Charles Garcia & Co. v. United States

44 Cust. Ct. 282
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJune 23, 1960
DocketC.D. 2187
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 44 Cust. Ct. 282 (Charles Garcia & Co. 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
Charles Garcia & Co. v. United States, 44 Cust. Ct. 282 (cusc 1960).

Opinion

Mollison, Judge:

The plaintiff in this case imported certain spinning reels used by sport fishermen. Each reel is so made that a spool containing fishing line may be quickly and easily attached or detached from the part containing the mechanism for reeling in or releasing the amount of line desired to be used when engaging in fishing. With each reel was packaged two spools, of construction, material, and line capacity different from each other. One spool, of smaller capacity than the other, is made of plastic and is used for what is termed “light” fishing, i.e., for comparatively small fish, while the other spool, of larger capacity, is made of metal, and is used for “heavy” fishing, presumably for larger fish.

The collector of customs classified each reel mechanism and one spool as a single tariff entity and assessed duty thereon at the rate of $1.50 each under the provision in paragraph 1535 of the Tariff Act of [284]*2841930, as modified by the Presidential proclamation relating to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T.D. 51802, for—

Fishing reels, finished or unfinished, not specially provided for * * *.

The other spool was classified by the collector as a separate tariff entity upon which he assessed duty at the rate of 40 per centum ad valorem under the provision in said paragraph 1535, as modified by the said T.D. 51802, for—

Parts of fishing rods and reels, finished or unfinished, not specially provided

It is the plaintiff’s claim that the reel and both spools are a single tariff entity, dutiable under the provision for fishing reels by virtue of the doctrine of entireties.

The issue raised by the protest in this case, involving reels and spools identical with those before us herein, was the subject of decision by this court in Charles Garcia & Co., Inc. v. United States, 37 Cust. Ct. 117, C.D. 1808. That decision, which was adverse to the plaintiff’s claim, was affirmed in Same v. Same, 45 C.C.P.A. (Customs) 1, C.A.D. 663.

The plaintiff has sought a retrial of the issue and here seeks a judgment in its favor on the ground that additional evidence, including certain stipulations of fact, presented in this case, warrant a determination that, as a matter of fact and law, the spools were entireties with the spinning reels with which they were imported.

In our opinion, reported as C.D. 1808 in the original case, we held that the imported reel and one spool responded to the meaning of the tariff term “fishing reels,” and that the second spool imported therewith was an accessory, rather than an integral part, of the commercial entity known as a fishing reel. In so doing, we took note of evidence in the record indicating that spinning reels other than the particular one in issue could use or could be adapted to use interchangeable spools—

* * * and tfiat there is nothing particularly or peculiarly characteristic of the imported reel which sets it apart from other spinning reels with respect to susceptibility of use for more than one type of fishing.

In the present case, the plaintiff has sought to show that fishing reels of the spinning type other than the particular reel at bar are designed, made, and sold for use with one size of spool, and that while other spools of the same size may be used interchangeably in connection with such reels, the different spools cannot be successfully adapted or used for a wide range of fishing activities involving the use of light and heavy gear and line.

As developed in the record, it appears that there are a number of problems involved in the effort to use one spinning reel mechanism and more than one spool for different types of fishing. First, in order to make the reel suitable for heavy fishing, a large capacity spool [285]*285must be used, i.e., one having sufficient line capacity to be used for heavy fishing where both the diameter of the line and the length of the line are greater than they are in the case of light fishing. Second, it appears that in all cases the winding of the line of the hub of the spool and between the flanges of the spool must be uniform and level. Third, the reel must incorporate a drag mechanism which can be adjusted for the weight of the fish intended to be caught in order to prevent line breakage, etc.

It appears that in order to secure the benefit of large capacity of line needed for heavy fishing, a wide width spool was adopted in the case of the spinning reels at bar, width in this case meaning the distance between the flanges. The width of the two spools applied with the reel at bar is the same, but the light-duty spool is made of lighter construction and materials than the heavy-duty spool and has a different drag mechanism incorporated in it. The light-duty spool also has a hub of greater diameter than the heavy-duty spool, inasmuch as it is not required to carry as much line as is the case of the heavy-duty spool.

Inasmuch as the spools in spinning reels have two motions when being used — one the rotary motion around the axle of the reel mechanism which winds or releases the line from- the hub of the spool, and the other a traverse back and forth of the axle and spool which is intended to provide uniform and level winding of the line around the hub from flange to flange — the use of the wide width spool introduced another problem.

The reel mechanisms previously in existence which were suitable for use with narrow width spools imparted sinusoidal traverse action to the axle, i.e., the speed of the traverse of the axle holding the spool was greater in the center than it was at the ends, with the result that when a wide width spool was used the line tended to pile up at the ends of the hub. The reel mechanism of the spinning reel at bar was designed to impart a linear, instead of a sinusoidal, motion to the traverse action of the reel, resulting in uniform and level winding of the line.

A third problem found in reels other than the one at bar when attempt was made to use them for both light and heavy fishing, was the limitation of the drag mechanism which was built into the reel mechanism. A light-purpose reel would not have sufficient drag action for use in heavy fishing. In the case of. the spinning reels at bar, the problem was solved by incorporating the drag mechanism into each spool and making it adjustable for the type of fishing for which the spool was intended to be used.

By reason of the design and arrangement of both the reel mechanism and the two spools at bar, therefore, it appears that the reel will successfully accept and handle the small capacity, large hub diameter [286]*286Spool packaged therewith which is used for light lines, and yet instantly and without adjustment accept and handle the large capacity, narrow hub diameter spool which is used when heavy line is used for heavier types of fishing.

The effort of the plaintiff in the case at bar has been to establish that the particular spinning reel at bar is a true dual-purpose reel and that to obtain the benefit of both of its purposes each of the spools is essential to use of the reel. Hence, plaintiff argues, both spools are integral parts of the said reels.

We are of the opinion that plaintiff has been successful in its effort, as well as in establishing that, in such respect, the reels and spools at bar are unique and differ from all other fishing reels.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Mader v. United States
63 Cust. Ct. 370 (U.S. Customs Court, 1969)
Charles Garcia & Co. v. United States
58 Cust. Ct. 869 (U.S. Customs Court, 1967)
Miniature Fashions, Inc. v. United States
55 Cust. Ct. 154 (U.S. Customs Court, 1965)
Unimark Photo, Inc. v. United States
47 Cust. Ct. 75 (U.S. Customs Court, 1961)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
44 Cust. Ct. 282, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/charles-garcia-co-v-united-states-cusc-1960.