United States v. John V. Carr & Son, Inc.

58 Cust. Ct. 809, 266 F. Supp. 175, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2528
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedMarch 1, 1967
DocketA.R.D. 219; Entry Nos. 6738 ; 5707; 1819; 2629
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 58 Cust. Ct. 809 (United States v. John V. Carr & Son, 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. John V. Carr & Son, Inc., 58 Cust. Ct. 809, 266 F. Supp. 175, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2528 (cusc 1967).

Opinion

Watson, Judge:

This is an application for review of a decision and judgment of a single judge in a reappraisement proceeding (54 Oust. Ct. 513), Reap. Dec. 10902, involving the value of an importation of certain baling presses exported from Canada during the period July 1957 through September 1957.

[810]*810The baling presses in question, four in number, were manufactured in Canada by Canadian Locomotive Co., Ltd., of Kingston, hereinafter referred to as Canadian, for Chattanooga Welding and Machine Co. of Chattanooga, Tenn., hereinafter referred to as Chattanooga, and shipped to American customers of the latter. The record discloses that the baling press is composed of two basic parts, namely, a superstructure and hydraulic power units or motors. It appears that only the superstructures were made by Canadian. The motors were furnished and shipped by Chattanooga to Canadian, which, in turn, assembled them to the superstructure which it manufactured on orders from Chattanooga, and then exported complete to the United States. In each case, what was purchased by Chattanooga and sold by Canadian consisted of only one part of a machine, although what was delivered and imported into this country consisted of a complete machine. It appears that no charge was made by Canadian for the motors which it assembled to the presses.

The merchandise was appraised at $96,000 Canadian currency, per machine, net packed, including $24,915 Canadian currency, per machine, representing United States materials constructively segregable, on the basis of foreign value, as defined in section 402 (c) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the Customs Administrative Act of 1938.

The lower court in its decision held that the value of the motors is not in issue; that there was no export value of “such” baling presses because they were not offered for sale for exportation to the United States; that no “similar” baling presses were manufactured in Canada; that the only merchandise before the court for valuation purposes was the “superstructure”; that there was no foreign value or export value or United States value for “superstructures” as such; that therefore “cost of production” was the proper basis of value for the superstructure. The court accepted appellee’s unchallenged proof of the cost of production. The lower court further held that the appraised value of the United States material was not in dispute. In the present case, the appellant contends that what was imported was a complete baling press — a superstructure and motors — and that the complete baling press should be subject to appraisement as an entity under section 402 of the tariff act regardless of the fact that a portion of it may have been American goods returned.

The primary question here for consideration in our opinion, is whether only the superstructure which was manufactured in Canada was subject to the valuation statutes or whether the baling press, complete with an American-made power unit in its imported condition, was properly considered by the appraiser for appraisement purposes. The appellant contends that the appraiser properly considered, for the purposes of appraisement the merchandise in its entirety, i.e., the, complete baling press.

[811]*811Paragraph 1615 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, provides for the free entry of “articles, the growth, produce, or manufacture of the United States, when returned after having been exported, without having been advanced in value or condition by any process of manufacture or other means.” Where such articles are returned to the United States in combination with foreign manufactures, the merchandise is not to be assessed with duty as an entirety, but the American goods are entitled to free entry so long as they have not lost their identity as such nor have themselves been advanced in value or improved in condition. In such cases, it is incumbent upon the appraiser to make a return showing the value of the American goods separately. Border Brokerage Company v. United States, 44 Cust. Ct. 688, Reap. Dec. 9687; Consolidated Sewing Machine Co., Inc. v. United States, 37 Cust. Ct. 314, Abstract 60179. This separation of values is essentially as an aid to the customs officials in assisting the latter in determining whether the segregable portion of the importation shall be exempted from duty under the special provision of said paragraph 1615. This is just what the appraiser did in the case at bar. He found a value for the complete baling press that was imported of $96,000 per machine, Canadian currency, of which $24,915 represents the value of the power units of American origin.

In the Border Brokerage case, supra, the court held that where American-made glass panels are combined in Canada with other components to produce electric heaters, only the American-made articles, provided they have not lost their identity or been advanced in value or improved in condition, are entitled to free entry under paragraph 1615 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, and their value cannot be found by adding to their per se cost or value any part of the general expenses incurred and profits earned in Canada in connection with the manufacture of the electric heaters. In the case here cited, the appraiser made a separate return as to the value of the American-made glass panels. It may be noted, however, that the electric heaters under consideration were appraised at certain values which included the cost of the American-made glass panels. Likewise, the court in the Border Brokerage case, supra, in addition to making a finding as to the separate value of the glass panels, found in its “conclusion of law” that cost of production, as that value is defined in section 402(f) of the Tariff Act of 1930, is the proper basis for determining the value of the electric heaters here involved and that such values were the appraised values which included the cost of the American-made glass panels. It would accordingly appear that the court, in the Border Brokerage case, included in the “cost of production” of the merchandise there involved the American-made glass panels. This determination, in our opinion, parallels the action of the appraiser in the case at bar and [812]*812supports a finding that the value of the power units here under consideration should be included in the appraised value of the importation at bar as an entirety.

The appellee, in this case, as authority for the proposition that, where a shipment contains American goods returned, the American goods and the foreign goods must be appraised separately, also directs our attention to the Consolidated Sewing Machine case, supra. The merchandise there involved consisted of 26 sewing machines complete with electric motors and cases. The machines and motors were assessed with duty under paragraph 372 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified, as entireties, as sewing machines. The official papers disclosed that the merchandise was entered as 26 cases containing sewing machines, valued at over $10 and not over $75 each. The invoiced and entered unit value was 353 Swedish kronor, making a total entered value of 9,178 Swedish kronor, or United States $1,773. The merchandise was appraised as entered. It had been stipulated therein, however, that the electric motors contained in the importation were of American manufacture and, further, that they had not been advanced in value or condition while abroad.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
58 Cust. Ct. 809, 266 F. Supp. 175, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2528, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-john-v-carr-son-inc-cusc-1967.