John H. Faunce Phila., Inc. v. United States

44 Cust. Ct. 34
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedFebruary 3, 1960
DocketCD. 2149
StatusPublished

This text of 44 Cust. Ct. 34 (John H. Faunce Phila., Inc. 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
John H. Faunce Phila., Inc. v. United States, 44 Cust. Ct. 34 (cusc 1960).

Opinion

Ford, Judge:

In this action, we are called upon to determine the proper dutiable status of certain merchandise consisting of an air preheater and parts thereof which includes fans and blowers and ■so-called tuyeres for a metallurgical blast furnace.

The collector of customs at the port of entry assessed duty on all of this merchandise, with the exception of the fans and blowers, at the rate of 2214 per centum ad valorem under the provisions of paragraph 397 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 82 Treas. Dec. 305, T.D. 51802, which provides as follows:

Articles or wares not specially provided for, whether partly or wholly manufactured:
* * * * * * *
Composed wholly or in chief value of iron, steel, lead, copper, brass, nickel, pewter, zinc, aluminum, or other metal (not including platinum, gold, or silver), but not plated with platinum, gold, or silver, or colored with gold lacquer:
* * * * * * *
Other (except slide fasteners and parts thereof)— 22%% ad val.

The fans and blowers were assessed with duty at the rate of 1714. per centum ad valorem under paragraph 353 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by said general agreement, sufra, which provides as follows:

Articles suitable for producing, rectifying, modifying, controlling, or distributing electrical energy, and articles having as an essential feature an electrical element or device, such as electric motors, fans, locomotives, portable tools, furnaces, heaters, ovens, ranges, washing machines, refrigerators, and signs; all the foregoing (not including electrical wiring apparatus, instruments, and devices), finished or unfinished, wholly or in chief value of metal, and not specially provided for:
Switches and switchgear * * * fans; blowers; * * *_17%% ad val.

It is the position of plaintiff that the entire metallurgical blast furnace is a machine and, consequently, the imported items should be held to be parts of said machine within the purview of paragraph 372 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the Torquay Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 86 Treas. Dec. 121, T.D. 52739, which rate of duty is 13% per centum ad valorem. It is alternatively claimed by plaintiff that said merchandise is properly dutiable under paragraph 353 of said act, as modified by said Torquay protocol, supra.

The pertinent provisions of the paragraphs claimed under are as follows:

[36]*36Paragraph 372 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the Tor-quay Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, supra x

Machines, finished or unfinished, not specially provided for:
* * * * * * *
Other * * *_13% % ad val.
Parts, not specially provided for, wholly or in chief value of metal or porcelain, of any article provided for in any item 372 in this Part:
* * * * * * *
Other_1-_The rate for the article of which they are parts

Paragraph 353 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by the Tor-quay protocol, supra:

Articles having as an essential feature an electrical element or device, * * * wholly or in chief value of metal, and not specially provided for:
* * * * * * *
Other * * *_13%% ad val.
Parts, finished or unfinished, wholly or in chief value of The same rate of metal, not specially provided for, of articles provided for duty as the ar-in any item 353 of this part * * *- tides of which they are parts

It is further alternatively claimed by plaintiff that, although the fans and blowers are essential for the operation of the metallurgical blast furnace, the electric motors utilized in operating said items are not essential. Since the appraisement of this merchandise was on the basis of the motors and fans being entireties, it is contended that the appraisement is invalid and void and the case should be remanded to a single judge to determine the proper dutiable value of each item.

The record in the case at bar consists of the testimony of Elvin L. Krieble, assistant director of research of the Phoenix Iron & Steel Co. and the Central Iron & Steel Co., the ultimate consignee of the merchandise covered by the above suits, as well as five exhibits which were received in evidence.

Mr. Krieble testified that his duties as assistant director of research were to improve processes and equipment and check on general conditions throughout the plant with respect to production and that the business of his employer is the manufacture of steel plate using basic open-hearth furnaces and rolling mills. The witness is a graduate chemical engineer and is a registered engineer in the State of Pennsylvania.

The merchandise covered by the invoices before the court was familiar to the witness as he was assigned to the project before the construction of the metallurgical blast cupola and subsequently followed the operation of the unit for approximately 2 years for the research and. development department. A schematic arrangement [37]*37showing the general operation of the system was received in evidence as plaintiff’s exhibit 1. Mr. Krieble marked the preheater unit illustrated on exhibit 1 with “A” and the tuyeres “B.” An isometric drawing showing the arrangement of the cupola system, which is not to scale, was received in evidence as exhibit 2. The witness then marked the air preheater on exhibit 2 with the letter “A” and the tuyeres with the letter “B.” A .photograph of the lower section of the cupola proper, which is not the imported merchandise except for the tuyeres, was received in evidence as exhibit 3. The tuyeres on exhibit 3 were marked with the letter “B.” An additional photograph depicting approximately the same illustration as contained in exhibit 3 was received in evidence as exhibit 4.

Mr. Krieble testified that an air-atomizing fan for the oil burner and a fan for the shot-blast cleaning system are not depicted on any of the exhibits received in evidence; that the imported merchandise contains mechanical features in that the fans are driven by electric motors and the entire system is remotely controlled by a pneumatic system; that the function of the unit is to produce hot metal from scrap which is sent to. an open-hearth furnace and converted into steel; that the top of the cupola contains a pneumatically operated lid which is opened to introduce by means of a crane, a charge consisting of steel, scrap, case iron scrap, coke, and limestone; that the cupola consists of a steel shell which is water cooled on the outside and lined with refractory materials, such as firebrick and carbon, and, when operated, is filled with this charge which descends as the material melts; that the heat for assisting the melting is 'produced by preheating air which is blown by a blower, designated as No.

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Bluebook (online)
44 Cust. Ct. 34, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/john-h-faunce-phila-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1960.