United States v. Rice

4 Cust. Ct. 813, 1940 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 4091
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedApril 24, 1940
DocketNo. 4886; Entry No. 741991, etc.
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 4 Cust. Ct. 813 (United States v. Rice) 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. Rice, 4 Cust. Ct. 813, 1940 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 4091 (cusc 1940).

Opinion

Cline, Judge:

These five cases are before the court on an application to review the decision of the trial judge published in Reap. Dec. 4623. The merchandise the subject of the appeals consists of silk piece goods, invoiced as “raw Kawamata,” imported from Kobe, Japan, on various dates from August 18, 1937, to October 27, 1937. An examination of the consular invoices indicates that Cooper, Findlay & Co., Ltd., of Kobe was the seller of the merchandise.

The silk goods covered by the shipments are all in pieces 48 inches wide and 63 yards long, the only variation in the goods being in the weight of the fabrics. The merchandise was invoiced in United States currency at different values and was appraised at the same values as invoiced less certain nondutiable charges, with the notation that the appraisements were at export values. The dates of certification .of the invoices, the grades of goods in the various shipments, and the appraised values are as follows:

Weight of goods p.er piece Reap. No. Rate of certification
3J4 momme $7. 10 121719-A August 18, 1937
3)ú “ 7. 10 122012-A Sept. 2, 1937
7. 60 122587-A Oct. 11, 1937
7. 05 122666-A Oct. 1, 1937
6. 75 123020-A Oct. 27, 1937

From the above unit values the appraiser deducted mvoice charges for hauling and shipping, insurance, freight, and consul fee.

The importer entered the merchandise in Japanese currency, making a deduction from the invoice values on the entries covered [814]*814by reappraisements 121719-A, 122587-A, and 123020-A. The entered unit values were as follows:

121719-A Yen 21.30 per piece, plus packing
122587-A “ 23.50 “ “ “ “
123020-A “ 20.75 “ “ “ “

The entries covered by reappraisements 122012-A and 122666-A were made at the appraised values under duress, the importer claiming that the proper dutiable values were as follows:

122012-A Yen 21.85 per piece, plus packing
122666-A “ 21.75 “ “ “ “

The values found by the trial judge are as follows:

121719-A Yen 21.90 per piece, plus packing
122587-A “ 23.50 “ “ “ “
123020-A “ 19.95 “ “ “ “
122012-A “ 21.85 “ “ “ “
122666-A “ 21.75 “ “ “ “

No oral testimony was submitted before the trial judge but counsel for the respective parties agreed that the shipments were in the usual wholesale quantities, that Kobe is the principal market in Japan for the type of merchandise involved, that the export value is the correct basis of appraisal, and that the merchandise was appraised on the export value.

The plaintiff introduced an affidavit of Harold Stannett Williams, a representative director of Cooper, Findlay & Co., Ltd., and, without objection, it was received in evidence and marked “Exhibit 1.” After the plaintiff rested, counsel for the defendant moved to dismiss the appeals on the ground that the importers had not made out a prima facie case as Exhibit 1 shows merely the Japanese purchase prices of Cooner, Findlay & Co., Ltd., in Japan and does not show the prices at which like merchandise was sold for export to the United States. This motion was denied by the trial judge and the denial thereof is one of the assignments of error in the Government’s application for review.

The defendant offered a copy of a report by Treasury Attache Martin G. Scott (No. K37-262), dated December 18, 1937, and, without objection, the same was received in evidence and marked “Exhibit 2.”

Exhibit 1 contains the following statement:

That at all time herein mentioned he was fully informed on the market value and the price at which such merchandise was sold and freely offered for sale to all purchasers in the principal markets of Japan in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade for exportation to the United States.
[815]*815That such merchandise of the following descriptions was so freely offered for sale on the several dates and at the prices shown below.
Raw Kawamata Habutai Silk Piece Goods 48 inches by 63 yards

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

G. R. Bolton, Inc. v. United States
62 Cust. Ct. 868 (U.S. Customs Court, 1969)
Daniel F. Young, Inc. v. United States
40 Cust. Ct. 860 (U.S. Customs Court, 1958)
R. J. Saunders & Co. v. United States
26 Cust. Ct. 694 (U.S. Customs Court, 1951)
Hensel, Bruckmann & Lorbacher, Inc. v. United States
12 Cust. Ct. 381 (U.S. Customs Court, 1944)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
4 Cust. Ct. 813, 1940 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 4091, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-rice-cusc-1940.