James S. Baker (Imports) Co. v. United States

61 Cust. Ct. 305, 292 F. Supp. 1014, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2136
United States Customs Court·Decided November 19, 1968·No. C.D. 3619·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinion

Rao, Chief Judge:

In this action plaintiffs protest the classification of two importations of lawn rakes manufactured in Japan as “rakes, other” under item 648.57 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States, with the consequent assessment of duty at the rate of 15 per centum ad valorem.

[306] Plaintiffs claim that the subject rakes should be properly classified as “agricultural or horticultural tools,” under item 648.55 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States, which provides for duty at the rate of 7.5 per centum ad valorem.

The pertinent statutory provisions read as follows:

Tariff Schedules of the United States, schedule 6, part 3, subpart E:

Drainage tools, scoops, shovels, spades, picks, mattocks, hoes, rakes, and forks; * * * all the foregoing which
are hand tools, and metal parts thereof:
#
Hoes and rakes, and parts thereof:

648.55 Agricultural or horticultural tools,

and parts thereof_7. 5% ad val.

648.57 Other_15% ad val.

At the trial plaintiffs called as their only witness Mr. Benaldo P. Silva of San Francisco, who is vice president and general manager of Allied Imports Co.1 Mr. Silva testified that the company is in the business of importing various garden, agricultural, and hand tools, and that he has been associated with them for approximately 11 years.

Plaintiffs offered as exhibit 1 a rake illustrative of those described as C/SLRL8 in customs entries 22978 and 23121. The witness characterized the rake as a lawn rake and testified that it is advertised as such in plaintiffs’ catalog at page 84 (plaintiffs’ exhibit 2). The rake is manufactured with pliable tines, so that in raking it will not tear or dislodge the grass. It is used primarily for removing leaves and grass cuttings from the lawn in order to enhance the lawn’s appearance and stimulate its growth.

The issue is clear. Are the rakes, as described above, agricultural or horticultural tools within the purview of item 648.55 of the tariff schedules, supra, as plaintiffs argue, or are they properly classified by the customs officials as rakes, other, under item 648.57, supra ?

The question of whether the rake is an agricultural tool is not in issue here. The fact has long been established that it is not and will not be examined further. United States v. Tower, 6 Ct. Cust. Appls. 562, T.D. 36199; Wonham (Inc.) et al. v. United States, 20 CCPA 198, T.D. 45982.

The question of whether or not a lawn rake is a horticultural tool is, however, one which requires determination now, since in the statutory provision here under consideration “horticultural tools” have been placed in the same category as “agricultural tools.” In that context this is a case of first impression.

[307] Under such, circumstances, we deem it appropriate to resort to legislative history and other available data to determine the intent of Congress with respect to this language. In the last analysis it is the intention of the legislature which governs the interpretation of its enactments. United States v. Damrak Trading Co., Inc., 43 CCPA 77, C.A.D. 611; United States v. Clay Adams Co., Inc., 20 CCPA 285, T.D. 46078.

In explaining its reasoning for recommending the grouping of agricultural and horticultural hand tools, the United States Tariff Commission which, pursuant to congressional mandate,2 prepared the proposed tariff schedules, stated in the Tariff Classification Study of 1960, schedule 6, page 190, the action was taken to eliminate purported distinctions between horticultural and agricultural hand tools which it found “to be more illusory than real and leave much to be desired from an administrative standpoint.” By including horticultural tools in this item, and in other items of the tariff schedules,3 the Tariff Commission has sought to do away with the problem of when an article is chiefly used in agriculture, as opposed to its use in other allied pursuits.

In United States v. Boker, 6 Ct. Cust. Appls. 243, T.D. 35472, the Court of Customs Appeals construed the word “agriculture” to include only that which provides the substantial requirements of life (food) and comfort (raiment), and not the purely pleasurable pursuits. It held that “agriculture” must lead to the production of necessities and not that which is essentially pleasurable or ornamental. Thus those implements which do not aid in providing for man’s necessities, i.e., hedge shears, United States v. Boker, supra; propagating scissors, syringes, edge cutters, flower gatherers, grass shears, pruning saws, Hezekiah King's Sons v. United States, 34 Treas. Dec. 233, T.D. 37570; tulip bulb sorters, George S. Bush Co., Inc. v. United States, 7 Cust. Ct. 97, C.D. 543; narcissus bulb sterilizers, George Lawler v. United States, 51 Treas. Dec. 1141, Abstract 2383, and even lawn rakes, United States v. Tower, supra, are not agricultural implements within the meaning of the statute.4

Defendant in its brief concedes that those implements which deal with flowers and shrubs, which were previously excluded from free entry as agricultural implements, would now be included in the claimed provision because of the addition of the words “or horticultural” to the items in question. However, it is defendant’s contention that the term “horticultural” does not embrace those tools used on [308] the lawn, as the caring for and growing of a lawn is not a horticultural pursuit. With this we cannot agree.

In reaching our decision we must determine what Congress has intended by including “horticultural” hoes and rakes in item 648.55, supra. As was stated in United States v. John B. Stetson, 21 CCPA 3, T.D. 46319:

* * * The common meaning to be attached to a term or word used by the Congress in a provision of a tariff act is a matter to be determined by the court having the same under consideration. In making this determination the court may rely upon its own understanding of the word or term used, and it may assist its own understanding by reference to the works of standard lexicographers, scientific authorities, the testimony of witnesses, or by other such means as may be available. * * *

The following definitions of the word “horticulture” are pertinent to the resolution of the issue:

Webster's New International Dictionary, second edition, unabridged, 1954:

The cultivation of a garden or orchard; the science and art of growing fruits, vegetables, and flowers or ornamental plants. Horticulture is one of the main divisions of agriculture.

The Random House Dictionary of the English Language, unabridged edition, 1966:

1. The cultivation of a garden, orchard, or nursery; the cultivation of flowers, fruits, vegetables, or ornamental plants. 2. The science and art of cultivating such plants.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

James S. Baker (Imports) Co. v. United States, 61 Cust. Ct. 305, 292 F. Supp. 1014, 1968 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2136 (cusc 1968).

61 Cust. Ct. 305 (James S. Baker (Imports) Co. v. United States) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

Related

International Bus. MacH. Corp. v. State, Dept. of Treasury
357 A.2d 292 (New Jersey Superior Court App Division, 1976)
Border Brokerage Co. v. United States
65 Cust. Ct. 277 (U.S. Customs Court, 1970)
W. R. Filbin & Co. v. United States
63 Cust. Ct. 200 (U.S. Customs Court, 1969)