Schweppes (U. S. A.), Ltd. v. United States

41 Cust. Ct. 475
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJune 30, 1958
DocketReap. Dec. 9180; Entry No. 900226
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 41 Cust. Ct. 475 (Schweppes (U. S. A.), Ltd. 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
Schweppes (U. S. A.), Ltd. v. United States, 41 Cust. Ct. 475 (cusc 1958).

Opinion

Wilson, Judge:

This is an appeal for reappraisement of certain flavoring extract exported from England on May 18, 1953, and entered at the port of New York. The merchandise was contained in certain steel drums which were invoiced and appraised at £40.0.0. Their value is not here in dispute (It. 3; 5).

The following stipulation was entered into between counsel for the respective parties:

(1) That, on or about the date of exportation, such or similar flavoring extract was not freely offered for sale for home consumption in England or for export to the United States nor for sale in the principal market of the United States (R. 3).
(2) That the time preceding the date of exportation ordinarily permitted for manufacture or production of such merchandise was about 18 months (R. 4).
(3) That one of the ingredients used in the manufacture of this product is ethyl alcohol and that the only issue is whether an excise tax actually paid by the manufacturer to the British Government on ethyl alcohol used in making the imported merchandise is part of the cost of production (R. 4).
(4) That the said excise tax amounted to 212 shillings, 4 pence, per proof gallon of ethyl alcohol and was refunded to the manufacturer on the exportation of the finished product to the United States (R. 4).
(5) That the actual cost of manufacture per imperial gallon, exclusive of the said excise tax, was as follows (R. 4):
Ingredients_34 shillings
Labor_ 1 shilling, 5 pence
General expenses_3 shillings, 1 pence
Profit_4 shillings
Packing stainless steel drums_pounds 40 each
(6)Appraisement was made at 303 shillings, 1.90 pence, per imperial gallon of extract, plus £40.0.0 for cost of drums, as follows (R. 5; 6):
The importation consisted of 1,248 imperial gallons, the equivalent of 1,291.68 proof gallons of alcohol.
Total cost of ingredients and labor at 35 shillings, 5 pence, per imperial gallon for 1,248 imperial gallons_ =£2,210.0.0.00
Plus 1,291.68 proof gallons of alcohol at 212 shillings, 4 pence,
per proof gallon_ =£13,713.6.8.64
Total cost for labor and material, including excise tax_ £15,923.6.8.64
[477]*477Plus 10% for general expenses_ £1,592.6.8.06
Total_ £17,515.13.6.70
Plus 8% for profit_ £1,401.5.0.94
Total_ £18,916.18.7.64
This is equal to (18,916 X 20, plus 18 shillings, plus 6.64 pence,
divided by 1,248) per imperial gallon_ £0.303.1.90
Plus cost of packing, drums, at each_ £40.0.0
(7) That the orange and lemon flavoring manufactured by Schweppes, Limited, of England, for use in Great Britain was the same as the orange and lemon flavoring manufactured by it for export to the United States, except that, in the product made for home consumption, the amount of alcohol used in said product consisted of approximately 70 percent ethyl alcohol and 30 percent isopropyl alcohol (R. 9).
(8) That the alcohol used in manufacturing the product for export to the United States was all ethyl alcohol (R. 9).
(9) That the portion of ethyl alcohol used in the product for home consumption was subject to the same rate of excise tax as the ethyl alcohol used in making the product for export to the United States (R. 9).
(10) That the isopropyl alcohol was free of tax and that no isopropyl alcohol was used in the manufacture of the product for export to the United States (R. 9).

It, accordingly, appears from the above that cost of production, as that value is defined in section 402 (f) of the Tariff Act of 1930, is the proper basis of appraisement.

The importer, in this appeal, contends that the statutory cost of production should not include the British excise tax which is paid by the manufacturer to the British Government on the ethyl alcohol used in making the imported merchandise. The claimed value is 42 shillings, IV/2 pence per imperial gallon (plus £40.0.0 each per steel drum, not, as heretofore indicated, at issue). The Government contends that the statutory cost of production should include the excise tax and that the appraised value represents the proper value for the merchandise.

The pertinent provisions of the statute here under consideration (section 402 (f) of the Tariff Act of 1930) read as follows:

(f) Cost of Production.' — Eor the purpose of this title the cost of production of imported merchandise shall be the sum of—
(1) The cost of materials of, and of fabrication, manipulation, or other process employed in manufacturing or producing such or similar merchandise, at a time preceding the date of exportation of the particular merchandise under consideration which would ordinarily permit the manufacture or production of the particular merchandise under consideration in the usual course of business;
(2) The usual general expenses (not less than 10 per centum of such cost) in the case of such or similar merchandise;
(3) The cost of all containers and coverings of whatever nature, and all other costs, charges, and expenses incident to placing the particular merchan[478]*478dise under consideration in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States; and
(4) An addition for profit (not less than 8 per centum of the sum of the amounts found under paragraphs (1) and (2) of this subdivision) equal to the profit which ordinarily is added, in the case of merchandise of the same general character as the particular merchandise under consideration, by manufacturers or producers in the country of manufacture or production who are engaged in the production or manufacture of merchandise of the same class or kind.

Counsel for the plaintiff, in the case at bar, contends that the British excise tax paid by the manufacturer upon the purchase of the alcohol used to manufacture the imported flavoring extract should not be included in the statutory cost of production, because the amount of tax was no part of the expense of the manufacturer upon which its profit was calculated. In this connection, our attention is directed to the case of United States v. Alfred Dunhill of London, Inc., 32 C. C. P. A. (Customs) 187, C. A. D. 305.

In the Dunhill case, supra, the merchandise consisted of certain tobacco pipes imported from England. The question was whether or not a purchase tax, levied in accordance with English law on chargeable goods sold to what were known as unregistered purchasers for home consumption, was part of “Cost of Production” (section 402 (f), Tariff Act of 1930). Purchases were not considered chargeable with the tax when the sale was made to a registered dealer or for exportation.

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Related

International Packers, Ltd. v. United States
42 Cust. Ct. 453 (U.S. Customs Court, 1959)

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41 Cust. Ct. 475, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/schweppes-u-s-a-ltd-v-united-states-cusc-1958.