S. S. Kresge Co. v. United States

28 Cust. Ct. 672, 1952 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 670
United States Customs Court·Decided June 9, 1952·No. No. 8127; Entry No. 816484, etc.·Published·Cited by 2 cases

Opinion

LaweeNce, Judge:

The five appeals for reappraisement enumerated in schedule “A” attached to and forming part of the decision herein were consolidated for hearing and determination.

These appeals relate to celluloid-covered thumb tacks, 50 pieces mounted on each board. Appeal 125792-A also includes certain glass cocktail sippers concerning which there is presently no contest inasmuch as the parties litigant have stipulated and agreed “that the appraised val,ue of the cocktail sipjpers marked ‘A’ * * * less the additions made by the importer on entry because of advances by the appraiser in similar cases, is equal to 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 in the ordinary course of trade, for exportation to the United States, and that the foreign value of such or similar merchandise is no higher.”

With regard to the glass cocktail sippers covered by said reappraisement appeal 125792-A, it was agreed between the parties litigant that the export value of said merchandise, as defined in section 402 (d) of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U. S. C. § 1402 (d)), is equal to the appraised value, less additions made by the importer because of advances by the appraiser in similar cases, and that there is no higher foreign value (section 402 (c) of said act (19 U. S. C. § 1402 (c))).

Accordingly, said appeal is sustained as to the glass cocktail sippers. The valuation of the celluloid-covered thumb tacks involved in said appeal 125792-A will be considered along with those in the other four appeals.

With respect to the thumb tacks, the United States appraiser made a report as required by section 202 (a) of the Antidumping Act of 1921 (19 U. S. C. §§ 160-171) pursuant to the finding of dumping of such merchandise from Germany (section 201 (a) of said act) which was proclaimed by the Secretary of the Treasury, September 12, 1933 (64 Treas. Dec. 216, T. D. 46615). It may be noted that this proclamation was revoked August 29, 1940, 76 Treas. Dec. 87, T. D. 50234.

[674]*674It is the contention of plaintiff that the provisions of the Antidump-ing Act, supra, do not properly apply to the thumb tacks in controversy, asserting that the purchase price is not less than the foreign market value. (Section 202 (a), supra.)

THE STATUTES

The provisions of the Antidumping Act, supra, so far as applicable here, read:

dumping investigation
Sec, 201. (a) That whenever the Secretary of the Treasury (hereinafter in this Act called the “Secretary”), after such investigation as he deems necessary, finds that an industry in the United States is being or is likely to be injured, or is prevented from being established, by reason of the importation into the United States of a class or kind of foreign merchandise, and that merchandise of such class or kind is being sold or is likely to be sold in the United States or elsewhere at less than its fair value, then he shall make such finding public to the extent he deems necessary, together with a description of the class or kind of merchandise to which it applies in such detail as may be necessary for the guidance of the appraising officers.
SPECIAL DUMPING DUTY
Sec. 202. (a) That in the case of all imported merchandise, whether dutiable or free of duty, of a class or kind as to which the Secretary has made public a finding as provided in section 201, and as to which the appraiser or person acting as appraiser has made no appraisement report to the collector before such finding has been so made public, if the purchase price or the exporter’s sales price is less than the foreign market value (or, in the absence of such value, than the cost of production) there shall be levied, collected, and paid, in addition to the duties imposed thereon by law, a special dumping duty in an amount equal to such difference.
PURCHASE PRICE
Sec. 203. That for the purposes of this title, the purchase price of imported merchandise shall be the price at which such merchandise has been purchased or agreed to be purchased, prior to the time of exportation, by the person by whom or for whose account the merchandise is imported, plus, when not included in such price, the cost of all containers and coverings and all other costs, charges, and expenses incident to placing the merchandise in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States, less the amount, if any, included in such price, attributable to any additional costs, charges, and expenses, and United States import duties, incident to bringing the merchandise from the place of shipment in the country of exportation to the place of dejivery in the United States; and plus the amount, if not included in such price, of any export tax imposed by the country of exportation on the exportation of the merchandise to the United States; and plus the amount of any import duties imposed by the country of exportation which have been rebated, or which have not been collected, by reason of the exportation of the merchandise to the United States; and plus the amount of any taxes imposed in the country of exportation upon the manufacturer, producer, or seller, in respect to the manufacture, production or sale of the merchandise, which have been rebated, or which have not been collected, by reason of the exportation of the merchandise to the United States.
[675]*675FOREIGN MARKET VALUE
Sec. 205. That for the purposes of this title the foreign market value of imported merchandise shall be the price, at the time of exportation of such merchandise to the United States, at which such or similar merchandise is sold or 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 home consumption (or, if not so sold or offered for sale for home consumption, then for exportation to countries other than the United States), plus, when not included in such price, the cost of all containers and coverings and all other costs, charges, and expenses incident to placing the merchandise in condition packed ready for shipment to the United States, except that in the case of merchandise purchased or agreed to be purchased by the person by whom or for whose account the merchandise is imported, prior to the time of exportation, foreign market value shall be ascertained as of the date of such purchase or agreement to purchase. In the ascertainment of foreign market value for the purposes of this title no pretended sale or offer for sale, and no sale or offer for sale intended to establish a fictitious market, shall be taken into account.

At the trial plaintiff introduced the affidavit of Dr. Erich Karrenberg which was received in evidence as exhibit 1. It should be noted here that while Dr. Karrenberg in this affidavit refers in several instances to thumb tacks with “cellopliane”-covered heads, it appears from a subsequent affidavit of Dr.

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