Border Brokerage Co. v. United States

56 Cust. Ct. 16, 1965 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2237
United States Customs Court·Decided December 29, 1965·No. C.D. 2606·Published·Cited by 4 cases

Opinion

WilsoN, Judge:

The merchandise under protest was invoiced as “N423 Dipping Paint, with titanium,” “N429 Navaho Paint,” “N430 Doeskin,” “N431 Beige,” and “S-914 Silver Gray Dip Paste — with Titanium” (plaintiff’s exhibit 2, B. 17). The importations were classified and assessed by the collector under paragraph 24 of the Tariff Act of 1930 as chemical mixtures or alcoholic compounds not specially provided for, containing under 20 per centum alcohol, at the rate [17] of 20 cents per pound plus 25 per centum ad valorem. The importer claims that the merchandise is properly dutiable under the provisions of paragraph 66 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the Sixth Protocol of Supplementary Concessions to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T.D. 54108, providing for “Pigments, colors, stains, and paints * * * whether dry, mixed, or ground in or mixed with water, oil, or solutions other than oil, not specially provided for * * * Other,” at the rate of 10% per centum ad valorem, or, alternatively, under paragraph 89 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T.D. 51802, at the rate of 15 per centum ad valorem as a compound or mixture containing titanium.

The statutes involved are as follows:

Paragraph 24, Tariff Act of 1930:

Chemical elements, and chemical and medicinal compounds, preparations, mixtures, and salts, distilled or essential oils, expressed or extracted oils, animal oils and greases, ethers and esters, flavoring and other extracts, and natural or synthetic fruit flavors, fruit esters, oils and essences, all the foregoing and their combinations when containing alcohol, and all articles consisting of vegetable or mineral objects immersed or placed in, or saturated with, alcohol, except perfumery and spirit varnishes, and all alcoholic compounds not specially provided for, if containing 20 per centum of alcohol or less, 20 cents per pound and 25 per centum ad valorem; * * *.

Paragraph 66, Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the Sixth Protocol of Supplementary Concessions to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T.D. 54108:

Pigments, colors, stains, and paints, including enamel paints, whether dry, mixed, or ground in or mixed with water, oil, or solutions other than oil, not specially provided for:

Other_10;%% ad val.

Paragraph 89, Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T.D. 51802:

Titanium potassium oxalate, and all compounds and mixtures containing titanium_15% ad val.

The evidence of the plaintiff consists of two exhibits (plaintiff’s exhibits 1 and 2 (R. 10, R. 17)) and the oral testimony of W. D. Ekins, chief chemist and plant manager of Spectrum Chemicals, New Westminster, B.C., manufacturer of the merchandise here involved. The defendant introduced no testimony. The uncontradicted testimony of Mr. Ekins establishes the fact that plaintiff’s exhibit 1 sets [18] forth the formulas used in the manufacture of the imported items designated as “N423 Dipping Paint, with titanium,” “N429 Navaho Paint,” “N430 Doeskin,” and “N431 Beige.” Mr. Ekins’ testimony also shows that plaintiff’s exhibit 2 is “a paint formula for a dip paste, which would be further reduced before being used” (E. 14), and is the formula for the item designated on the invoice, covered by entry 5943, as “S-914” (E. 17). The record discloses that both formulas were prepared by plaintiff’s witness who stated that the business of Spectrum Chemicals was the preparation of formulas for and the manufacture of paints and stains. Plaintiff’s witness further stated that the imported commodities were manufactured for use in coating cedar shakes, testifying, in this connection, as follows:

Q. And did you observe how they were used in the United States? — -A. Yes. I directed their use.
Q. Were those manufactured to any particular specifications ?■ — A. They were manufactured to specific formulas which I made up, developed myself, for an end use. [E. 6.]

It was admitted that the formula of the finished products contained ethyl alcohol in an amount less than 30 per centum. Mr. Ekins stated that it is normal to add solvents to a paint when it is purchased for a stain and explained that the alcohol was used for what is known in the trade as a “solvent” and that the “Solvent is that material which evaporates from the paint after application, but does not remain as part of the finished protective film” (E. 7). In this connection, the witness testified as follows:

Q,. Why is the alcohol added? — A. There’s an ingredient in the formula genetically called bentone, which is a type of clay. The alcohol is added to adjust for what we call the polarity of the solvent system to promote the swelling of this clay. Clay acts as a bodying agent, which controls the body of the finished product for application purposes. [E. 11.]

Some of the items contained a coloring matter known as titanium (E. 13). It is a fair deduction from all of Mr. Ekins’ testimony that the material as imported was suitable for no other commercial purpose except for use as a stain or paint for a protective covering after the addition of a thinner.

On cross-examination, plaintiff’s witness testified in part as follows:

Q. Does this merchandise require a thinner? — A. This was formulated to require a thinner, yes, because of the type of operation it was to be used in.
Q.. So then, in the condition as imported, it wasn’t usable as a paint or a stain ? — A. It could be used as a paint as it was imported.
Q. But it was not intended to be used as a paint or stain as imported?^ — A. It was not adapted to the equipment. It had to be reduced by the customer.

[19] Judge WilsoN. Would you put it into commerce as it was imported, so that the end user could put in thinner, as you put in ?

The WitNesss Well, this is a little difficult to answer, in this respect. Some customers may like a paint this heavy in body, with this type of thickness to it. Then it could be used, and we would sell it this way.

Judge WilsoN : Well, did you sell this this way, or did you thin it out yourself before putting it into commerce, or selling it?

The WitNess : No. We sold it to the customer this way.

Judge Wilson: So any thinner used, then, was used by the customer, according to your directions ?

The Witnesss Yes. [E. 21-22.]

As heretofore noted, the plaintiff contends that the merchandise under protest is more specifically provided for under paragraph 66 of the tariff act, supra, than under paragraph 24, as classified, or that it is properly classifiable under paragraph 89 of the tariff act. Plaintiff’s exhibits 1 and 2 show the items N423, N430, N431, and S-914 as containing substantial quantities of rutile titanium dioxide, which was described as a Canadian titanium pigment. In Jarrell-Ash Co. v. United States, 17 Cust. Ct. 176, Abstract 51285, the court, in holding certain merchandise designated as “E.U. Powder, F.558” properly classifiable under paragraph 89 of the Tariff Act of 1930, providing for “Titanium potassium oxalate, and all compounds and mixtures containing titanium,” at page 177, stated:

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Border Brokerage Co. v. United States, 56 Cust. Ct. 16, 1965 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2237 (cusc 1965).

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