Greenberg v. United States

2 Cust. Ct. 50, 1939 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 14
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJanuary 30, 1939
DocketC. D. 86
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 2 Cust. Ct. 50 (Greenberg 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
Greenberg v. United States, 2 Cust. Ct. 50, 1939 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 14 (cusc 1939).

Opinions

Sullivan, Judge:

The applicable portion of this protest addressed to the collector of customs at the port of New York, is as follows:

Sib: Protest is hereby made against your decision assessing duty at IjS each and 50% under par. 1527, or other rate or rates, on Lighters, and sim. mdse, covered by entries named below. The reasons for objection, under the Tariff Act of 1930, are that said merchandise is properly dutiable at 60% under par. 1552.

The entry number is B. 73016, date of entry “11/15/34,” and date of liquidation “4/5/35.”

The protest was subsequently amended to include the following claims:

Said merchandise is not subject to duty at any rate in excess of 110% ad valorem; that if said merchandise is dutiable under the provisions of paragraph 1527-c, it is dutiable at 110% ad valorem which is the mathematical calculation of the compound rate set forth therein. Your assessment of duty at 1<¡¡ each and 50 % ad valorem is higher than said mathematical formula and accordingly is not within the scope of said provisions.
It is alternatively claimed that said merchandise is properly dutiable at 80% ad valorem under the provisions of paragraph 1527-d.
It is further claimed that said merchandise is properly dutiable as a manufacture of metal at 45% under paragraph 397 of the Tariff Act of 1930 or according to the component material of chief value.

[52]*52The merchandise in question is items 961 and 2127. Each item is described on the invoice as “Lighter.” Written over these items in red ink, evidently by the examiner, is the following: “Parts of Lighters Cop. ljí ea. & 50% Par. 1527, R. A. Copper 3¡¿ 1 doz.=lK oz.”; also “T. D. 46848.” The T. D. referred to is a ruling of the Treasury Department reported in 65 Treas. Dec. 97, to the effect that parts of cigar lighters and other articles are dutiable under paragraph 1527, Tariff Act of 1930, at the rate of 1 cent each and 50 per centum ad valorem if such parts are valued at less than 20 cents per dozen pieces.

Henry Waegelein, connected with the plaintiffs as import manager, testified on behalf of the plaintiffs that he saw this merchandise on importation, and is familiar therewith, and that the numbers appearing on the invoice always represent the same kind of merchandise.

Samples of the merchandise were received in evidence as Exhibits 1 and 2. These are small cylindrical cigar lighters with a tiny emery wheel at the top, on turning which sparks are emitted. Each article is about 1 % inches in length, by three-eighths of an inch in diameter.

The witness testified as follows:

Q. Do you know how these parts are used? — A. I have seen them used.
Q. Will you please state how they are used?' — A. They have been in various items as “inlays” manufactured in the United States. In one particular instance it comes readily to mind that it has been used as a dice lighter. A hole has been bored in a celluloid dice of approximately two inches square, this inlay lighter inserted in there and made into a desk paper weight lighter, used on a desk in the home or anywhere.
* * * * * * *
X Q. Will you tell us for what other purposes these articles are used, other than with the dice? — A. Various other types of lighters that have been made, or bakelite or anything else. Some of them have been table lighters and others I would say were small enough to be used in the pocket or on the table; but the general use of the lighter has been for things of larger size.
X Q. And generally the articles with which these imported articles are used are worth more than 20 cents per dozen, are they not? — A. In a completed state generally I would say that they were worth more than that. That doesn’t mean to say that is true in all instances. There have been some instances where the cheapness of the celluloid or other material is less than 20 cents per dozen in its completed state.
⅜: ⅜ * * ⅜ * *
X Q. What is the ultimate use of these articles.
Judge Sullivan. As imported. — A. As a desk lighter. * * * To light a cigarette.

The witness further testified that “It is an article that is incapable of use in its present state”; that it could not be used without the stand, or “without some kind of holder for it”; that he has also seen it used in connection with lighters that are carried on or about the person.

Plaintiffs’ counsel stated to the court that the imported article is worth 8 cents per dozen pieces.

[53]*53The witness further testified that “all of these items are placed in things that might be carried on or about the -person, or placed on a desk. They must be further manufactured to be of use” [italics ours]; that these articles as imported are sometimes used as parts of pencils by being inserted at one end of the pencil.

Plaintiffs’ witness Berk testified he is familiar with Exhibits 1 and 2 and their use; that they are not ready for use in their condition as imported. He testified as to the use he made of these articles as follows:

We use them in connection with assembling for table lighters and desk lighters, ornaments for a living room, and they are inserted in this eatalin material. [Italics ours.]

Two articles in the form of large dice with articles like Exhibits 1 and. 2 inserted therein were received in evidence as Illustrative Exhibits A and B. The witness testified that the combination represented by Exhibits A and B “is used for a paper weight or a table ornament,” and “ordered as table lighters.”

The larger of these combinations is about two inches in all dimensions, or about 8 cubic inches. It is too bulky to be conveniently carried in the pocket or handbag. The smaller sample, Exhibit A, could be carried in the pocket or handbag, but it is of inconvenient shape for carriage on the person.

The witness testified that these articles are imported for use with desk lighters.

It was stipulated that Exhibits 1 and 2 are composed in chief value of metal, not plated with gold or silver, not composed in part of aluminum, and not painted with gold lacquer.

The provision under which they were classified, so far as applicable, is as follows:

Par. 1527. * * *

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Related

Waterbury Lock & Specialty Co. v. United States
17 Cust. Ct. 87 (U.S. Customs Court, 1946)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
2 Cust. Ct. 50, 1939 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 14, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/greenberg-v-united-states-cusc-1939.