were packed in cans weighing 5, 8, and: 16 ounces, respectively.

As to the clams in cans weighing 5 and 8 ounces each there is evidence before me that such, like, or similar clams were canned and sold in the United States, at or about the dates of exportation of the involved clams, and there is also evidence as to the price at which such clams were freely offered for sale to all purchasers in the principal markets of the United States, in the ordinary course of trade and in the usual wholesale quantities. However, as to the clams in cans weighing 1& ounces each, the record shows that no such, like, or similar clam was canned and sold in the United States. Two witnesses attempted to testify as to the price they would have received or were willing to receive for clams such, like, or similar to the imported clams when packed in 16-ounce cans.

The record, however, shows that neither of these witnesses had in his possession during the dates here involved any clam of any kind packed in 16-ounce cans. In view of this fact their testimony as to what they would have received or were willing to receive for clams packed in 16-ounce cans is of little or no value. It is my view that a subsequent declaration of the state of mind that might have existed many months prior to the offering of the testimony is not the character of proof required to establish the price that one would have received or was willing to receive, as contemplated by the statute, when it is shown that such witness never at any time had such, like, or similar merchandise for which he could or would have received or was willing to receive any price. In the case of Kuttroff v. United States, 14 Ct. Cust. Appls. 381, the Court of Customs and Patent Appeals held:

The most favorable view that can be taken of the Government's testimony as to the American producer’s offer or as to his willingness is to find that the domestic producer forwarded to his branch office, for distribution to the trade, certain catalogues or trade announcements which contained their offer with reference to pontamine fast pink G.
We do not think this is either an offer, or an expression or indication of willingness within the meaning of the paragraph. A producer who is willing to sell'a commodity at a given price ordinarily seeks those who are in a position to buy.

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Bluebook (online)
10 Cust. Ct. 547, 1943 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1326, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/mutual-supply-co-v-united-states-cusc-1943.