Plywood & Door Northern Corp. v. United States

60 Cust. Ct. 700, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2690
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJanuary 2, 1968
DocketR.D. 11448; Entry No. N-112
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 60 Cust. Ct. 700 (Plywood & Door Northern 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
Plywood & Door Northern Corp. v. United States, 60 Cust. Ct. 700, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2690 (cusc 1968).

Opinion

Wilson, Judge:

The merchandise under consideration consists of birch plywood of differing thicknesses and sizes exported from Hanko, Finland, on June 24,1965, by the producer, Oy Wilh. Schauman Ab, hereafter referred to as Schauman of Helsinki, Finland. “Oy and Ab” stand for incorporated (R.4).

Counsel agree that birch plywood appears on the final list published in 93 Treas. Dec. 14, T.D. 54521, and that export value as defined in section 402a (d) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as renumbered by the Customs Simplification Act of 1956, 91 Treas. Dec. 295, T.D. 54165, is the proper basis for appraisement.

The imported birch plywood was appraised at invoice unit values net, less invoiced ocean freight of $792.22, and insurance of $28.13, packed. Entry was made by the importer at the invoiced total of the unit values, less invoiced ocean freight and insurance, and less invoiced loading charges at port of shipment, amounting to $61.13. Plaintiff claims that the said loading charges included in the appraisal are nondutiable and that it is also entitled to a cash discount of 5 percent. Defendant contends that the loading charges are dutiable and that plaintiff is not entitled to a 5 percent cash discount.

Plaintiff offered the official papers in evidence. The three invoices in this case show “Delivery Cif Norfolk,” and terms 60 days. There is no mention of a 5 percent discount. Counsel for the importer stated, “We never buy cash; always on credit” (R.21).

The statute under consideration is section 402a(d) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as defined and renumbered in the Customs Simplification Act of 1956, 91 Treas. Dec. 295, T.D. 54521, which reads as follows:

(d) Export Value. — The export value of imported merchandise shall be the market value or the price, at the time of exportation of such merchandise to the United States, at which such or similar merchandise is freely offered for sale to all purchasers in the principal markets •of the country from which exported, in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade, for exportation to the United States, plus, when not included in such price, the cost of all containers and coverings of whatever nature, and all other costs, charges, and expenses incident to placing the merchandise in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States.

The evidence of the plaintiff consists of the testimony of two witnesses and certain documentary exhibits. Defendant offered the report of a senior customs representative dated August 10,1966, at Frankfort, •Germany. This report refers to an affidavit thereto attached. This affidavit was made by Viljo Snail of Heinolan Faneritehdas, hereafter referred to as Heinola. The affidavit was sworn to on July 27, 1966, before the Vice Consul of the United States in Helsinki, Finland, and is marked exhibit AA.

Plaintiff’s first witness, Heikki Jutila, testified that he is employed by Finnlines, Ltd., Steamship Company, a common carrier line of [702]*702traffic between Finnish ports and the United States. He had worked as the representative of that company in New York for 8y2 years. Mr. Jutila said he had been in the shipping and export business for about 15 years, and was familiar with the rates that applied to birch plywood in 1965. All carriers in Finland, according to this witness, belong to a freight conference that sets the freight rates for birch plywood. He further testified that the cost of shipping a ton of plywood from the port of Helsinki to any North Atlantic coast port, from Hampton Eoads to the northernmost part of the United States, by any member of the conference, did not vary during all of 1965.

Plaintiff’s second witness, Mrs. Betty Seligman, testified that she has been employed by the United States Plywood Corporation as sales manager of Western World Imports for 12 years; that she does all of the importing of plywood for the Western World, and receives orders from the firm’s branches and mills. The witness stated that she administers the whole operation for her company and is responsible for buying, selling, and pricings. Her duties have included direct import into the United States of birch plywood from Finland and other countries for 12 years. She has knowledge of the sizes, grades, prices, and other qualifications and specifications of the Finnish birch plywood imported for her firm. She has purchased birch plywood from Finland and from other United States importers of that product, namely, through Plywood & Door and through North American Plywood.

Mrs. Seligman also testified that exhibit “A” appended to plaintiff’s exhibit 2, an affidavit by Viljo Snail of Heinola, sworn to on February 10, 1966 (the same person who executed the affidavit, defendant’s exhibit AA), is the association’s official Finnish birch price-list “meaning all suppliers are under this price list” (R. 31). It states the c.i.f. prices for the North Atlantic range referred to as “East” meaning from Boston to Norfolk. She stated that her firm purchased pursuant to that list dated September 12, 1964, until a change in pricelists dated October 1, 1965.

Mrs. Seligman produced several selected “spot checks” of records, marked exhibits 4 to 11, inclusive, of her firm showing individual transactions with Heinola. These records were kept in the ordinary course of business. They consist of orders from January 6, 1965, to September 14, 1965, and miscellaneous papers with reference to Heinola’s shipments from March 17, 1965, to January 25, 1966. She stated that the prices in the pricelist are identical with her invoice prices. However, the pricelist does not show a discount of 5 percent while her invoices show a 5 percent discount for cash from the f.o.b. Finland price in all exhibits 4 to 11, inclusive. She stated that she always received the 5 percent discount on direct mill purchases and [703]*703there is no need to negotiate that as “It is an accepted fact.” It is not based upon quantity other than to a minimum to cover a bill of lading which must be reached.

Under cross-examination, Mrs. Seligman testified that from January 1965 through September 1965 she only purchased directly from Heinola from Finland and has knowledge that other manufacturers of plywood in Finland sold plywood to the United States during this period.

Plaintiff’s exhibit 1 is the affidavit of Uno E. Savola sworn to on February 4, 1966. Mr. Savola, who has been the managing director of Schauman for 15 years, alleges that he is familiar with the management and affairs of that corporation, and with the customs and practices prevailing in Finland in the manufacture and sale of birch plywood for home consumption and for export abroad. The affiant further stated that he keeps in personal contact with conditions in the plywood domestic and export markets and is familiar with every type, size, and grade of plywood that has been sold in the domestic market in Finland, as well as that sold for export to the United States. Mr. Savola stated that Schauman is a privately owned business corporation engaged in several types of business, one being the manufacture and sale of birch plywood for domestic consumption and for export to the United States and other countries. All birch plywood exported to the United States by Schauman on and after March 1, 1958, according to this affiant, was exported under terms of an exclusive agreement between four United States importers and eight Finnish manufacturers, Schauman being one of the eight signatories.

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Related

Plywood & Door Northern Corp. v. United States
62 Cust. Ct. 1044 (U.S. Customs Court, 1969)

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Bluebook (online)
60 Cust. Ct. 700, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2690, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/plywood-door-northern-corp-v-united-states-cusc-1968.