Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 61 Part 5.djvu/27

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INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS OTHER THAN TREATIES [61 STAT. regulated in any manner by value, at the earliest practicable date. ['] Moreover, they shall, upon a request by another contracting party, review the operation of any of their laws or regulations relating to value for customs purposes in the light of these principles. The CONTRACTING PARTIES may request from contracting parties reports on steps taken by them in pursuance of the provisions of this Article. 2. (a) The value for customs purposes of imported merchandise should be based on the actual value of the imported merchandise on which duty is assessed, or of like merchandise, and should not be based on the value of merohandise of national origin or on arbitrary or fictitious values. (b) "Actual value" should be the price at which, at a time and place determined by the legislation of the country of impor- tation, and in the ordinary course of trade, such or like merch- andise is sold or offered for sale under fully competitive conditions. To the extent to which the price of such or like merchandise is governed by the quantity in a particular transaction, the price to be considered should uniformly be related to either (i) comparable quantities, or (ii) quantities not less favourable to importers than those in which the greater volume of the merchandise is sold in the trade between the countries of exportation and importation. [2] (c) When the actual value is not ascertainable in accordance with sub-paragraph (b) of this paragraph, the value for customs purposes should be based on the nearest ascertainable equivalent of such value. 3. The value for customs purposes of any imported product should not include the amount of any internal tax, applicable within the [ Post, p. A86.] [Post, p. A87.] A26