United States v. Wheeler

17 C.C.P.A. 279, 1929 CCPA LEXIS 63
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedNovember 4, 1929
DocketNo. 3176
StatusPublished

This text of 17 C.C.P.A. 279 (United States v. Wheeler) 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. Wheeler, 17 C.C.P.A. 279, 1929 CCPA LEXIS 63 (ccpa 1929).

Opinion

Lenkoot, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This appeal involves our review of the action of the first division of the United States Customs Court in reappraisements Nos. 82459-A, 82461-A, and 83211-A. The merchandise involved consists of three importations of gear-hobbing machines and parts thereof from Germany by George Scherr & Co. (Inc.), two of which were entered at the port of Los Angeles and the third at the port of New York. The machines are used for cutting gears for automobiles.

[280]*280The merchandise was appraised by the local appraisers on foreign value. The importer appealed to reappraisement. Associate Justice Weller, sitting in reappraisement, appraised the merchandise based upon United States value, and the Government appealed. The decision of the Appellate Division of the Customs Court is as follows:

These are applications for review of findings of value of Associate Justice Weller. The merchandise involved consists of two gear hobbing machines and parts thereof. The question of whether the values found by Justice Weller shall be affirmed depends upon whether similar machines were sold prior to the exportation of this merchandise for home consumption in Germany. The Government contends that because these machines were purchased from a firm having the exclusive selling agency for such machines in all of Germany outside of Saxony that the manufacturers having sold these machines to them establishes that there was a home market value for them in Germany. The record does not sustain this contention, in our view, inasmuch as the machines were purchased by such agents for the importers on order thereof. Another, and we think stronger element in the case favoring the contention of the importers, is that the machines imported are very different from the machines of similar character used in Germany, particularly in that they are set to the inch measurement, whereas the machines used in Germany are equipped on the metric system.
We find that the evidence sustains the values found below as representing the United States values of the merchandise on the respective dates of shipment, and they are therefore affirmed.

The Government makes three major contentions in its assignments of error:

1. That the lower court erred in not stating its action in a written decision, setting forth the facts on which the finding is based and the reasons therefor.
2. That the lower court erred in finding that the merchandise had no foreign value within the meaning of subdivision (b) of section 402 of the Tariff Act of 1922.
3. In arriving at a United States value in a manner contrary to law by allowing 10 per centum for selling commission from the price at which the machine was freely offered for sale in the principal market of the United States, in addition to the statutory deductions provided for in subdivision (d) of section 402.

This being a reappraisement case, this court can review the judgment of the Customs Court on questions of law only.

Upon the question of whether the decision of the lower court is a compliance with section 501, requiring it in reappraisement cases to set forth the facts on which its finding is based and the reasons therefor, we think it sufficiently appears from the decision that it found there was no foreign value of the merchandise and the facts and reasons for such findings are sufficiently stated.

Upon the question of United States valuation, there are no facts stated in the decision upon which the ultimate finding is based, but an examination of the evidence shows that in order to reach the conclusion that it did the court must have found all of the facts as contended for by the importer. Therefore, while we would observe, as we have had occasion to do in many other cases, that the lower court should have made more specific findings of fact, instead of remanding [281]*281the case for such specific findings, we dispose of it in the same manner as if such specific findings had been made.

Upon the question of foreign value of the merchandise, while the record is very unsatisfactory, we think there was substantial evidence upon the trial to support the findings of the lower court that there was no such foreign value, and therefore its finding in that respect must be sustained. Happel & McAvoy v. United States, 16 Ct. Cust. Appls. 161, T. D. 42791. In this connection we call attention to the fact that there are several exhibits printed in the record in the German language, unaccompanied by translations. This court should not be expected to secure translations of exhibits, and wherever an exhibit in a foreign language is received in evidence which the parties to the cause feel should be considered on review by this court, a translation should accompany the exhibit.

Upon the question of United States value, the question is as to whether there was any substantial evidence to support the value of the merchandise found by the court.

Subdivision (d) of section 402, relating to United States value of imported merchandise, reads as follows:

Tlie United States value of imported merchandise shall be the price at which such or similar imported merchandise is freely offered for sale, packed ready for delivery, in the principal market of the United States to all purchasers, at the time of exportation of the imported merchandise, in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade, with allowance made for duty, cost of transportation and insurance, and other necessary expenses from the place of shipment to the place of delivery, a commission not exceeding 6 per centum, if any has been paid or contracted to be paid on goods secured otherwise than by purchase, or profits not to exceed 8 per centum and a reasonable allowance for general expenses, not to exceed 8 per centum on purchased goods.

An examination of the record discloses that the merchandise, consisting, as has been stated, of three separate shipments, was sold to three different parties. One of them was sold by the importer direct to the ultimate customer, and the other two through agents or dealers to the ultimate customers, the importer contending that the sales were made to its agents or dealers, and that such agents or dealers sold the merchandise to the ultimate customers.

It is claimed by the importer that the selling price of the merchandise, from which United States value is determined, is the price of the merchandise at which it is sold to dealers, which it claims is 10 per centum less than the price paid therefor by the ultimate customer. Or, putting it in another way, a dealer’s discount of 10 per centum is allowed from the price paid by the ultimate customer for the merchandise, and that such discount should be deducted from the price paid by the customer, together with other statutory deductions allowed by law, in arriving at United States value.

[282]*282The Government, on the other hand, claims that the 10 per centum referred to is merely a dealer’s or agent’s commission, and that a deduction of such commission from the price paid by the ultimate customer is not permitted by said section 402 (d). If the fact is that the 10 per centum was a commission paid by the importer to its agents, the Government is correct and its deduction is not permitted by said section.

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Bluebook (online)
17 C.C.P.A. 279, 1929 CCPA LEXIS 63, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-wheeler-ccpa-1929.