Steelmaster, Inc. v. United States

39 Cust. Ct. 587
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJuly 23, 1957
DocketReap. Dec. 8928; Entry No. 762308, etc.
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 39 Cust. Ct. 587 (Steelmaster, Inc. 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
Steelmaster, Inc. v. United States, 39 Cust. Ct. 587 (cusc 1957).

Opinion

Johnson, Judge:

The appeals for reappraisement listed in schedule “A,” attached hereto and made a part hereof, were consolidated at the trial. The merchandise consists of decorated vitrified chinaware, principally openwork plates and baskets, exported from Germany between July 4, 1948, and January 8, 1949. It was entered on the basis of the invoice unit values, less included charges for cartage, inland freight, and insurance. It was appraised at higher unit values, less the same included charges.

It was stipulated at the trial that, during and before the exporta-tions involved herein, rigid controls were exercised over Western German industry by the occupation forces and the de facto Government to such extent that neither such nor similar merchandise was [588]*588freely offered for sale for home consumption. The merchandise was appraised on the basis of export value. Plaintiff does not quarrel with the basis of valuation, but claims that the appraised values represented the prices for first-quality merchandise, whereas the articles involved herein were of second quality.

Plaintiff called as a witness Arthur Scholder, vice president of the plaintiff company, who testified as follows:

He visited the factory of Schumann & Schreider, the German manufacturer, in 1947, 1948, and 1949, where he was shown samples of the merchandise and was quoted prices. He did not buy first-quality merchandise, because the price was too high, but specified second quality. After he had made his selection, the items were listed on the seller’s forms. The item numbers indicated the decoration, size, and shape, but not necessarily the quality. The orders then had to be taken to Munich to the office of the Joint Export-Import Agency (JEIA), where an agreement in the form of a memorandum or contract was drawn up, specifying' primarily the terms of payment. Contracts had to be made with JEIA, because letters of credit could not be opened directly to the German manufacturer.

The witness stated that the prices were quoted by the factory and that, at some time toward the end of 1947 or 1948, the prices were increased, but he did not know whether the price increase took place before this merchandise was exported or not. All the orders herein were placed during 1947 and the beginning of 1948. The witness said that all contracts that were made up to the currency reform were made at so-called “stop-prices.” To the best of his recollection, the currency reform was in 1949 and, therefore, all prices which were quoted were stop-prices.

When the merchandise arrived in the United States, the witness examined it and found that it was second quality or inferior. He explained that chinaware shrinks during the firing process; that the shrinkage is not uniform; that some pieces will be warped, and some will contain fire marks or black spots on the surface. The first quality consists of those pieces which are as perfect as possible, whereas second-quality pieces are more warped and have more spots, which have to be covered with very dark decorations.

Mr. Scholder was unable to find a copy of this particular contract, but offered a number of letters having reference to contract number 5592. A photostatic copy of this contract was then placed in evidence by the Government (defendant’s collective exhibit A). The witness stated that there was nothing in the contract or in the correspondence referring to the quality of the merchandise, nor did the commercial invoices show quality.

Plaintiff also offered in evidence an affidavit of Edmund Schumann, manager of the manufacturing company, sworn to August 24, 1956. [589]*589Mr. Schumann stated that his firm classified porcelainware as 1st selection, 2d selection, 3d selection, and 4th selection, according to the number or character of defects in each piece. The first selection had the least number of defects and the fourth selection the greatest number. His firm started to offer merchandise for export in 1948 and, at that time, established prices at which the merchandise was freely offered to all purchasers for export to the United States. Prices were quoted for first quality, which included first selections, and for second quality, which did not include any of the first selection, as follows:

According to the affiant, the prices did not vary because of quantity, and the prices included packing, cartage, inland freight, and insurance to Bremerhaven. The merchandise was also offered on an ex-factory basis. Steelmasters, Inc., was the firm’s first United States customer and purchased only second-quality merchandise. Sales or shipments to the United States at prices higher than those charged Steelmasters, Inc., covered merchandise of first quality, consisting of first selection porcelain, which was not included in the shipments to Steelmasters, Inc.

Irving Gross, customs examiner at the port of New York, testified that he had examined the merchandise involved herein and had caused an investigation to be made as to its value. As a result of the investigation, he advisorily appraised the merchandise at the values which were finally adopted by the appraiser. In the course of his duties, he examined merchandise shipped by the firm of Schumann & Schreider to other importers than plaintiff. Samples of such merchandise were received in evidence, and the witness stated that they were of the same style and shape as the instant merchandise. The only difference was in the flower or fruit decoration in the center. From his examination of the merchandise, the witness concluded that the quality was the same for all importations during the period. All of the merchandise received the same valuation.

[590]*590A letter from Schumann & Schreider to JEIA, dated June 23, 1949, a copy of which was included in defendant’s exhibit B, states that the manufacturer originally had to sell at stop-prices fixed by the German Government and that column I of the list attached showed such prices. Prices were raised when a rate of exchange with the German mark was introduced, but orders that had been entered prior thereto were executed at the old prices. The letter continues:

* * * Column I shows the stop-prices. Deliveries made to the firm Steel-master extended up to 1948 on the basis of these stop-prices because the order placed with us called for great quantities.

Defendant’s exhibit C includes a price list and a letter from.Schumann & Schreider, dated October 26, 1949, containing the following:

Point 2: We have no other price lists available than the one presented to you. Regarding the merchandise delivered to the USA, no price lists are at hand inasmuch as the articles furnished were novelties that had only recently been developed. These new fashioned articles have been offered to each customer separately. These articles, so far, were neither subject to a price increase or reduction.
Point 3: * * * Of course, also deliveries have been effected with lower prices subsequent to the price increase. These deliveries were due to the fact that previously given orders had to be executed at the old prices.

The price list contains the following:

There is also in evidence a report of Treasury Representative Knoke, dated December 10, 1956. Mr. Knoke visited the offices of Schumann & Schreider on December 5, 1956, and discussed the sale of this merchandise with Edmund Schumann. According to Mr.

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Related

Steelmaster, Inc. v. United States
40 Cust. Ct. 899 (U.S. Customs Court, 1958)

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39 Cust. Ct. 587, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/steelmaster-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1957.