American SF Products, Inc. v. United States

61 Cust. Ct. 257, 291 F. Supp. 685, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2172
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedOctober 21, 1968
DocketC.D. 3593
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 61 Cust. Ct. 257 (American SF Products, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Customs Court primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
American SF Products, Inc. v. United States, 61 Cust. Ct. 257, 291 F. Supp. 685, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2172 (cusc 1968).

Opinion

Ford, Judge:

The merchandise involved in this case consists of spare parts for a Flakt Dryer, type L, imported from Sweden and entered at the port of New York on October 18, 1965. It was assessed with duty at 12% per centum ad valorem under item 661.70, Tariff Schedules of the United States, as parts of industrial machinery for the treatment of materials by a process involving a change of temperature, and is claimed to be dutiable at 7 per centum ad valorem under item 668.06, as parts of machines for making cellulosic pulp, paper, or paperboard.

The pertinent provisions of said tariff schedules are as follows : Schedule 6, part 4

Subpart A. - Boilers, Non-Electric Motors and Engines, and Other General Purpose Machinery

Subpart A head-note:
1. A machine or appliance which is described in this subpart and also is described elsewhere in this part is classifiable in this subpart.
% # Jjs % % * *
Industrial machinery, plant, and similar laboratory equipment, whether or not electrically heated, for the treatment of materials by a process involving a change of temperature, such as heating, cooking, roasting, distilling, rectifying, sterilizing, pasteurizing, steaming, drying, evaporating, vaporizing, condensing, or cooling; instantaneous or storage water heaters, non-electrical; all the foregoing (except agricultural implements, sugar ma- ■ chinery, and machinery or equipment for the heat-treatment of textile yarns, fabrics, or made-up textile articles) and parts thereof:
* H! * * * * *

661.70 Other_ 12.5% ad val.

‡ ‡ ‡ ‡ $

Subpart D.-Pulp and Paper Machinery; Bookbinding Machinery: Printing Machinery

Machines for making cellulosic pulp, paper, or paperboard; machines for processing or finishing pulp, paper, or paperboard, or making them up into articles:

[259]*259668.00 Machines for making cellulosic pulp,

paper, or paperboard- 7% ad val.

% % ^ ❖ * * H*

Parts of the foregoing machines:

‡ ‡ ‡ $

Other:

668. 06 Parts of machines for making cellu-losic pulp, paper, or paperboard_7% ad val.

The evidence consists of seven exhibits and the testimony of Gert K. A. Siggelin, vice president of A. B. Flaktfabriken, North and South American Region, who had been president of American SF Products, Inc., from September 1963 to April 1966. The latter is a wholly owned subsidiary of the former. Mr. Siggelin’s duties as president of American SF Products, Inc., were in general management, including sales and engineering. He holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Technical Institute in Stockholm, and since 1953 Ms efforts have been in the area of drying and air handling. He said he was familiar with the items herein and described them as spare parts for a Flakt Dryer, type L, which was sold to Georgia Pacific Company’s plant in Samoa, California. He identified the parts enumerated on the invoice with the parts of a Flakt Dryer designated on drawings thereof (exMbits 2 and 3). Defendant has conceded that the imported items are or will be parts of a Flakt Dryer.

Mr. Siggelin had observed the Flakt Dryer in use at the Georgia Pacific plant and had seen the same type dryers in other areas of this country and abroad. He said it is used in the course of the process of making pulp available for sale. He had observed the pulp making process, by wMch he meant the transformation of fibers in a slurry solution to dry- pulp in bales which can be shipped to a customer.

He explained that the process starts with a slurry solution of about 1 percent fiber and 99 percent water. The slurry flows from the head box on a wire which is a screen or a conveying screen where a, substantial amount of water is drained off. A wet web or a fiber mat is formed on the screen. That mat goes through a first press, a second press, a predryer, and a third press before going into the Flakt Dryer. Water is removed continuously in the process except in the predryer, whose function is to increase the temperature of the pulp web. This changes the viscosity of the water and makes it easier to press it out in the third press. By the time the pulp web reaches the Flakt Dryer it consists of 40-45 percent fibers and 55-60 percent water and has a temperature of approximately 140 degrees Fahrenheit.

The wet pulp web enters the Flakt Dryer on the top and is carried through decks on cushions of air which are blown from the bottom, sup[260]*260porting the web and helping it forward in the direction of travel. Air is also blown down on the web from the top to dry it. The air is heated by means of steam coils to a temperature of 250-300 degrees Fahrenheit to speed up the drying. The web is treated or acted upon by the hot air which transmits heat to the pulp web and evaporates the moisture therein.

The machine has a roller at each end, but in between the web flows on air without touching the sides and being discolored by rubbing. The product that emerges is a dry sheet having the physical characteristics of commercial pulp. The sheet is then cut in pieces, pressed together in bales and shipped to customers.

Samples of the wet pulp web and of the finished commercial pulp were received in evidence as exhibits 6 and 7, respectively. The witness testified that the former was very wet and was hard to handle since it was weak and easily torn. He said that exhibit 7 was very strong and could actually break mechanical equipment. According to the witness, exhibit 6 would eventually dry out completely (as hi fact it has) and would be the same as exhibit 7 in water content but would be cockled and have an uneven surface. Exhibit 7 is a comparatively smooth piece of board.

Plaintiff contends that the Flakt Dryer performs an essential step in the pulp making process and is a machine for making cellulosic pulp, within the meaning of item 668.00, sufra. The parts are therefore claimed to be dutiable under item 668.06, as parts of machines for making cellulosic pulp.

Defendant’s position is that the Flakt Dryer treats materials by a process involving a change of temperature, such as heating, drying, and evaporating and that the parts thereof were properly classified under item 661.70, sufra.

Under the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified, it has been held that no one machine makes paper pulp and that machines used in the process thereof (unless essentially electrical) are classifiable under X>aragraph 372, as modified, as machines for making paper or paper pulp. Bird Machine Company v. United States, 51 CCPA 42, C.A.D. 835; Superwood Corporation v. United States, 52 Cust. Ct. 92, C.D. 2443, affirmed sub nom. United States v. Superwood Corporation, 52 CCPA 57, C.A.D. 858; Arthur J. Frits & Co. v. United States, 46 Cust. Ct. 215, C.D. 2258. In the case last cited the merchandise consisted of pulp drying equipment which apparently performed a function the same as or similar to that of the Flakt Dryer. The court stated (p. 221) :

The evidence herein establishes that the imported machine in its operative condition, takes a pulp sheet or web, which has already been [261]

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Bluebook (online)
61 Cust. Ct. 257, 291 F. Supp. 685, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-sf-products-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1968.