Related-party imports can justify rejection of declared...

Related-party imports can justify rejection of declared transaction value where the importer and foreign supplier are owned or controlled by the same family and the relationship was not disclosed; the Tribunal treated this as sufficient reason to doubt the truth of the declared value under the valuation rules. Once transaction value is rejected, re-determination must follow the prescribed sequential valuation scheme, with a rule-by-rule basis identified for each item. The Tribunal sustained valuation only for specified goods where supplier invoices or contemporaneous imports supported the adjustment, but set aside Rule 8 valuations based on unsupported materials such as manufacturers' invoices, handwritten cost sheets, domestic sale prices, or arbitrary loading. Consequential confiscation, redemption fine, and personal penalties were quashed.

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