Rancho La Zacatosa v. United States

42 Cust. Ct. 620
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedMay 1, 1959
DocketReap. Dec. 9418; Entry Nos. 1727-E; 238-E; 531-E
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 42 Cust. Ct. 620 (Rancho La Zacatosa 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
Rancho La Zacatosa v. United States, 42 Cust. Ct. 620 (cusc 1959).

Opinion

Johnson, Judge:

These are appeals for reappraisement of cut okra (also referred to as decapped or decapitated okra) exported from Mexico on June 16, August 13, and October 3,1953.

The merchandise was entered at 25 centavos per kilo and was appraised at 10 cents per pound, United States currency, net packed, less nondutiable charges.

It has been stipulated by counsel that, on or about the dates of exportation, such or similar merchandise was not freely offered for sale in Mexico for exportation to the United States; that said merchandise was sold for exportation to the United States solely to Eagle Pass Food Products Co.; that such or similar merchandise was not freely offered for sale in the United States to any purchaser in the United States; and that there was no export value and no United States value, as those values are defined in section 402 of the Tariff Act of 1930, for such or similar merchandise.

At the trial, Humberto Acosta, part owner of the farming operation of Pancho “La Zacatosa,” the plaintiff herein, testified as follows: Pancho “La Zacatosa” is located 3 miles outside the city limits of Piedras Negras, Mexico. In 1953, its farming operation consisted of the growing of different crops, such as okra, cantaloupes, squash, and onions. The witness attended to the financial end of the business, personally checked the sales of okra each day, and occasionally made some sales.

This was the first crop of okra grown on Pancho “La Zacatosa” during the period when the witness was connected with it. It was a new type of vegetable being offered in the Piedras Negras area in 1953. Before sale, the okra was decapped or decapitated by cutting of the upper part, which is a hard end and not edible.

In order to sell the product, letters were written to possible clients at the beginning of the season in June offering okra at 25 centavos a kilo, f.o.b. Piedras Negras. A similar offering was made at the close of the season in October (plaintiff’s collective exhibit 2). Okra was also offered to all who were purchasing other crops from Pancho “La Zacatosa,” and it was freely offered for sale in the city of Piedras Negras to all who cared to buy it at 25 centavos a kilo. A stock of okra was on hand at Piedras Negras practically at all times. The price did not vary according to the quantity purchased, and there were no restrictions or tie-in sales.

Invoices were given to each purchaser in accordance with regular business procedure, copies of which were received in evidence as plaintiff’s collective exhibit 1. These invoices give the price for okra as 25 centavos per kilo. Some include an additional amount for freight. According to the witness, the prices set forth on the invoices were the prices paid by the customers. No one paid 50, 60, or 70 centavos per kilo, he said.

[622]*622The witness testified that the crop was freely offered for sale in the domestic market in Mexico, part was sold to one purchaser in the United States, and every effort was made to sell the entire production, but, nevertheless, a large quantity was left over at the end of the season.

Mr. Acosta stated that the type of okra sold in the domestic market at 25 centavos a kilo was the same as that sold to the Eagle Pass Food Products Co. at 10 cents a pound. He was familiar with the business of that firm, since he worked for it at the time. He said that the company was engaged in the business of quick freezing fruits and vegetables, and regular okra was used, although the small size, which was more tender, was preferred.

Mario Martinez Garza, called as a witness for the plaintiff, testified that, in the summer of 1953, he lived in Nueva Posita, where he had a stand for the sale of fruits and vegetables. He first purchased okra in July 1953 when he went to Piedras Negras to buy watermelons, cantaloupes, and pumpkins, and saw this product. Subsequently, he ordered it by telephone, and it was delivered to him by truck. He was shown copies of four invoices, which were part of plaintiff’s collective exhibit 1, and stated that they covered purchases of decapped okra from Rancho “La Zacatosa”; that he may have purchased more; that he paid 25 centavos a kilo; that he sold okra to Carlos Gomez, Antonio Hernandez Escobedo, and Cruz Ledezman, and to others who came to his place of business. Invoices show sales to these purchasers in quantities of 10 to 50 kilos (invoice Nos. 964,789,765, 989, 881).

There were received in evidence an affidavit of Lazaro Muñoz (plaintiff’s collective exhibit 3) and an affidavit of Jesús Mendoza, S. (plaintiff’s collective exhibit 4). In the first, the affiant states that Rancho “La Zacatosa” offered him okra from the end of July to the beginning of October 1953 at 25 centavos a kilo and that he purchased the same on various occasions; that, on July 5, he bought 20 kilos and, on September 25, 7 kilos at said price. Copies of invoices covering the two sales are attached to the affidavit. In the second affidavit, Jesús Mendoza, S. states that, during the last days of October 1953, he paid Rancho “La Zacatosa” their invoice of October 9, covering 1,121 kilos of decapped okra in the sum of 672.60 pesos. Invoice No. 157 of plaintiff’s collective exhibit 1 shows 280.25 pesos covered the price of the okra and 392.35 pesos were for freight.

Defendant called as a witness John Harmon, customs agent, who testified as follows: In 1955, he was stationed at El Paso, Tex., which is right across the river from Piedras Negras. In the course of his duties, he was called upon to investigate shipments of okra from Rancho “La Zacatosa” to Eagle Pass Food Products Co. He received from the customs service 83 invoices, dating from June 13 to October 13,1953 (defendant’s collective exhibit A), and tried to contact [623]*623the people named in order to question them about their purchases of okra. Assisted by an interpreter, he interviewed 20 persons in Mexico. The prices they gave him ranged from 25 centavos to a peso and a half per kilo. In most cases, it was around 50 to 60 centavos per kilo. The persons contacted said they could not sell the okra, except Carlos Gomez in Nueva Eosita, who had some business with the American colony. Gomez said that he had made one purchase from Mr. Bass (one of the owners of Eancho “La Zacatosa”) for 25 centavos per kilo, but that later “Mr. Acosta came back and couldn’t go along with this agreement and raised the price and he had refused to take anymore.” Although Mr. Harmon had an invoice showing Pedro Alcala of Nueva Eosita as a purchaser of 10 kilos, Mr. Alcala said he had not purchased any. The Avitness stated he attempted to find another purchaser, Maria Martinez, but her sister said she had moved and had been living in Houston for the past 4 years. He did find and interview one José Eivera Eamon of Piedras Negras, who stated that he had not purchased any okra.

According to Mr. Harmon, some of the private citizens said they had purchased okra at 25 centavos per kilo, one of these being Felipe de la Fuente, who had bought 10 kilos at that price.

The witness also interviewed Manuel Puente of Monterrey, a brother-in-law of Mr. Bass, who said he had agreed to take a small quantity of okra but that he had received a larger quantity than he wanted; that he had taken it and had gotten other merchants to take some; that he had tried to establish a market for it in Monterrey, but he did not think there actually was a market because the Mexicans did not like it.

There was then received in evidence a copy of Mr. Harmon’s report, dated July 9, 1954 (exhibit B).

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Related

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Bluebook (online)
42 Cust. Ct. 620, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/rancho-la-zacatosa-v-united-states-cusc-1959.