General Electric Company-Medical Systems Group v. United States

86 F. Supp. 2d 1291, 24 Ct. Int'l Trade 12, 24 C.I.T. 12, 22 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 1008, 2000 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 2
CourtUnited States Court of International Trade
DecidedJanuary 6, 2000
DocketSlip Op. 00-4; Court 93-11-00750
StatusPublished
Cited by7 cases

This text of 86 F. Supp. 2d 1291 (General Electric Company-Medical Systems Group v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of International Trade primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
General Electric Company-Medical Systems Group v. United States, 86 F. Supp. 2d 1291, 24 Ct. Int'l Trade 12, 24 C.I.T. 12, 22 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 1008, 2000 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 2 (cit 2000).

Opinion

OPINION

WALLACH, Judge.

I.

Introduction

Plaintiff, General Electric Company— Medical Systems Group (“GE”), commenced this action challenging the classification of its imported merchandise by Defendant, the United States Customs Service (“Customs”). This dispute concerns the classification by Customs of certain multiformat cameras (“MFCs”) imported by Plaintiff between 1992 and 1994. Statement of Uncontested Material Facts in Support of Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment (“Plaintiffs Statement”) ¶¶ 2, 5; Defendant’s Response to Plaintiffs Statement of Material Facts Genuinely Not in Issue (“Defendant’s Response”) ¶¶ 2, 5; Complaint ¶ 3 and Schedules A-D; Answer ¶ 3. This Court has jurisdiction under 28 U.S.C. § 1581(a) (1994).

Currently before the Court are the parties’ cross-motions for summary judgment. The Court finds that there is no genuine issue of material fact relevant to the classification of the MFCs, and that this case is ripe for disposition under USCIT Rule 56. Because the MFCs are fixed focus cameras within the meaning of the terms of the tariff provision applied by Customs, the Court denies Plaintiffs motion for summary judgment, and grants summary judgment in favor of Defendant on all issues.

II.

Background

A.

Procedural Background

Customs classified the MFCs under Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (“HTSUS”) Subheading 9006.59.40, as:

*1293 9006 Photographic (other than cinematographic) cameras; photographic flashlight apparatus and flashbulbs other than discharge lamps of heading 8539; parts and accessories thereof:
Other cameras:
9006.59 Other:
9006.59.40 Fixed focus,

at a duty rate of 4% ad valorem. Complaint ¶ 6; Answer ¶ 6.

GE filed its Consolidated Complaint in this action as of May 22, 1996, challenging Customs’ determination. GE claimed that the MFCs are more properly classified under HTSUS Subheading 9006.59.90 as:

9006 Photographic (other than cinematographic) cameras; photographic flashlight apparatus and flashbulbs other than discharge lamps of heading 8539; parts and accessories thereof:
Other cameras:
9006.59 Other:
Other than fixed focus:
9006.59.90 Valued at over $10 each,

at a duty rate of 3% ad valorem. Complaint ¶ 7. GE also claimed, in the alternative, that the MFCs should be classified under HTSUS Subheading 8479.89.90, which provides for:

8479 Machines and mechanical appliances having individual functions, not specified or included elsewhere in this chapter; parts thereof:
Other machines and mechanical appliances:
8479.89 Other:
8479.89.90 Other,

at a duty rate of 3.7% ad valorem. Complaint ¶ 18; Defendant’s Memorandum in Support of its Cross-Motion for Summary Judgment and in Opposition to Plaintiffs Motion for Summary Judgment (“Defendant’s Mem.”) at 2.

On August 31, 1998, 1 GE moved for partial summary judgment on its 9006.59.90 claim. Customs opposed GE’s motion, and cross-moved for summary judgment dismissing both of GE’s claims. In its Reply, GE did not oppose Customs’ cross-motion as to GE’s 8479.89.90 claim. However, in connection with its Reply, GE filed a proposed Amended Consolidated Complaint (the “Proposed Amended Complaint”), which incorporated a new claim that the imported articles are more properly classified under HTSUS Subheading 9022.90.60, as:

9022 Apparatus based on the use of X-rays ..., whether or not for medical, surgical, dental or veterinary uses, including radiography or radiotherapy apparatus, X-ray tubes and other X-ray generators, control panels and desks, screens, examination or treatment tables, chairs and the like; parts and accessories thereof:
9022.90Other, including parts and accessories:
Parts and accessories:
Other:
9022.90.60 Of apparatus based on the use of x-rays,

at a duty rate of 2.1% ad valorem. Proposed Amended Complaint ¶ 7. Although GE proceeded to brief this issue, it did not file either a motion for leave to amend under USCIT Rule 15(a), nor did it amend its Motion for Partial Summary Judgment.

B.

Undisputed Facts

There is no dispute between the parties as to the basic characteristics of the imported articles in question. The MFCs at issue are accessories to computerized tomography (“CT”) scanner systems and magnetic resonance imaging (“MRI”) machines. Plaintiffs Statement ¶ 5, 11; Defendant’s Response ¶ 5; Declaration of Joseph L. Getchel ¶ 11. After the CT or MRI scanner system generates a cross-sectional image of a patient, that image can be displayed on a cathode-ray tube (“CRT”) monitor which is located inside the MFC. Plaintiffs Statement ¶¶ 5, 7; Defendant’s Response ¶¶ 5, 7. The MFC can then be used to produce a hard-copy photograph of the image displayed on the CRT monitor located inside the MFC. Plaintiffs Statement ¶¶ 5, 8; Defendant’s Response ¶¶ 5, 8. The MFC only takes pictures of the images displayed on the CRT. The imported articles at issue consist of two models of MFC, known as the MFC-II and the MFC-Ill. Plaintiffs Statement ¶ 5; Defendant’s Response ¶ 5.

The lens assembly in each MFC is set in a fixed position by the manufacturer. De *1294 fendant’s Statement of Additional Material Facts as to Which There Are No Genuine Issues to be Tried (“Defendant’s Statement”) ¶ 1; Plaintiffs Reply to Defendant’s Statement of Additional Material Facts as to Which There Are No Genuine Issues to be Tried (“Plaintiffs Reply”) ¶ 1. However, the clarity of the image produced by both types of MFC can be altered by adjusting the distance between the lens and the film plane by raising and lowering the lens assembly. Plaintiffs Statement ¶ 13; Defendant’s Response ¶ 13. Such adjustments are not made for each exposure, but are made either at the factory during manufacture or at the time of periodic system maintenance and service. Defendant’s Statement ¶¶ 2, 5; Plaintiffs Reply ¶¶ 2, 5. Focus adjustments are made only by trained service technicians, and not by the operators of the CT scanner system for which the MFC is an accessory. Defendant’s Statement ¶¶ 3, 4; Plaintiffs Reply ¶¶ 3, 4.

The MFC-Ill also is equipped with a focus ring which adjusts the small image lens of the MFC-Ill. Plaintiffs Statement ¶ 14; Defendant’s Response ¶ 14.

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86 F. Supp. 2d 1291, 24 Ct. Int'l Trade 12, 24 C.I.T. 12, 22 I.T.R.D. (BNA) 1008, 2000 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 2, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/general-electric-company-medical-systems-group-v-united-states-cit-2000.