United States v. International Expediters, Inc.

28 Cust. Ct. 594, 1952 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 648
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedApril 3, 1952
DocketNo. 8105; Entry No. 782788
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 28 Cust. Ct. 594 (United States v. International Expediters, Inc.) 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
United States v. International Expediters, Inc., 28 Cust. Ct. 594, 1952 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 648 (cusc 1952).

Opinion

Rao, Judge:

This is an application filed pursuant to the provisions of title 28 U. S. C. § 2636 (a) for the review of a decision and judgment of a single judge, sitting in reappraisement, rendered March 1, 1951, [595]*595as Reap. Dec. 7963. The merchandise involved in this case consists of certain artists’ colors, described in the invoice as “Studio Tubes Series 2.” It was invoiced and entered at the list price thereof of 39 shillings per dozen tubes, less a discount of 40 per centum, plus the cost of cases (packing and woodwork) and was appraised at said list price, less a discount of 33){per centum, plus the cost of cases (packing and woodwork) on the basis of cost of production, as defined in section 402 (f) of the Tariff Act of 1930. Said section 402 (f) provides as follows:

(f) Cost of Pkoduction. — For the purpose of this title the cost of production of imported merchandise shall be the sum of—
(1) The eost 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 merchandise 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.

Tbe case was submitted for decision upon a stipulation of facts which is recited in full in the opinion of the trial court, and need not be repeated here. Suffice it to say that the parties are agreed that cost of production is the proper basis for the appraisement of the involved merchandise and are at odds solely upon the item referred to in subdivision 4 of said section 402 (f), supra, as the addition for profit “which ordinarily is added, in the case of merchandise of the same general character as the particular merchandise under consideration.”

By the terms of the stipulation, .it appears that the manufacturer of the merchandise at bar, whose business practices are typical and representative of all other manufacturers of merchandise of the same general character in the country of exportation, sells its products both for home consumption in the country of exportation, and for exportation throughout the world, to two classes of purchasers, namely, wholesalers and retailers. The price to each category of purchasers wherever they be located differs only with respect to the discount allowed from the list price of 39 shillings, the cost of packing [596]*596and cases being the same in all instances. Wholesalers receive a discount of 40 per centum; retailers, a discount of 33K per centum.

The parties have further agreed that the entered value contains all of the elements specified in said section 402 (f), supra, for the ascertaining of cost of production including the profit which ordinarily is added, in the case of merchandise of the same general character when sold to wholesalers, whereas the appraised value includes all of such elements plus profit ordinarily added in the case of sales of such merchandise to retailers.

The stipulation also recites in terms of percentage the respective quantities of merchandise sold in the home market and for exportation both to the United States and to other countries, as well as the proportion of individual sales in each of said areas to each category of purchaser. In the home market where approximately 47 per centum of the total quantity was disposed of, sales to retailers predominated both numerically and quantitatively. In sales for export throughout the rest of the world, wholesalers received the greater quantity, and sales to them were more numerous. Of the total quantity of merchandise of the same general character sold all over the world, 67 per centum was sold at the entered price, 33 per centum at the appraised value. Of the total number of individual sales throughout the world, 63 per centum was sold at the appraised value, and 37 per centum at the entered value.

Upon the record so presented the trial court held that the profit ordinarily added is that derived from the major quantity of units sold, on the theory that the manufacturer obtained therefrom the greater financial return and the greater portion of profits. It being established that the greater quantity of the merchandise was sold to wholesalers, the entered value was sustained. The cases of J. H. Cottman & Co. v. United States, United States v. J. H. Coliman & Co., 20 C. C. P. A. (Customs) 344, T. D. 46114; United States v. Marine Products Co., 24 Cust. Ct. 615, Reap. Dec. 7830; and F. W. Berk & Co., Inc. v. United States, 16 Cust. Ct. 365, Reap. Dec. 6282, were cited in support of said conclusion.

Counsel for appellant contends here, as he did before the trial court, that the rule for determining “usual wholesale quantities” in the inquiry into foreign, export, and United States values applies with equal vigor to the finding of “the profit which ordinarily is added” in cost of production, and hence that the sole determinant of such profit is the major portion of all individual sales. This argument is predicated upon the proposition that the words “usual” and “ordinary” are synonymous, and since the dictionaries define “ordinarily” as “in most cases,” section 402 (f) (4), supra, would read:

* * * An addition for profit * * * equal to the profit which ordinarily (in most cases) (usually) is added.

[597]*597It is urged therefore that the “profit added by the manufacturer in most sales or tbe major portion of sales is the profit ordinarily added, as it is more indicative of the general practice of a manufacturer than determining the profit based upon quantity.”

This argument might possess some validity if there were any authority for the substitution of the word “sales” for the word “cases.” But the cost of production statute does not refer to “sales,” and the phrase “in most cases” submits itself as readily to interpretation as “most units” or “major quantity” sold as it does to “most sales” or “the major portion of sales.”

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Bluebook (online)
28 Cust. Ct. 594, 1952 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 648, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-international-expediters-inc-cusc-1952.