Page & Jones, Inc. v. United States

53 Cust. Ct. 363, 1964 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2347
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJuly 6, 1964
DocketReap. Dec. 10788; Entry Nos. 222; 5290
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 53 Cust. Ct. 363 (Page & Jones, Inc. 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
Page & Jones, Inc. v. United States, 53 Cust. Ct. 363, 1964 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2347 (cusc 1964).

Opinion

Donlon, Judge:

The merchandise of these two appeals, which were consolidated for purposes of trial, is canned corned beef that was packaged in 12-ounce tins under the “Bravo” label, with 24 tins to the case, and exported from Uruguay by Frigorífico Nacional of Montevideo. Charles A. Sayous, Inc., was the purchaser and importer. Page & Jones, Inc., is the customs broker servicing the importation. The invoice of B61/19761 refers to the merchandise as second grade; the invoice of B61/12514 does not mention grade; but the parties appear to concede that this, too, was second-grade beef.

The merchandise was exported, entered, and appraised as follows:

Reappraisement number Date of exportation Invoiced and entered Appraised
R61/19761 3/27/59 $5.125 per ease (24 tins) $2.875 per dozen tins
R61/12514 9/29/58 $5.125 per case (24 tins) $2.83 per dozen tins

This merchandise is not an article enumerated in the final list of the Secretary of the Treasury (T.D. 54521), and it was appraised [364]*364on the basis of export value, under section 402(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Simplification Act of 1956. Plaintiffs concede that appraisement at export value is correct, but contend that such value is the invoice price in each appeal, as recited above.

On trial, plaintiffs introduced into evidence an affidavit of Hugo J. Stagnaro, representing himself to be head of the export department of Frigorífico Nacional de Montevideo, verified April 29, 1963. (Plaintiffs’ exhibit 1.) His affidavit states that, during 1958 and 1959, Frigorífico Nacional sold packed meat products to customers in the United States as follows-

a) Our leading customers, sucia as Charles A. Sayous, Inc. and Louis Furth, Inc. placed contracts with us for large quantities of merchandise to be produced during a future period, for a price agreed upon. During the life of our contract, our purchaser from time to time sent out shipping instructions to ship a certain amount of merchandise at the contract price for a specified destination in the United States.
b) Our smaller customers in the United States such as Granger & Co., Alan Levin Jr., Rico Products, Inc. did not place long term contracts with us, but instead made a series of purchases separately in much smaller amounts. Such orders were executed with merchandise already produced and on hand. Such sales of merchandise already manufactured and in stock are mentioned in these presents as “spot” sales.

The affidavit further recites that Frigorífico Nacional did not publish pricelists; that prices of its products for export were determined by negotiation with each purchaser. Leading customers, purchasing at contract prices in large quantities, got better prices than did those customers who bought smaller quantities of what Mr. Stagnaro called “spot” merchandise. Merchandise was offered on terms, either, FOB Montevideo, or C & F, or CIF.

According to Mr. Stagnaro, the commercial name or label is important in the trade in packed meat products. Certain customers, such as Charles A. Sayous, Inc., and Louis Furth, Inc., have their own labels and merchandise sold to them is packed under their labels. Charles A. Sayous, Inc., owned the label “Bravo,” but also was granted the labels “Holly” and “Altion.” Louis Furth owned the label “Pre-ferito” and also was granted the label “Favorito.” Frigorífico Na-cional owned the brands “Frigonal” and “National,” and these were used to label meat sold to other customers.

Attached to Mr. Stagnaro’s affidavit are two lists of sales. One shows sales of first grade corned beef during 1958-59, and the other shows sales of second grade corned beef during the same years.

In a second affidavit, verified May 22, 1963 (plaintiffs’ exhibit 2), Mr. Stagnaro affirmed that, insofar as he was aware, the sales practices of Frigorífico Nacional were among the normal methods and practices in the trade in Uruguayan prepared meats, and that they were in [365]*365all essential respects similar to the export sales methods and practices of South American meat packers generally.

The same lists of sales, with the insertion of brand names in the column marked “Label,” were attached to this second affidavit.

Mr. Charles A. Sayous, president of Charles A. Sayous, Inc., testified that he purchased canned meat from Frigorífico Nacional in 1958 and 1959, placing a contract against which merchandise later was shipped. Fie negotiated the purchase price, which was $5.125 per case for “Bravo” brand, 12-ounce tins, packed 24 tins to the case. He said that this was his purchase price throughout the year 1958, and up to and including March 27, 1959. Merchandise was not available for immediate delivery, but was produced thereafter.

Mr. Sayous testified that, since 1955, his firm had purchased canned meat products from South America, from seven sources in four countries, with a total worth of 35 million dollars. Based on his experience, he said that purchases for delivery against long-term contracts were ordinary and normal in the trade in those countries for the big buyers.

Mr. Sayous said that, on March 9, 1959, he “bought” for future delivery 15,000 cases of “Bravo” brand, second-grade corned beef, at a price of $5.75 per case, 12-ounce tins, packed 24 tins to a case. This was the same merchandise that he had earlier bought for $5.125 per case. He did not know whether, on or about March 27, 1959, he had had a cable from Frigorífico de Montevideo that shipments at the higher price of $5.75 per case had then commenced.

Mr. Sayous testified that he regards the label as part of the article when he buys canned meats; that he is the owner of the “Bravo” label, a label which is registered in this country. Although he also purchased “Holly” brand meats, as well as “Bravo” brand, from Frigorífico Nacional and at the same price, $5.125 per case, and although it was identical merchandise, except for the label, he wanted to sell his own brand because it had greater sales appeal fot him. He did not buy the “Holly” brand in the same way, because he did not own that label. However, when he bought from Frigorífico Nacional, he had the right to tell them to pack so many cases of “Bravo” brand and so many cases of “Holly” brand. He did not buy the “Holly” brand exclusively under a long-term contract, but did buy the “Bravo” brand under such a contract. He said that when he contracted for the purchase of the “Bravo” brand with any of his sources in South America, he would not have accepted any other label as a good delivery.

Mr. Alfred Schafer, sales manager of Louis Furth, Inc., testified that he had done business with Frigorífico Nacional for many years. He identified a document as a contract which his firm made with Frigorífico Nacional, in April 1958, covering purchase of “Favorito” [366]*366brand corned beef, for future shipment, at $5.25 a carton of 24 tins, 12 ounces each, or $10.50 for 48 such tins. Mr. Schafer said he was familiar with the quality of Mr. Sayous’ corned beef, and that it was of the same kind and class as the merchandise which his firm imported. On or about March 27, 1959, Louis Furth was still receiving shipments at its 1958 contract price, viz, $5.25.

The witness testified that he had been in the canned meat trade since 1950, and that, during that time, he had purchased about 51/2

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Related

A. Zerkowitz & Co. v. United States
55 Cust. Ct. 643 (U.S. Customs Court, 1965)
Page & Jones, Inc. v. United States
54 Cust. Ct. 810 (U.S. Customs Court, 1965)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
53 Cust. Ct. 363, 1964 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2347, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/page-jones-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1964.