United States v. T. D. Downing Co.

20 C.C.P.A. 251, 1932 CCPA LEXIS 232
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedNovember 30, 1932
DocketNo. 3535
StatusPublished

This text of 20 C.C.P.A. 251 (United States v. T. D. Downing Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. T. D. Downing Co., 20 C.C.P.A. 251, 1932 CCPA LEXIS 232 (ccpa 1932).

Opinion

Garrett, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal by the Government from a judgment of the First Division of the United States Customs Court in a reappraisement proceeding arising under the Tariff Act of 1922.

Originally seven entries were involved in the appeal, six of them being duress entries. Subsequent to the argument of the case counsel for the respective parties stipulated that in so far as the appeal related to said duress entries the same should be dismissed. This was accordingly done and order to that effect was entered by this court on November 3, 1932. So we have now before us only that portion of the original appeal which relates to the judgment in reap-praisement of the merchandise involved in entry 12999.

The merchandise consists of ten layers of thin, partially créped paper, pressed together and embossed, having a single sheet of pergamyn (grease-proof) paper attached upon one side by means of an adhesive. It is said to be of the class commonly used by candy manufacturers.

It was described in the invoice as—

Cello wrapping paper, 10-ply design: I size: 24" x 36" each bale 10 packages at 60 sheets.

It was entered by the importer upon the basis of the invoice price, that is at $27.75 per 100 kilos, c. i. f. Boston, amounting to a net price of $21.99 per 100 kilos.

The local appraiser advanced the entered value to 115 marks per 100 kilos, f. o. b. Hamburg, equalling $25.73, net, per 100 kilos. Whether this was held by the local appraiser to be the export value or the foreign value is not stated.

The importer appealed to reappraisement, contending that the entered (invoice) value was the export value and that it was the same as or higher than the foreign value.

The single judge sitting in reappraisement made the following finding:

I find the foreign value which is higher than the export value of the merchandise in question, at the time of exportation thereof, to be 116 marks per 100 kilos, net, packed.

[253]*253Judgment was accordingly entered fixing the valuation* the same in amount as that determined by the local appraiser.

Importer appealed from this judgment and the First Division of the United States Customs Court reviewed same. It likewise found a foreign value but found it to be the same in amount as the entered value. It made no specific finding upon the question of export value, but declared, “The judgment of the lower court is reversed.”

The effect of the judgment was to sustain the value, so far as amount was concerned, contended for by the importer.

The case thus comes to us with findings of foreign value by both the trial and reviewing tribunals below but with a difference in their respective judgments as to the amount of said value.

It is not deemed necessary to quote verbatim the definitions of foreign value and export value, as given in paragraphs (b) and (c) of section 402 of the Tariff Act of 1922. It is sufficient to remember that the section provides that the value at which imported merchandise is to be appraised is “the foreign value or the export value, whichever is higher.” With the alternatives of United States value or cost of production, in the event neither foreign nor export value can be ascertained, we are not now concerned.

We have had frequent occasion to endeavor to point out just what is required and upon whom the duty of proof primarily rests in appeals to reappraisement. In United States v. Malhame & Co., 19 C. C. P. A. (Customs) 165, T. D. 45276, we discussed a number of questions relating to reappraisement procedure at considerable length and cited numerous cases in support of the rules there stated. We shall not here restate the principles of law and practice there outlined.

It is sufficient here to bear in ■ mind that the importer having appealed, it was incumbent upon it to show (1) the foreign value and (2) the export value, to the end that the higher might be taken as the dutiable value, or to show (1) a foreign value and the nonexistence of an export value, or (2) an export value and the nonexistence of a foreign value. Being the appealing party, it was incumbent upon it “to meet every material issue involved in the case.” Meadows, Wye & Co. (Inc.) et al. v. United States, 17 C. C. P. A. (Customs) 36, 42, T. D. 43324.

This is true although, as stated in the Meadows, Wye & Co. case, supra, no presumption of correctness attends the appraisement of the local appraiser and the proceeding before the single judge is a trial ■de novo, and if importer failed therein then its appeal was subject to dismissal by the trial court, in which event the value fixed by the local appraiser would have remained in full force and effect. United States v. F. B. Vandegrift & Co. et al., 16 Ct. Cust. Appls. 398, T. D. 43120.

[254]*254It is the contention of the Government before us that—

The importer at the trial of the case produced no evidence which would establish a dutiable value for the imported merchandise and no substantial evidence to support the judgment of the Customs Court, First Division * * *.

As has been often held, this court is limited to questions of law only in the consideration of appeals in reappraisement cases, and the judgment of the reviewing court will not be disturbed if there be any substantial evidence to support it. Metz & Co. v. United States, 13 Ct. Cust. Appls. 412, T. D. 41340; United States v. Wecker & Co., 16 Ct. Cust. Appls. 220, T. D. 42837.

Our concern in the instant case is, therefore, solely with the question of whether there is any substantial evidence to support the judgment.

It may here be stated that one Anton W. C. Denker, of Hamburg, Germany, appears to have been the shipper of the involved merchandise, and that Geo. H. Sweetnam (Inc.), of Cambridge, Mass., appears to have been the purchaser.

The only evidence introduced by the importer consists of what purported to be an affidavit or affirmation of the German manufacturer of the merchandise, one Franz Hahn.

The Government called and examined four witnesses, and it also offered in evidence two reports of Treasury investigating agents abroad. A sample of the merchandise was filed.

From a careful examination of the record we conclude that the testimony of the witnesses personally examined during the trial throws practically no light upon the question of value. Only slight reference to this testimony was made in the opinion of the reviewing court, and its conclusion, apparently, was based solely upon the contents of the statements of Hahn and the reports of the Treasury agents.

The merchandise at issue was exported from Germany on January 8, 1930. It was entered for duty January 29, 1930. The appeal to reappraisement was taken February 4, 1930. The statement or affirmation of Hahn bears date of April 12, 1930.

This statement, evidently made for the purpose of being used by the importer in trying the issue, contains the following:

I herewith affirm in lieu of oath that the wholesale export and inland price of my “Wattolyn” (referred to in America as “Cello wrapping paper”) of the kind sold repeatedly to George H.

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Related

Metz & Co. v. United States
13 Ct. Cust. 412 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1926)
United States v. Wecker
16 Ct. Cust. 220 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1928)
United States v. F. B. Vandegrift & Co.
16 Ct. Cust. 398 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1928)

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Bluebook (online)
20 C.C.P.A. 251, 1932 CCPA LEXIS 232, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-t-d-downing-co-ccpa-1932.