Gimbel Bros. v. United States

48 Cust. Ct. 18
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJanuary 16, 1962
DocketC.D. 2308
StatusPublished
Cited by4 cases

This text of 48 Cust. Ct. 18 (Gimbel Bros. 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
Gimbel Bros. v. United States, 48 Cust. Ct. 18 (cusc 1962).

Opinions

Foed, Judge:

This case and the case of The Barbizon Corporation v. United States, 48 Cust. Ct. 27, C.D. 2309, decided concurrently, involve the basic proposition of whether an article made of a “synthetic textile,” but not made from cellulose, a cellulose hydrate, a compound of cellulose, or a mixture containing any of the foregoing, can be properly classified under the provisions of paragraph 1529(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930, or as modified.

The merchandise involved in this case consists of certain nylon girdles, in part lace, which were assessed with duty at the rate of 35i/2 per centum ad valorem under the provisions of 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, as body-supporting garments, in part lace.

It is the position of the importer that said nylon girdles are properly dutiable at 26 per centum ad valorem under the provisions of paragraph 1529(c) of said act, as modified, supra, as body-supporting garments, or, in the alternative, at 10 per centum ad valorem under the provisions of paragraph 1558 of said act, as modified by the Torquay Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 86 Treas. Dec. 121, T.D. 52739 and T.D. 52827, as nonenumerated manufactured articles.

The provisions of paragraph 1529(a) Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by T.D. 54108, supra, and under which the imported merchandise was classified by the collector, provide, insofar as herein applicable, as follows:

Bandeaux-brassieres, brassieres, corsets, girdle-corsets, step-in-corsets; corsets, girdle-corsets, or step-in-corsets, attached to bandeaux-brassieres or brassieres; similar body-supporting garments ; and articles to which any of the foregoing is attached; all the foregoing provided for in subdivision (19) of paragraph, 1529(a)_35%% ad val.

Subdivision (19), referred to above and as set forth in the publication of the United States Tariff Commission, entitled United States [20]*20Import Duties (1952), insofar as applicable herein, provides as follows:

Bandeaux-brassieres, brassieres, corsets, girdle-corsets, step-in-corsets; corsets, girdle-corsets, or step-in-corsets, attached to bandeaux-brassieres or brassieres; similar body-supporting garments; and articles to which any of the foregoing is attached; all the foregoing, whether or not described elsewhere in this sub-paragraph * * *.

Paragraph 1529 (a), Tariff Act of 1930, provides in part as follows;

Laces, lace fabrics, and lace articles, made by hand or on a lace, net, knitting, or braiding machine, and all fabrics and articles made on a lace or net machine, * * *; all the foregoing, and fabrics and articles wholly or in part thereof, finished or unfinished (except materials and articles provided for in * * ®, sub-paragraph (b) of this paragraph), by whatever name known, and to whatever use applied, and whether or not named, described, or provided for elsewhere in this Act, when composed wholly or in chief value of filaments, yarns, threads, tinsel wire, lame, bullions, metal threads, beads, bugles, spangles, or rayon or other synthetic textile, * * *.

Paragraph 1313, Tariff Act of 1930, reads as follows:

Whenever used in this Act the terms “rayon” and “other synthetic textile” mean the product made by any artificial process from cellulose, a cellulose hydrate, a compound of cellulose, or a mixture containing any of the foregoing, which product is solidified into filaments, fibers, bands, strips, or sheets, whether such products are known as rayon, staple fiber, visca, or cellophane, or as artificial, imitation, or synthetic silk, wool, horsehair, or straw, or by any other name whatsoever.

Paragraph 1529 (c), Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the above-mentioned sixth protocol, and under the provisions of which it is claimed the imported merchandise is properly dutiable, provides as follows:

Corsets, girdle-corsets, step-in-corsets, brassieres, bandeaux-brassieres ; corsets, girdle-corsets, or step-in-corsets, attached to brassieres or bandeaux-brassieres; all similar body-supporting garments; all the foregoing, of whatever material composed, finished or unfinished, and all wearing apparel or articles to which any of the foregoing is attached; all the foregoing whether or not containing elastic fabric-26% ad val.

It is alternatively contended that said merchandise is properly dutiable under the provisions of paragraph 1558 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the Torquay Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, supra, which provides as follows:

Articles manufactured, in whole or in part, not specially provided for * * *_10% ad val.

The record in the case at bar consists of a certain stipulation entered into by and between counsel for the respective parties. Said stipulation was approved by the court, and the case was submitted for decision. It was agreed, insofar as is pertinent herein, as follows:

[21]*211. That the merchandise described on the invoice as Girdle, all nylon-gauze, elastic net and embroidery, assessed with duty at the rate of 35Va per centum ad valorem under Paragraph 1529(a) consists of corsets, girdle-corsets, or step-in-corsets, or similar body-supporting garments, in part lace, wholly of nylon, not made from cellulose, a cellulose hydrate, a compound of cellulose, or a mixture containing any of the foregoing;
2. That the protest be deemed submitted on this stipulation, being limited to the merchandise described above.

Based upon this record, plaintiff contends that an article, in part lace, which is composed wholly of nylon and not made from cellulose, a cellulose hydrate, a compound of cellulose, or a mixture containing any of the foregoing, is not classifiable under the provisions of paragraph 1529(a) of said act, supra, for the following reasons:

1. A synthetic textile, not composed of cellulose, a cellulose hydrate, a compound of cellulose, or a mixture containing any of the foregoing, is not a synthetic textile within the purview of the Tariff Act of 1930, by virtue of the provisions contained in paragraph 13131 of said act, as interpreted by J.M.P.R. Trading Corp., Alltransport, Inc. v. United States, 43 C.C.P.A. (Customs) I, C.A.D. 600; J.M.P.R. Trading Corp. and Alltransport, Inc. v. United States, 37 Cust. Ct. 324, Abstract 60183; United States v. Steinberg Bros.; Steinberg Bros. v. United States, 47 C.C.P.A. (Customs) 47, C.A.D. 727.

2. The imported merchandise is not composed of yarn, threads, or filaments, within the purview of paragraph 1529(a) of the Tariff Act of 1930.

We are completely in accord with plaintiff that the phrase, “rayon or other synthetic textile,” as utilized in paragraph 1529(a), supra, or, in fact, in any portion of the Tariff Act of 1930, does not cover nylon or any other synthetic textile, not composed of cellulose, a cellulose hydrate, a compound of cellulose, or a mixture containing any of the foregoing. Paragraph 1313 of said act, as in force at the date of importation herein, relates only to synthetic textiles, composed of the enumerated products, supra.

Since paragraph 1313,

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Related

Robert E. Landweer & Co. v. United States
52 Cust. Ct. 122 (U.S. Customs Court, 1964)
Barbizon Corp. v. United States
48 Cust. Ct. 27 (U.S. Customs Court, 1962)
Wolf Greenspan & Son, Inc. v. United States
45 Cust. Ct. 314 (U.S. Customs Court, 1960)

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Bluebook (online)
48 Cust. Ct. 18, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/gimbel-bros-v-united-states-cusc-1962.