George E. Athans Co. v. United States

56 Cust. Ct. 395, 1966 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1953
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedApril 27, 1966
DocketC.D. 2665
StatusPublished

This text of 56 Cust. Ct. 395 (George E. Athans 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
George E. Athans Co. v. United States, 56 Cust. Ct. 395, 1966 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1953 (cusc 1966).

Opinion

Donlon, Judge:

Merchandise described as grape leaves in brine was entered at the port of New York on March 7, 1957, on importation from Greece, as dutiable at 20 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 1558, without specification of the classification under paragraph 1558 on which that duty rate was based. The collector liquidated these grape leaves as entered, presumably as an edible preparation for human consumption, other than yeast, not entitled (because of specific exception) to the reduced rate of 10 per centum for articles manufactured, in whole or in part, not specially provided for. The collector’s report to the court (Form 10-16) so states.

Neither plaintiff nor defendant is happy with the liquidation classification.

Plaintiff’s protest, as originally filed, claimed that the merchandise was “Free of duty under paragraph 1768, or paragraph 1669, or paragraph 1722, or dutiable at 5% under paragraph 1558, T.D. 51802.” By protest amendment, the further claim was made that this merchandise is dutiable ait 16y2 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 775, Tariff Act of 1930, as modified, T.D. 54108. (R. 5.) Plaintiff has abandoned its claims under paragraphs 1768 and 1669. (R. 3.) They are dismissed. That leaves the claims under paragraphs 1722, 1558, and 775.

The “primary claim” plaintiff argues is that these grape leaves are duty free, under paragraph 1722, as a vegetable substance, crude, or unmanufactured. Plowever, plaintiff argues, alternatively, that these grape leaves are a vegetable, not specially provided for, under paragraph 775; or a raw or unmanufactured nonenumerated article under paragraph 1558.

[397]*397In its brief, defendant confirms that the collector’s classification was under paragraph 1558, bnt states that defendant’s “primary reliance, however, is not upon the provision under which the merchandise was classified by the Collector, but upon the provision in paragraph 774 of the Tariff Act of 1930 for vegetables in their natural state * * * or upon the provision in paragraph 775 of the Tariff Act of 1930 for vegetables packed in brine * * (Defendant’s brief, p. 1.)

The competing provisions are as follows:

Plaintiff’s claims:

Paragraph 1722 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (Free List) :

Moss, seaweeds, and vegetable substances, crude or unmanufactured, not specially provided for.

Paragraph 775 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the Sixth Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T.D. 54108:

Vegetables (including horseradish), if pickled, or packed in salt or brine (except onions packed in salt and not including pimientos) :

Other-16%% ad val.

Paragraph 1558 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T.D. 51802:

All raw or unmanufactured articles not enumerated or provided for (except frogs and frog legs)_ 5% ad val.

Defendant’s claims:

Paragraph 774, as modified by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T.D. 51802:

Vegetables in their natural state:

Not specially provided for:

Other- 25% ad val.

Paragraph 775, as modified by the Sixth Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T.D. 54108:

Vegetables (including horseradish), if pickled, or packed in salt or brine (except onions packed in salt and not including pimientos) :

(Grape leaves are often called vine leaves because the fruit which is called, in English, a grape, is oinos in Greek and vinum, in Latin. Grape leaves and vine leaves are interchangeable terms for the merchandise of this suit.)

[398]*398There are in evidence three exhibits, introduced by plaintiff. Exhibit 1 is illustrative of the grape leaves packed in brine, in condition as imported, except that the leaves, as imported, are packed in barrels. The leaves, of exhibit 1, were taken from such a barrel and were placed in a bottle. This was done solely for convenience. Exhibit 2 shows the article as marketed in the United States, after some processing here subsequent to its importation. Exhibit 3, a product of Greece, is in evidence as illustrating the use to which the merchandise is put in the preparation of food for human consumption, both in the United States and abroad.

Mr. George E. Athans testified for plaintiff. He identified himself as the plaintiff, George E. Athans Co. He described the processing of the grape leaves in Greece for export to the United States. This consists of picking the leaves and putting them in brine. (R. 8.) The record is confused at this point, the witness testifying that the leaves were put in brine in "bottles in Greece. However, he later testified that they are packed in barrels. He said that he also packed vine leaves in Fresno, Calif.

Mr. Athans recited the manner of processing the vine leaves after importation. This is a process of repetitive washes to clear away both impurities on the leaves and the brine in which the leaves are imported. There follows a repacking in brine, this time in bottles, for sale in supermarkets and grocery stores.

As to use, Mr. Athans said that a housewife first boils the vine leaves in the brine in which it is packed; next, she rolls the leaves and puts raw rice in them, together with herbs, and boils the rolls until the rice is cooked; then she adds olive oil. (R. 13,14,15,16.)

The cooked roll, including the vine leaves, is eaten, so Mr. Athans said.

Cabbage leaves may be used instead of vine leaves, Mr. Athans stated; but when cabbage leaves are cooked, they tend to break. (R. 16.)

The purpose of packing the vine leaves in brine for shipment from Greece to the United States is to keep them from spoiling, according to Mr. Athans.

Defendant introduced no evidence in support of the claims on which it primarily relies. No presumptions attach to any of defendant’s newly claimed classifications.

The record before us does not differ materially from the stipulated record on which we decided George E. Athans Co., Inc. v. United States, 52 Cust. Ct. 231, Abstract 68220. In that case, however, plaintiff abandoned all of its protest claims save only its claim for classification under paragraph 775 as a vegetable. Relying on United States v. Coroneos Bros., 9 Ct. Cust. Appls. 220, T.D. 38198, in which our [399]*399appeals court held that grapevine leaves are not vegetables in the tariff sense, we overruled the claim to classification of vine leaves as vegetables.

Plaintiff here also, alternatively, claims under paragraph 775, as does defendant. Plaintiff has not, however, briefed the claim under paragraph 775, on the ground that it is unable to offer any argument not presented in the earlier Athans case, supra, in which the claim under paragraph 775 was overruled. If the court should now be persuaded, by the argument in defendant’s brief, that vine leaves are a vegetable for tariff purposes, then plaintiff concedes that they are vegetables that have been packed in brine.

Plaintiff concedes that it advanced no new argument for tariff classification of vine leaves as vegetables, not considered in the prior Athans case, supra.

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Bluebook (online)
56 Cust. Ct. 395, 1966 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1953, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/george-e-athans-co-v-united-states-cusc-1966.