American Viscose Corp. v. United States

8 Cust. Ct. 146, 1942 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 19
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedFebruary 18, 1942
DocketC. D. 594
StatusPublished

This text of 8 Cust. Ct. 146 (American Viscose Corp. 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 Viscose Corp. v. United States, 8 Cust. Ct. 146, 1942 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 19 (cusc 1942).

Opinion

Kincheloe, Judge:

The plaintiff filed this suit seeking to recover a certain sum of money alleged to have been illegally exacted as customs duties on an importation of cotton cloth. Duty was levied on the merchandise at the appropriate rate according to the average yarn number and other statutory requirements contained in paragraph 904 of the act of 1930, and in addition thereto an additional duty of 10 cents per pound was levied on the warp threads contained in said cotton cloth, under the provisions of paragraph 924 of said act, upon the theory that the cotton contained therein has a staple of 1 % inches or more in length.

The plaintiff claims that said merchandise is not subject to the assessment of duty under paragraph 924, based upon the contention that the cotton contained therein has a staple of less than l}i inches in length. The plaintiff raises no question concerning the regular duty assessed upon said merchandise under paragraph 904, but limits its claim to the duty assessed under paragraph 924 and to the cotton cloth designated upon the invoice as quality CX837xlC, and abandons its claim as to all other items on the invoice.

The record before us consists of 157 pages containing the testimony of eight witnesses, six of whom testified for the plaintiff and two for the defendant, and exhibits 1 and 1-A, and illustrative exhibits A to Q, inclusive, and exhibit 1-X. In view of the state of the record and the conclusion we have reached, we do not feel that any useful purpose would be served by setting out a detailed analysis of the evidence at this point, but we shall refer to the same as occasion requires. We have, however, carefully examined, considered, and weighed each and every item of evidence in the record.

In arriving at his classification of the merchandise herein and in finding that the staple of the warp yarns was 1% inches or more in length the collector did not include in his consideration and determination the entire fabric and all parts thereof, in that he failed to include therein the weft or filling threads. The collector found that the warp yarns constituted 35.2 per centum of the weight of the cotton cloth, and also made an allowance in the weight of the warp yarns of 2 per •centum for sizing.

Counsel for the plaintiff in his brief filed herein contends that in assessing a duty of 10 cents per pound under paragraph 924 on the cotton cloth herein, the cotton fibers contained in both the warp and weft or filling threads should be included and considered in order to determine the staple length of the cotton contained in the cloth as an entirety. As support for this contention counsel relies upon the congressional mandate contained in paragraph 903 (b), Avhich reads us follows:

[148]*148In the aseertamihelit oí the condition of the cloth or yam upon which the duties imposed upon cotton cloth are made to depend, the entire fabric and all parts thereof shall be included. [Italics ours.]

It is clear that the Congress, in referring to “cloth” in said paragraph 903 (b) meant cloth such as or similar to that herein involved, and that in using the word “yarn” it referred to cotton yam when imported as such and before such yarn had been manufactured into a woven cloth, such as are provided for in paragraph 901 (a) and (b). This intention is made entirely clear by reference to the congressional definition of “cotton cloth” contained in paragraph 903 (a) as follows:

The term cotton cloth * * * wherever used in this schedule * * * 3hall be held to include all woven fabrics of cotton, in the piece * * *.

Once Congress has defined a term the same is binding upon this court, and we are not at liberty to adopt and use some other or different definition of the term so defined. It is therefore entirely clear that when the Congress used the term “cotton cloth” in said paragraph 903 (b) it was referring to “cotton cloth” as it had defined the term in the preceding subparagraph, 903 (a), and not to “yarn,” such as is provided for in said paragraph 901 (a) and (b). The foregoing furnishes no indication that the Congress intended to permit cotton yams, when imported as such,-to escape the additional duty of 10 cents per pound provided for in paragraph 924, and therefore the use of the word “yarn” in paragraph 903 (b).

It is conceded that the cotton cloth here involved consists of a warp and weft or filling yarn. Therefore the “ entire fabric and all parts thereof” includes both the warp and the weft or filling yarn, and does not include only the warp yarn. In order for the collector to comply with the clear mandate contained in paragraph 903 (b), in classifying the present cotton cloth, he was required to include “the entire fabric and all parts thereof,” and not having followed the congressional mandate his action was clearly erroneous. On the admission and concession that the collector in classifying the instant merchandise did Pot include “the entire fabric and all parts thereof,” as a matter of law his classification was wrong, and all presumption in favor of his classification is overcome and disappears.

Counsel for the defendant contends that it has not been shown, what method of measurement the collector employed in determining the staple length of the cotton contained in the warp yarn of the imported merchandise, and that consequently we are unable to determine whether, the presumption in favor of his classification has been overcome. Our views, as heretofore expressed, indicate our disagreement with this contention, but if we should accept this. [149]*149contention, defendant’s illustrative exhibit M states the following with reference to the stapling of yarn in cotton cloth:

Two or three arrays (stapling 10 to 30 inches of yarn for each) should be made to insure a correct judgment of staple length. After representative threads of all different yarns in a cloth have been drawn (stapled on the board), each type of thread is judged to be under or over as the case may be. The weights of the yarns 1 54" or over are divided by the total weight taken, and the result expressed as percentage of yarn with a staple 1}4" or over.
If a visual examination of the array indicates a preponderance (50% or more) of the fibers are 1)4" or over, the yarn should be considered as 154" or over in staple. If the examination indicates less than 30% of fiber 154" or over, the yarn should be considered as less than 1J4" in staple. [Second italics ours.]

Illustrative exhibit M, from which the above is quoted, is referred to in the record as “Pamphlet No. 216,” and which witness Gassmann testified he compiled after certain research work. He testified that the result of his research went to collectors of customs all over the United States, and that said pamphlet was issued for their guidance. When asked what research he made as a basis for the issuance of this authoritative pamphlet, he answered: “We didn’t make any special research.” The witness testified, however, that “This pamphlet purports to be the authoritative method for stapling cotton cloth.”

All Government officials are presumed to follow instructions. Therefore, if pamphlet No. 216 purports to be the authoritative method for stapling cotton cloth and was issued and sent to collectors of customs all over the United States for their guidance, it might well be presumed that the collector followed the instructions contained in pamphlet No. 216 in classifying the instant merchandise.

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Bluebook (online)
8 Cust. Ct. 146, 1942 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 19, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/american-viscose-corp-v-united-states-cusc-1942.