2006 (9) TMI 181 - SUPREME COURT

Whether the transportation charges for the use of barges for carrying the cargo from the mother vessel which anchored at BFL to the Dharmatar jetty where the goods were unloaded are to be added to calculate the assessable value for the purpose of duty under the Customs Act?

Held that:- The bills of lading show that the port of discharge was Mumbai Port/JNPT/Dharamtar. In the bill of entry, the FOB price, freight and insurance were shown separately in U.S. dollars. Since Dharamtar was also shown as the port of discharge, the freight charges paid by the buyer to the shippers included the charges for freight not only upto BFL but also to Dharamtar.

Appeal is allowed and the impugned' order of the Tribunal as well as of the Customs authorities are set aside, and it is held that the charges for transportation of the goods by barges from the mother ship at BFL to the Dharamtar Jetty cannot be added to the valuation of the imported goods for the purpose of levying customs duty.

Any amount collected by the revenue as duty on barge charges shall be refunded forthwith to the assessee with statutonr interest from the date of payment to the date of refund, which must be within three months from today.