Schmidt v. United States

58 Cust. Ct. 584, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2554
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedFebruary 14, 1967
DocketR.D. 11259; Entry No. 429
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 58 Cust. Ct. 584 (Schmidt 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
Schmidt v. United States, 58 Cust. Ct. 584, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2554 (cusc 1967).

Opinion

Ford, Judge:

The proper value for dutiable purposes of certain grain milling machinery described on the invoice as “B-10 measurers” forms the subject of the above appeal for a reappraisement. The measurers were invoiced at a price of $392 per unit, plus packing case, [585]*585plus carriage and f.o.b. expenses, less a discount of 20 percent. The appraiser at Minneapolis appraised the merchandise as entered on the basis of constructed value, as defined in section 402(d), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Simplification Act of 1956, 91 Treas. Dec. 295, T.D. 54165, since the merchandise does not appear on the final list as promulgated in T.D. 54521.

It is the contention of plaintiffs herein that said merchandise should have been appraised at the invoice unit price, plus packing, carriage, and f.o.b. expenses, less 20 percent, on the basis of either export value, as defined in section 402(b), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, supra, or on the basis of constructed value, as defined in section 402(d) of said act, as amended, swpra.

The pertinent portions of section 402, Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Simplification Act of 1956, supra, provide as follows:

(a) Basis. — Except as otherwise specifically provided for in this Act, the value of imported merchandise for the purposes of this Act shall be—
(1) the export value, or
(2) if the export value cannot be determined satisfactorily, then the United States value, or
(3) if neither the export value nor the United States value can be determined satisfactorily, then the constructed value;
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(b) Expokt Value. — For the purposes of this section, the export value of imported merchandise shall be the price, at the time of exportation to the United States of the merchandise undergoing appraisement, at which such or similar merchandise is freely sold or, in the absence of sales, offered for sale in the principal markets of the country of exportation, 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 expenses incidental to placing the merchandise in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States.
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(d) CoNstructed Value. — For the purposes of this section, the constructed value of imported merchandise shall be the sum of—
(1) the cost of materials (exclusive of any internal tax applicable in the country of exportation directly to such materials or their disposition, but remitted or refunded upon the exportation of the article in the production of which such materials are used) and of fabrication or other processing of any kind employed in producing such or similar merchandise, at a time preceding the date of exportation of the merchandise undergoing appraisement which would ordinarily permit the production of that particular merchandise in the ordinary course of business;
(2) an amount for general expenses and profit equal to that usually reflected in sales of merchandise of the same general class or kind as the merchandise undergoing appraisement which are [586]*586made by producers in the country of exportation, in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade, for shipment to the United States; and
(3) the cost of all containers and coverings of whatever nature, and all other expenses incidental to placing the merchandise undergoing appraisement in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States.
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(f) DEFINITIONS. — -For the purposes of this section—
(1) The term “freely sold or, in the absence of sales, offered for sale” means sold or, in the absence of sales, offered—
(A) to all purchasers at wholesale, or
(B) in the ordinary course of trade to one or more selected purchasers at wholesale at a price which fairly reflects the market value of the merchandise,
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(g) Transactions Between Belated Persons.—
(1) For the purposes of subsection (c) (1) or (d), as the case may be, a transaction directly or indirectly between persons specified in any one of the subdivisions in paragraph (2) of this subsection may be disregarded if, in the case of any element of value required to be considered, the amount representing that element does not fairly reflect the amount usually reflected in sales in the market under consideration of merchandise of the same general class or kind as the merchandise undergoing appraisement. If a transaction is disregarded under the preceding sentence and there are no other transactions available for consideration, then, for the purposes of subsection (d), the determination of the amount required to be considered shall be based on the best evidence available as to what the amount would have been if the transaction had occurred between persons not specified in any one of the subdivisions in paragraph (2).
(2) The persons referred to in paragraph (1) are:
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(F) Two or more persons directly or indirectly control-ing, controlled by, or under common control with, any person.

The issue thus presented to the court for determination is whether or not the 20 percent discount or allowance is or is not part of the dutiable value of the imported merchandise either under export value or constructed value.

The record herein consists of the testimony of two witnesses called on behalf of plaintiffs and eight exhibits. Plaintiffs’ exhibit 1 is an affidavit of Eric Arthur Stanger, a director of the exporter. Plaintiffs’ exhibit 2 is an affidavit of John Bruce, general accountant for the exporter. Plaintiffs’ exhibit 3 is an affidavit of K. Leng-Smith, a chartered accountant in charge of the audit of the books of the exporter. Plaintiffs’ exhibits 4 and 5 are affidavits of Charles Dale, a director of the exporter. Plaintiffs’ exhibit 6 is a copy of an agree[587]*587ment between tbe exporter and the importer. Plaintiffs’ exhibit 7 is a comparative analysis of the operation of the milling sales department of plaintiffs covering the year ending November 30, 1963, and plaintiffs’ exhibit 8 is a profit and loss statement of plaintiffs for the year ending November 30,1963.

The first witness called on behalf of plaintiffs was Donald Schmidt, purchasing agent for Simon Carter Company, who testified that he signed the appeal for a reappraisement involved herein and that he was authorized to do so.

The next witness called on behalf of plaintiffs was Mr. William Kalina who testified 'that Simon Carter Company merged with the Day Company to form the Carter-Day Company, the successor to Simon Carter; that prior to the merger, he was secretary-treasurer of Simon Carter and is now treasurer of Carter-Day Company.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
58 Cust. Ct. 584, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2554, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schmidt-v-united-states-cusc-1967.