Yoshida International, Inc. v. United States

378 F. Supp. 1155, 73 Cust. Ct. 1, 73 Ct. Cust. 1, 1974 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3019
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJuly 8, 1974
DocketC.D. 4550; Court 72-2-00314
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 378 F. Supp. 1155 (Yoshida International, Inc. v. United States) 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
Yoshida International, Inc. v. United States, 378 F. Supp. 1155, 73 Cust. Ct. 1, 73 Ct. Cust. 1, 1974 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3019 (cusc 1974).

Opinions

BOE, Chief Judge:

The plaintiff has filed a motion for summary judgment challenging the validity of Presidential Proclamation 4074 promulgated August 15, 1971, which imposed a surcharge in the form of a supplemental duty in the amount of 10 percent ad valorem upon most articles imported into the United States from and after August 16, 1971. The merchandise involved herein — consisting of zippers — was imported from Japan and entered at the port of New York on August 17, 25 and 26, 1971. In addition to being assessed with duty at the rate of 23.5 percent ad valorem pursuant to item 745.72, Tariff Schedules of the United States, the merchandise in question was assessed with an additional duty of 10 percent ad valorem pursuant to item 948.00 which was added to the tariff schedules by Presidential Proclamation 4074.

The defendant has filed a cross-motion for summary judgment contending that Presidential Proclamation ,4074 was lawfully authorized by (1) the “termination” authority delegated to the President by the Congress in section 350(a)(6) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (19 U.S.C. § 1351(a)(6)) and section 255(b) of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (19 U.S.C. § 1885(b)); and (2) the authority vested in the President by section 5(b) of the Trading with the Enemy Act, as amended (50 U. S.C. App. § 5(b)).

Presidential Proclamation 4074 provides in relevant part (F.R.Doc. 71-12120):

Whereas, there has been a prolonged decline in the international monetary reserves of the United States, and our trade and international competitive position is seriously threatened and, as a result, our continued ability to assure our security could be impaired;

Whereas, the balance of payments position of the United States requires the imposition of a surcharge on dutiable imports;

Whereas, pursuant to the authority vested in him by the Constitution and [1158]*1158the statutes, including, but not limited to, the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (hereinafter referred to as “the Tariff Act”), and the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 (hereinafter referred to as “the TEA”), the President entered into, and proclaimed tariff rates under, trade agreements with foreign countries;

Whereas, under the Tariff Act, the TEA, and other provisions of law, the President may, at any time, modify or terminate, in whole or in part, any proclamation made under his authority;

Now, Therefore, I, Richard Nixon, President of the United States of America acting under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the statutes, including, but not limited to, the Tariff Act, and the TEA, respectively, do proclaim as follows;

A. I hereby declare a national emergency during which I call upon the public and private sector to make the efforts necessary to strengthen the international economic position of the United States.

B. (1) I hereby terminate in part for such period as may be necessary and modify prior Presidential Proclamations which carry out trade agreements insofar as such proclamations are inconsistent with, or proclaim duties different from, those made effective pursuant to the terms of this Proclamation.

(2) Such proclamations are suspended only insofar as is required to assess a surcharge in the form of a supplemental duty amounting to 10 percent ad valorem. Such supplemental duty shall be imposed on all dutiable articles imported into the customs territory of the United States from outside thereof, which are entered, or withdrawn from warehouse, for consumption after 12:01 a. m., August 16, 1971, provided, however, that if the imposition of an additional duty of 10 percent ad valorem would cause the total duty or charge payable to exceed the total duty or charge payable at the rate prescribed in column 2 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States, then the column 2 rate shall apply.

C. To implement section B of this Proclamation, the following new subpart shall be inserted after subpart B of part 2 of the Appendix to the Tariff Schedules of the United States:

SUBPART C — TEMPORARY MODIFICATIONS FOR BALANCE OF PAYMENTS PURPOSES

Subpart C headnotes:

1. This subpart contains modifications of the provisions of the tariff schedules proclaimed by the President in Proclamation 4074.

2. Additional duties imposed — The duties provided for in this subpart are cumulative duties which apply in addition to the duties otherwise imposed on the articles involved. The provisions for these duties are effective with respect to articles entered on and after 12:01 a. m., August 16, 1971, and shall continue in effect until modified or terminated by the President or by the Secretary of the Treasury (hereinafter referred to as the Secretary) in accordance with headnote 4 of this subpart.

3. Limitation on additional duties— The additional 10 percent rate of duty specified in rate of duty column numbered 1 of item 948.00 shall in no event exceed that rate which, when added to the column numbered 1 rate imposed on' the imported article under the appropriate item in schedules 1 through 7 of these schedules, would result in an aggregated rate in excess of the rate provided for such article in rate of duty column numbered 2.

4. For the purposes of this sub-part—

(a) Delegation of authority to Secretary — The Secretary may from time to time take action to reduce, eliminate or reimpose the rate of additional duty herein or to establish exemption therefrom, either generally or with respect to an article which he may specify either generally or as the product of a particu[1159]*1159lar country, if he determines that such action is consistent with safeguarding the balance of payments position of the United States.

* * X X X X

(c) Authority to prescribe rules and regulations — The Secretary is authorized to prescribe such rules and regulations as he determines to be necessary or appropriate to carry out the provisions of this subpart.

5. Articles exempt from the additional duties — In accordance with determinations made by the Secretary in accordance with headnote 4(a), the following described articles are exempt from the provisions of this subpart:

X X X X X X

Item
948.00
Article
Articles, except as exempted under headnote 5 of this subpart, which are not free of duty under these schedules and which are the subject of tariff concessions granted by the United States in trade agreements
Rates of duty
1
10% ad val. . . . (See headnote 3 of this subpart.)
2
No change.
D. This Proclamation shall be effective 12:01 a. m., August 16,1971.

XXX X X X

I

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
378 F. Supp. 1155, 73 Cust. Ct. 1, 73 Ct. Cust. 1, 1974 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3019, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/yoshida-international-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1974.