Sharwell Bros. Shoe Co. v. United States

61 Cust. Ct. 598, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2178
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedOctober 10, 1968
DocketA.R.D. 244; Entry No. 828177-4
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 61 Cust. Ct. 598 (Sharwell Bros. Shoe Co. 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
Sharwell Bros. Shoe Co. v. United States, 61 Cust. Ct. 598, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2178 (cusc 1968).

Opinion

Per. OüRiam :

This is an application by appellants (plaintiffs below) for review of a decision and judgment of a single judge (Judge Beckworth) sitting in reappraisement. Sharwell Bros. Shoe Co., Globe Shipping Co., Inc. v. United States, decided November 15, 1967, 59 Cust. Ct. 731, R.D. 11386. The merchandise involved consisted of men’s insulated boots and children’s black side zipper boots that were imported from Japan. The items were appraised on the basis of export value, as defined in section 402(b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, at the c.i.f. prices shown on the invoice, less the amounts shown on that invoice for. freight and insurance charges. There is no dispute that export value was the proper basis of appraisement. Appellants contended before the trial court, however, that the appraiser did not use' the correct values and that he should have used the ex-factory prices. The appellants further contended that the appraiser did not allow for the proportionate amount of a 5 percent “seller’s commission” in arriving at the proper export values and argued that this commission was, in reality, a nondutiable buying commission. Judge Beckworth sustained the action of the appraiser and held that the appellants had failed to overcome the statutory presumption of correctness attaching to the appraised values. Appellants maintain here in brief and oral argument that this decision is in error. We do not agree. Rather, we are in agreement with the decision and therefore affirm. Judgment will be entered accordingly. Because Judge Beckworth’s opinion, findings and conclusions of law fully express our views and well [599]*599present the facts and law involved, we deem it appropriate to adopt the same as the basis for our judgment in this case. They are as follows:

Beckworth, Judge: The merchandise 'involved in this appeal for reappraisement consists of men’s insulated boots and children’s black side zipper boots, imported from Japam and entered at the port of New York on November 6,1962.

It was appraised on the basis of export value, 'as that value is defined in section 402 (b) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Simplification Act of 1956, at the invoiced units of value, less items marked “X” (ocean freight and insurance premium). Plaintiffs do not contest the basis of Value but claim that the correct values are :

Item Price per pair

Men’s Insulated Boots ¥769 or $2.14

Children’s Black Side Zipper Boots ¥250.50 or $0.70

It appears from the official papers, which were received in evidence, that the invoiced units of value were respectively $2.56 and $0.80 per pair, c.i.f. New York. The total c.i.f. price was $3,552. The invoice also lists various charges, such as inland freight, storage, haulage, amounting to $38, which it states were included in the f.o.b. price at Kobe. It then states:

F.O.B. Price at Kobe, Japan US$3,006. 57

Ocean Freight351. 63

Insurance Premium16.20

Seller’s Commission (5%) 177. 60

C.I.F. New York US$3,552.00

Counsel for the plaintiffs stated at the first hearing that the dutiable values should be based on the ex-factory prices and at the second hearing that the appraiser should have allowed the seller’s commission of 5 percent.

Plaintiffs do not claim in their brief that the separability doctrine is applicable and defendant contends that it is not. Under that doctrine, it has been held that, where the importer challenges only one item of an appraisement, the presumption of correctness as to the others has not been destroyed and he may rely upon them. United States v. Fritzsche Bros., Inc., 35 CCPA 60, C.A.D. 371. This doctrine applies where the appraisement is made at an ex-factory-plus-charges value in which ease the charges may be disputed without the necessity of proof that the ex-factory prices comply with the statutory definition of export value. United States v. Supreme Merchandise Co., 48 Cust. Ct. 714, A.R.D. 145. It does not apply where the appraisement is made at unit values even though the invoice lists ex-factory prices [600]*600plus separate charges. Valley Knitting Co., Inc., et al. v. United States, 44 Cust. Ct. 599, Reap. Dec. 9627; S. S. Kresge Co. et al. v. United States, 45 Cust. Ct. 469, Reap. Dec. 9778; Luckytex, Ltd. v. United States, 56 Cust. Ct. 575, Reap. Dec. 11119; Brentwood Originals et al. v. United States, 58 Cust. Ct. 575, Reap. Dec. 11258.

The mere fact that a mathematical computation can be made from the invoice value-plus-charges, which would equal the appraised value does not establish the separability of the appraisement. Haddad & Sons, Inc. v. United States, 53 Cust. Ct. 423, Reap. Dec. 10825. An ap-praisement expressed in an f.o.b. port of exportation price is not normally considered separable. Henry Picard, Jr. v. United States, 57 Cust. Ct. 689, Reap. Dec. 11242. Where the invoice recited a c.i.f. price, which was stated to include certain enumerated charges among which were marine insurance and ocean freight, and the appraiser found a piice equal to a c.i.f. price without showing that it embraced any or all of the charges listed, the appraisement was held not separable. Luckytex, Ltd. v. United States, supra.

In the instant case, the appraiser had before him an invoice which recited c.i.f. prices and listed charges included in an f.o.b. price and also listed other charges, including a “seller’s commission.” The appraiser appraised at the unit invoice c.i.f. prices, less two of the listed charges— ocean freight and insurance premium. There is nothing to show whether the value adopted by the appraiser included any of the other charges or the commission. Unless the record establishes that the charges or the commission were included in the per se appraised values, such charges or commissions may not be deducted therefrom. Manhattan Novelty Corp. v. United States, 54 Cust. Ct. 545, Reap. Dec. 10910 (rehearing granted, Ibid. 636, Reap. Dec. 10965); Manhattan Novelty Corp. v. United States, 54 Cust. Ct. 561, Reap. Dec. 10919 (rehearing granted, Ibid. 636, Reap. Dec. 10966).

In Brentwood Originals et al. v. United States, supra, each of the 19 items was invoiced at a specific price per dozen, said to be ex-factory. The invoice also showed the total price and itemized charges. The merchandise was appraised at per se unit values which were higher than the unit invoiced prices. There was evidence to establish that plaintiff employed a buying agent and paid him a 6 percent buying commission. The court said that the record would warrant a holding that the commission was not part of the statutory export value, but held that there was no showing that the appraised value was made up of ex-factory prices, plus inland charges and commission, and that the dutiable value could not be found ¡by deducting the commission from the appraised value. The court held further that plaintiff was required to establish not only the correctness of the commission, but the [601]*601price at which the merchandise was freely sold or offered for sale to all purchasers.

The same situation prevails in the instant case.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
61 Cust. Ct. 598, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2178, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/sharwell-bros-shoe-co-v-united-states-cusc-1968.