Arthur J. Humphreys, Inc. v. United States

74 Cust. Ct. 73, 394 F. Supp. 1395, 1975 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2194
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedMarch 18, 1975
DocketCourt Nos. 70/55211 and 70/55224
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 74 Cust. Ct. 73 (Arthur J. Humphreys, 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
Arthur J. Humphreys, Inc. v. United States, 74 Cust. Ct. 73, 394 F. Supp. 1395, 1975 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2194 (cusc 1975).

Opinion

Ford, Judge:

The merchandise covered by this consolidated action consists of western red cedar fence sections, fence posts, gates, comer adaptors and cleats. The fence sections identified on the invoices as 4 x 8 and 5x8 western weave, 5x8 and 6x8 stockade, 5x8 townhouse, crisscross sections and the formal gates and stockade gates of various sizes were all assessed with duty at the rate of 11.5 per centum ad valorem under item 207.00, Tariff Schedules of the United States, as modified by Presidential Proclamation 3822, T.D. 68-9, as “Articles not specially provided for, of wood.”

The fence posts, corner adaptors, and cleats were classified by customs under item 202.54, Tariff Schedules of the United States, as modified by Presidential Proclamations 3694 and 3813, T.D.'s 66-9 [75]*75and 67-267, as other lumber whether or not drilled or treated and assessed with duty at 5 per centum ad valorem.

Plaintiff contends the fence posts are entitled to entry free of duty under item 200.60, Tariff Schedules of the United States, and the balance of the merchandise under item 200.75, Tariff Schedules of the United States, as wood fence pickets, palings and rails, whether or not assembled into fence sections.

The pertinent portions of the statutory provisions involved herein and their headnotes read as follows:

Tariff Schedules of the United States:

Schedule 2. — Wood and Paper; Printed Matter
Part 1. — Wood and Wood Products
* * * $ * * *
Subpart A. — Bough and Primary Wood Products; Wood Waste
Subpart A headnotes:
if:
2. The provisions for wood products in items 200.60 (poles, piles, and posts), 200.65 (laths), 200.75 (fence pickets, palings, and rails), 200.80 (railroad ties), and 200.85 (shingles and shakes) cover such products whether or not they have been treated with creosote or other wood preservatives.
*******
200.60 Wood poles, piles, and posts- Free
* * * * * * *
200.75 Wood fence pickets, palings, and rails, whether or not assembled into fence sections_ Free
* * * * * * *
Subpart B. — Lumber, Flooring and Moldings
Subpart B headnotes:
1. This subpart covers lumber, wood siding, wood flooring, wood moldings, and certain wood carvings and ornaments, includiug such products when they have been drilled or treated.
2. For the purposes of this part, the following terms have the meanings hereby assigned to them:
^4 * * * * * *
[76]*76(d) Drilled or treated: Drilled at intervals for nails, screws, or bolts, sanded or otherwise surface processed in lieu of, or in addition to, planing or working, or treated with creosote or other wood preservatives, or with fillers, sealers, waxes, oils, stains, varnishes, paints, or enamels, but not including anti-stain or other temporary applications mentioned in headnote 4 of this subpart.
* * * * * * *
4. The treatment of lumber or other products provided for in this subpart with anti-stain or other temporary applications which serve only for the purpose of maintaining the products in their rough, dressed, or worked condition until installation or further manufacture shall not affect their classification under any of the provisions of this subpart.
‡ * % *
Lumber and wood siding, drilled or treated; and edge-glued or end-glued wood not over 6 feet in length or over 15 inches in width, whether or not drilled or treated:
202.54 Other_ _ 5% ad val.
* * * * * * *
Subpart F. — Articles Not Specially Provided For, of Wood
Subpart F headnote:
1. This subpart covers all products of wood which are not provided for elsewhere in the tariff schedules.
207.00 Articles not specially provided for, of wood_ 11.5% ad val.

The record consists of the testimony of three witnesses called on behalf of plaintiff and the receipt in evidence of nine exhibits. Defendant called two witnesses and introduced nine exhibits in evidence.

Gordon Nanson was the designer of the imported merchandise and handled the manufacture and sale for North Pacific Lumber Company, the ultimate consignee herein. The witness has been in the lumber products industry since 1948 and presently operates a lumber brokerage business. The shipments of fencing in their natural form were as represented by plaintiff’s exhibit 4. As the sections were manufactured as early as September and then stored for shipment until [77]*77the following February and March, the color had deteriorated. In order to overcome this, Mr. Nanson and the president of B. C. Wedge, Ltd. approached Walker Brothers Paint Co. who produced a solution which would help maintain a uniform appearance. The formula thus developed is represented by plaintiff’s exhibit 9 with the exception of the phenyl mercuric acetate.

Subsequent to the use of this solution, a second problem developed in the form of green mold. Walker Brothers Paint Co. then developed an additive to the solution already used, i.e., phenyl mercuric acetate to suppress the growth of the green mold.

Lawrence Storey of Walker Brothers Paint Co. testified he developed a solution which controlled water marking and which retarded the leaching action which is normally associated with the aging of cedar. This treatment produced a color similar to plaintiff’s exhibit 3. The problem of green mold subsequently encountered resulted in the experimentation with five or six formulas being developed in collaboration with Western Forest Products Laboratory. The final formula is that contained in plaintiff’s exhibit 9. The color imparted to the material was similar to plaintiff’s exhibits 1 and 2.

Mr. Storey agreed with the definition of wood preservative contained in the book Wood Preservation by Hunt and Garrett which states as follows:

Wood preservatives are chemical substances that, when suitably applied to wood, make it resistant to attack by fungi, insects, or marine boras.

In his opinion the definition describes the treatment of the western red cedar with the formula he developed as it controlled biological mold growth. Stains may be either transparent or opaque using a linseed oil creosote or latex base. A stain is a preservative to the extent that it prevents degradation of the wood caused through ultraviolet light.

A linseed oil or creosote stain, according to the witness, would constitute a certain amount of water repellency and tend to prevent or retard leaching of extractives by water whereas the stain involved herein would only nominally do so because the film is very thin. The stain developed was a concentrate which was to be diluted with five parts of water.

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Related

Evvan Importers, Inc. v. United States
85 Cust. Ct. 51 (U.S. Customs Court, 1980)
United States v. Arthur J. Humpreys, Inc.
531 F.2d 1059 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1976)

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Bluebook (online)
74 Cust. Ct. 73, 394 F. Supp. 1395, 1975 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2194, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/arthur-j-humphreys-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1975.