Importer, US Settle Dispute in Defective Plywood Customs Case

Importer Bral Corp. and the U.S. settled a customs case on the company's entries of allegedly defective plywood, according to a Jan. 16 stipulation of dismissal, but didn't make the settlement public. The company declined to comment on the terms of the settlement (Bral Corp. v. United States, CIT # 20-00154).

The case hinged on whether Bral's goods met the terms of CBP regulation 19 CFR 158.12(a), which says that when goods are found to be partially damaged upon import, they will be appraised in the condition as imported, "with an allowance made in the value to the extent of the damage." The Court of International Trade in March 2023 rejected Bral's motion for summary judgment, finding a genuine issue of material fact existed regarding whether there was a contract for defect-free merchandise (see 2303200025).

The settlement came before the case advanced to trial.