Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 70.djvu/999

 70 S T A T. ]

Public Law 927

PUBLIC DAW 927-AUG. 2, 1956 CHAPTER 887

AN ACT To amend certain administrative provisions of the Tariff Act of 1930 and to repeal obsolete provisions of the customs laws.

August 2, 1956 [H. R. 6040]

Be it enacted py the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That this Act may f l Customs SlmpHc a t i o n Act of 1956. be cited as the "Customs Simplification Act of 1956". SEC. 2. (a) Section 402 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended (U.S.C. 1952 edition, title 19, sec. 1402), is redesignated "SEC. 402a. 46 Stat. 708. VALUE (ALTERNATIVE)/; and such Tariff Act of 1930 is amended by inserting therein immediately before the redesignated section 402a a new section 402 to read as follows: "SEC. 402. VALUE.

" (a) BASIS,—Except as otherwise specifically provided for in this Act, the value of imported merchandise for the purposes of this Act shall be— "(1) the export value, or "(2) if the export value cannot be determined satisfactorily, then the United States value, or "(3) if neither the export value nor the United States value can be determined satisfactorily, then the constructed value; except that, in the case of an imported article subject to a rate of duty based on the American selling price of a domestic article, such value shall be— "(4) the American selling price of such domestic article. " (b) EXPORT VALUE.—For the purposes of this section, the export value of imported merchandise shall be the price, at the time of exportation to the United States of the merchandise undergoing appraisement, at which such or similar merchandise is freely sold or, in the absence of sales, offered for sale in the principal markets of the country of exportation, in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade, for exportation to the United States, plus, when not included in such price, the cost of all containers and coverings of whatever nature and all other expenses incidental to placing the merchandise in condition, packed ready for shipment to the United States. "(c) U N II E D STATES VALUE,—For the purposes of this section, the United States value of imported merchandise shall be the price, at the time of exportation to the United States of the merchandise undergoing appraisement, at which such or similar merchandise is freely sold or, in the absence of sales, offered for sale in the principal market of the United States for domestic consumption, packed ready for delivery, in the usual wholesale quantities and in the ordinary course of trade, with allowances made for— "(1) any commission usually paid or agreed to be paid, or the addition for profit and general expenses usually made, in connection with sales in such market of imported merchandise of the same class or kind as the merchandise undergoing appraisement; "(2) the usual costs of transportation and insurance and other usual expenses incurred with respect to such or similar merchandise from the place of shipment to the place of delivery, not including any expense provided for in subdivision (1); and "(3) the ordinary customs duties and other Federal taxes currently payable on such or similar merchandise by reason of its importation, and any Federal excise taxes on, or measured by the value of, such or similar merchandise, for which vendors at wholesale in the United States are ordinarily liable.

V a l u e of I m p o r t e d merchai»> dise.

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