Importers Commission Co. v. United States

10 Cust. Ct. 205, 1943 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 734
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedMarch 31, 1943
DocketC. D. 755
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 10 Cust. Ct. 205 (Importers Commission 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
Importers Commission Co. v. United States, 10 Cust. Ct. 205, 1943 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 734 (cusc 1943).

Opinion

Cline, Judge:

This is a suit against the United States in which the plaintiff seeks to recover a part of the duty assessed on merchandise [206]*206invoiced as "Extracted Soya Bean Oil Cake Meal” imported from Dairen, Manchuria. The- appraiser’s advisory classification on the invoice is “Fine bolted flour from soy beans” and duty was assessed at the rate of 35 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 775 of the Tariff Act of 1930. ', Several claims are made in the protest but counsel for the plaintiff abandoned all the claims except the one wherein it is claimed that the merchandise is dutiable at Ko of 1 cent per pound as "soy bean oil cake and soy bean oil-cake meal” under paragraph 730. The pertinent part of the paragraph under which the merchandise was classified reads:

Par. 775. Vegetables * * * if reduced to Hour * * *; soy beaus, prepared or preserved in any manner; * * * 35 per centum ad valorem; * * *.

At the trial a sample representing the imported merchandise was admitted in evidence by consent of the parties and marked exhibit 1, and request was made to have the same referred to the United States laboratory for a quantitative and qualitative analysis and a determination of the identity of the product. At a subsequent hearing, the report of the analysis was received in evidence and marked exhibit 2. The report reads as follows:

The sample is a soya bean meal or defatted soya bean flour having the following composition:
Water__ 7. 3%
Mineral matter_ 6-4%
Pat_ 3. 5%
Protein_53. 6%
Nitrogen free material_26.4%
Crude fiber.-- 2. 8%

Miss Bella Kahn, a chemist in the United States laboratory who made the above analysis, testified that in the course of her experience she had analyzed soybean oil-cake, meal half a dozen times and was familiar with it. Concerning the report, exhibit 2, she testified as follows:

Q. Would it be equally correct in the report you have made of the analysis of the merchandise at bar to say that the sample is a soya bean meal or soya bean oil cake meal?
* * * * ‘ * * *
A. Yes, I could have said oil cake meal.
' Q. It would be equally true as a statement, oil cake meal. — A. Correct.

On cross-examination the witness testified that the statement in the report is correct wherein it says that the merchandise is soybean meal or defatted soybean flour; that she found the crude fiber to be 2.8 per centum and the literature usually differentiates meals and flours by saying that the flours are prepared by dehulling the soybeans and when soybeans are dehulied the crude fiber is usually lower, the crude fiber being more prevalent in the- hull than in the total bean; that [207]*207Winton gives the crude fiber in oil-cake meal as 4.8 per centum; that the crude fiber in flour is 3.7 per centum and she found 2.8 per centum, which would indicate that the soybean may have been dehulled; that the usual flours have not been defatted and the literature usually says that flour has about 20 per centum of fat; that she could not have called it a flour, but did say it was a defatted flour.

The defendant called Mr. Charles W. S. Curley who testified that he is the examiner who made the advisory classification and classified the merchandise as soybean flour; that he considered the merchandise to be soybean flour as distinguished from meal because of the fineness of it and the general appearance of it.

The next witness called by the defendant was Mr. William C. Holzhauer who is a broker dealing in soybean products. He testified that he was connected with A. E. Staley Manufacturing Co. of Decatur, Ill., the business of which firm is processing corn and soybeans, and that he had 10 or 11 years of experience with such merchandise; that he deals in soybean flour which resembles exhibit 1 very much. The witness was shown exhibit 2, the report of analysis, and he testified that the specifications are similar to those in Staley’s soybean flour, number 2, with several variations. When asked to compare the two products, he testified as follows:

Q. Will you please explain the variations or tell us wherein the variations occur? — A. Well, I would have to refer to Staley’s standard analysis for number 2 flour, and here we should make a direct comparison, I would say. Staley’s shows a moisture of 5 per cent, whereas this one shows a moisture content marked here as water, of 7.3.
Staley’s protein is 50.0Q, and this analysis shows 53.6.
Staley’s fat content is 7.50, and this analysis shows 3.5.
Staley’s shows an ash content of 5 per cent. This analysis doesn’t show a separate item for ash.
Staley’s shows a fiber content of 2.5; and this reads crude fiber, 2.8.
Staley’s shows carbohydrates, not including fiber, of 30.00; arid this analysis shows what is commonly recognized as the equivalent, but under the title, nitrogen free material, 26.4.
The other items are not related. This shows calories. No calories here. It is not related.
Q. What is — you have referred to Staley’s number 2. What is Staley’s number 2? — A. Staley’s number 2 flour is a flour made after most of the oil has been removed from the bean.
Q. Do you sell it under any particular name or designation? — A. Just Staley’s soy flour number 2.
Q. I direct your attention to the fat content of the merchandise at bar, and ask you whether or not it differs materially from the fat content of Staley’s number 2 soy flour? — -A. It is probably one of the most noticeable differences of the analysis.
Q. Is the difference upwards or downwards, that is--A. Staley’s oil content is approximately twice as great as this material in Exhibit 2.

The witness produced a box containing Staley’s number 2 soy flour and it was admitted in evidence and marked illustrative exhibit A.

[208]*208The witness was asked to explain the physical differences or physical similarities in the two products in exhibit 1 and illustrative exhibit A, but objection of counsel for the plaintiff, on the ground that the court is the best judge for the determination of that point, was sustained.

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Bluebook (online)
10 Cust. Ct. 205, 1943 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 734, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/importers-commission-co-v-united-states-cusc-1943.