Decor International, Inc. v. United States

58 Cust. Ct. 266, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2460
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedApril 11, 1967
DocketC.D. 2957
StatusPublished

This text of 58 Cust. Ct. 266 (Decor International, 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
Decor International, Inc. v. United States, 58 Cust. Ct. 266, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2460 (cusc 1967).

Opinion

Ford, Judge:

The merchandise before us consists of wool rugs, some fringed and some without fringe, imported from Sardinia, Italy. Upon entry at the port of Boston, Mass., the fringed rugs were classified as articles in part of fringe (woolen rugs) and assessed with duty at the rate of 42% per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1529(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the Sixth Protocol of Supplementary Concessions to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 91 Treas. Dec. 150, T.D. 54108. The rugs without fringe were classified as floor coverings, wholly or in chief value of wool, not specially [267]*267provided for, under paragraph 1117 (c), Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the Protocol of Terms of Accession by Japan to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 90 Treas. Dec. 234, T.D. 53865, and made effective by 90 Treas. Dec. 280, T.D. 53877, and duty was imposed thereon at the rate of 30 per centum ad valorem.

It is contended by plaintiff that said merchandise should have been classified under paragraph 1116(a), Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 82 Treas. Dec. 305, T.D. 51802, covering Oriental, Axminster, Savonnerie, Aubusson, and other carpets, rugs, and mats, not made on a power-driven loom, and assessed at the rate of 22*4 per centum ad valorem.

The competing provisions of the tariff act, as modified, are here set forth.

Paragraph 1529(a), Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by Customs Administrative Act of 1938, 74 Treas. Dec. 17, T.D. 49646—

* * * fringes * * * all the foregoing, and fabrics and articles wholly or in part thereof, finished or unfinished (except materials and articles provided for in paragraph * * * 1116(a) * * *) * * * by whatever name known, and to whatever use applied * * *.

Paragraph 1529(a), Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by T.D. 54108, sufra—

* * * fringes * * * all the foregoing provided for in subdivision [2] of paragraph 1529(a)_4214% ad val.

Paragraph 1117(c), Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by T.D. 53865 and T.D. 53877, sufra—

Floor coverings, including mats and druggets, wholly or in chief value of wool, not specially provided for, valued at more than 40 cents per square foot_30% ad val.

Paragraph 1116(a), Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by T.D. 51802, sufra—

Oriental, Axminster, Savonnerie, Aubusson, and other carpets, rugs, and mats, not made on a power-driven loom, plain or figured, whether woven as separate carpets, rugs, or mats, or in rolls of any width-150 per sq. ft., but not less than 22%% ad val.

At the time of trial, protest 64/2886 was the sole protest before the court, protest 64/2888 having been dismissed for failure to prosecute. A subsequent motion was made to set aside the dismissal therein, and an order for consolidation and resubmission of the cases was granted.

The evidence in this case consists of testimony of one witness called on behalf of plaintiff, one witness called on behalf of defendant, as [268]*268well as three exhibits introduced by the plaintiff. At the trial, it was orally stipulated that exhibit 2 is representative of the fringed rugs in the shipment involved herein and also representative of the un-fringed rugs involved in the shipment except that the latter would not have any fringe.

Plaintiff’s witness, Emanuel Balkin, testified that he is president and general manager of Decor International, Inc., the ultimate consignee herein, whose business is importing rugs.

The witness stated that the articles involved are pileless, handwoven rugs, generally called Kalim rugs. They are made by the women in villages in Sardinia on hand looms, some of which are over 100 years old. Mr. Balkin testified that these flat weave Sardinian rugs are not commonly seen in the United States, and, as far as he knows, he is the sole importer of such rugs in this country for commercial use.

The undisputed testimony shows that the flat, pileless rug in issue is made in the following manner: The woolen warp threads are strung on the loom and, when the wool is passed across them, either with a shuttle or by hand, it is interlocked between the warp and brought down with a piece of wood. The operation is halted when there is a change in color. The new color is then introduced, the knot tied off, and the wool brought backwards and forwards until one line is completed. At this point, the shuttle is brought down to tighten it in. The design is exactly the same on one side as the other.

The defendant’s witness, Mr. Moustapha Avigdor, testified that he is president of the Avigdor Bug Center and has dealt in Oriental rugs, tapestries, and textiles for over 55 years. His testimony establishes that he is an author and lecturer on Oriental rugs. The witness testified that the rugs in question are not Oriental rugs.

Paragraph 1529(a), supra, under which the fringed rugs have been classified, has been held to invade every paragraph of the tariff schedules by virtue of containing the following language: “* * * by whatever name known, and to whatever use applied * * United States v. Snow's United States Sample Express Co., 8 Ct. Cust. Appls. 351, T.D. 37611; Blumenthal & Co. v. United States, 14 Ct. Cust. Appls. 17, T.D. 41531; Madame Adele v. United States, 23 CCPA 305, T.D. 48176; United States v. C. I. Penn, 27 CCPA 242, C.A.D. 93; A. Stein & Co. v. United States, 28 CCPA 280, C.A.D. 155.

In order for plaintiff to prevail, it must be satisfactorily established that the involved fringed rugs fall within one of the paragraphs of the tariff act excepted from this provision. The claim relied upon by plaintiff under paragraph 1116(a), supra, is one of the paragraphs so excepted.

The record herein establishes, without contradiction, that the im[269]*269ported articles are handmade, flat, pileless rugs made of wool. It has been, repeatedly held that paragraph 1116 of the Tariff Act of 1930 and its predecessor, paragraph 1116 of the Tariff Act of 1922, do not embrace all wool rugs, not made on power-driven looms, but only rugs which are of the same class or kind as those provided for eo nomine therein. United States v. Marshall Field & Co., 18 CCPA 228, T.D. 44404; United States v. Marshall Field & Co., 18 CCPA 403, T.D. 44642; New England Guild v. United States, 26 CCPA 42, T.D. 49577; D. N. & E. Walter & Co. et al. v. United States, 43 CCPA 100, C.A.D. 615.

Plaintiff relies on the decision in J. E. Bernard & Company, Inc. v. United States, 42 Cust. Ct. 357, Abstract 62986, to support its contention that the rugs involved are “of the same class or kind” as the rugs provided for by name in paragraph 1116 (a).

In that case, the collector classified four handmade wool tapestries as “Fringes and articles wholly or in part of fringes (except wearing apparel)” under the provisions of paragraph 1529(a), as modified by T.D. 51802. Three of the involved articles had fringes, one did not. The record there established that the imported articles were in fact rugs made of wool and not made on a power-driven loom. They did not have pile and were not Aubusson, Axminster, Oriental, or Savonnerie rugs. The court said that the involved rugs and the Aubusson rug provided for eo nomine

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Related

United States v. Snow's United States Sample Express Co.
8 Ct. Cust. 351 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1918)
Blumenthal v. United States
14 Ct. Cust. 17 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1926)
J. E. Bernard & Co. v. United States
42 Cust. Ct. 357 (U.S. Customs Court, 1959)

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Bluebook (online)
58 Cust. Ct. 266, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2460, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/decor-international-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1967.