United States v. Daniel F. Young, Inc.

27 C.C.P.A. 124, 1939 CCPA LEXIS 23
Court of Customs and Patent Appeals·Decided October 30, 1939·No. No. 4233·Published

Opinion

Hatfield, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal from a judgment of the United States Customs Court, Second Division, in reappraisements 112902-A, 112909-A, 11-299 9-A, 113001-A, 120532-A, 120538-A, 120539-A, 110027-A, 110029-A, 110030-A, 110101-A, 110232-A, 111502-A, 111915-A, 111917-A, 112086-A, 112198-A, 112910-A, 113368-A, 113521-A, 113523-A, 119014-A, 112873-A, and 112877-A.

The merchandise involved consists of electric-light bulbs imported into the United States from Japan. All of the merchandise, except that involved, in reappraisements 112873-A and 112877-A, which was entered at the port of Los Angeles, was entered at the port of New York, and was appraised by the local appraisers at the ports [126] of entry under tbe provisions of section 209 of tbe Antidumping Act, 1921, the Secretary of the Treasury having made a finding of “dumping,” under section 201 (a) of that act, of electric-light bulbs imported into the United States from Japan. T. D. 46617, 64 Treas. Dec. 217.

On the trial below it was conceded by counsel for the importers (appellees) that the appraised values returned by the local appraisers were correct, should the appraisements be held valid. However, it was contended by counsel for appellees before the trial court and before the appellate division of the Customs Court, and it is their contention here, that the appraisements by the local appraiser at the port of New York were illegal and void, because, contrary to the provisions of section 499 of the Tariff Act of 1930, the collector designated, and the appraiser examined, less than “one package of every ten packages of merchandise” described on the invoices, and that the appraisements by the local appraiser at the port of Los Angeles were illegal and void, because the collector at that port designated that less than “one package of every ten packages of merchandise” described on the invoices should be examined at the “public stores,” and that the remaining packages should be examined at the “dock.” As to the Los Angeles entries, no claim is made that the collector failed to designate, or that the appriaising officials failed to examine, all of the packages contained in those importations. It is the contention of counsel as to those entries, however, that the collector had no authority, for reasons hereinafter stated, to designate that less than one package out of every ten packages of merchandise should be examined at the public stores.

Section 499, supra, so far as pertinent, reads:

SEC. 499. EXAMINATION OF MERCHANDISE.
Imported merchandise, required by law or regulations made in pursuance thereof to be inspected, examined, or appraised, shall not be delivered from customs custody, except as otherwise provided in this Act, until it has been inspected, examined, or appraised and is reported by the appraiser to have been truly and correctly invoiced and found to comply with the requirements of the laws of the United States. The collector shall designate the packages or quantities covered by any invoice or entry which are to be opened and examined for the purpose of appraisement or otherwise and shall order such packages or quantities to he sent to the public stores or other places for such purpose. Not less than one package of every invoice and not less than one package of every ten packages of merchandise, shall be so designated unless the Secretary of the Treasury, from the character and description of the merchandise, is of the opinion that the examination of a less proportion of packages will amply protect the revenue and by special regulation permit a less number of packages to be examined. The collector or the appraiser may require such additional packages or quantities as either of them may deem necessary. [Italics ours.]

On the trial before the single judge sitting in reappraisement counsel for the Government introduced in evidence Collective Exhibit 1, which consists of a book entitled “Treasury Department. Customs [127] Catalog 3418: C. F. C.: June 2, 1914 [the attention of the-court being called particularly to pages 3 and 71]” and a copy of a telegram, dated June 24, 1932, addressed to the Collector of Customs at New York, and signed by S. Lowman, Acting Secretary of the Treasury, which was accompanied by a certificate, dated November 17, 1937, signed by F. A. Birgfeld, Chief Clerk, Treasury Department, wherein it is stated that such copy is a true copy of the copy of the' telegram on file in the office of the Commissioner of Customs, Washington, D. C.

The telegram referred to was introduced by the Government on the theory that it was an amendment to the heading at the top of page 3-of Customs Catalog 3418. It reads:

General Rule page Three Customs Catalogue Thirty-four Eighteen at head of list of imports changed to read as follows: “In the opinion of the Secretary of the Treasury the examination at the Appraisers Stores on the wharf or elsewhere of samples or representative packages although constituting a less proportion than ten percent of the shipment is considered amply sufficient to protect the revenue when merchandise is bought by sample or is imported in packages of same contents and value or when purchased at the same price per unit of weight gauge or measure, but in no case shall less than one percent be examined except upon specific authority from the Department.”

.Prior to the alleged amendment, page 3 of the catalog was headed—

List of Imports of which less than 1 package in 10 may be sent for examination to the United States Public Stores at the Port of New York, when packed in bottles, jars, tins, cases, or tin-lined barrels.

Immediately beneath that heading appears the following:

[One representative package to be sent to public store when merchandise is imported in packages of same contents and value, or when purchased at the same price per unit of weight, gauge, or measure. Department letters, Aug. 10 and 24, 1904, and May 12, 1914.]

Thereafter numerous items, several hundred in fact, are listed alphabetically, including, on page 71, “Electric-light bulbs, however packed, one each invoice.”

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