Julliard Fancy Foods Co. v. United States

33 Cust. Ct. 1, 1954 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 561
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJune 21, 1954
DocketC. D. 1625
StatusPublished
Cited by6 cases

This text of 33 Cust. Ct. 1 (Julliard Fancy Foods 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
Julliard Fancy Foods Co. v. United States, 33 Cust. Ct. 1, 1954 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 561 (cusc 1954).

Opinion

JOHNSON, Judge:

This controversy involves the importation of 1,440 pots of Fleur de Lys prepared mustard from Marseille, France. Duty was assessed upon the mustard at the rate of 5 cents per pound under the provisions of paragraph 781, Tariff Act of 1930, as amended by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T. D. 51802. Duty was also assessed upon the earthenware containers at the rate of 50 per centum ad valorem and 10 cents per dozen pieces, upon the basis of value of 16 cents per set, consisting of pot and earthenware cover, under the provisions of paragraph 211, by virtue of section 504, as unusual containers, designed for use otherwise than in the bona fide transportation of the contents to the United States. A further duty was assessed under paragraph 412, as amended by T. D. 51802, at 16% per centum ad valorem upon one wooden ladle with each pot, as manufactures of wood, appraised at l%o cents each. The price [2]*2of the jar and the ladle was included in the price of the mustard. In consequence of such finding, duty was increased from $24.75 to $167.08. The duty assessed upon the wooden ladles is not here in question.

The plaintiff contends that the mustard jars in question are not unusual containers within the purview of section 504 and, therefore, additional duties should not have been assessed.

At the trial of this case, the vice president and general manager of plaintiff testified that he has been familiar with the brand of mustard in question for the 27 years he has been associated with the handling, purchasing, and selling of fancy foods, including the mustard in question; that he has personally used this particular brand of mustard in his home and has seen others use it over a period of many years. A sample of the mustard jar at issue, taken from this particular shipment, according to the witness, was admitted in evidence as exhibit 1.

The witness further testified that during the 27 years he had handled this particular brand of mustard it had been packed in a j ar identical in form, coloring, and label as exhibit 1, there being no change during the entire period. As for the jars surviving the use of holding the mustard shipped therein, the witness testified:

A. Everyone that I know of that has used it, does not keep the jars. I know my wife will not keep them. We have several friends that don’t keep them.
Q. Mr. Cramer, one of the ultimate points which is of interest to the Court is whether that jar as you see it in Exhibit 1 is designed for use otherwise than in the bona fide transportation of the merchandise to the United States. Do you know or from its form, is there any use for that jar other than to carry the merchandise to the United States and permit its use here? — A. I don’t know of any other use for it. It has the company’s trade name on the jar.

On cross-examination, tbe witness was of tbe opinion that tbe jar, when empty, would not be suitable for jam. He also testified that, in bis opinion,' tbe jar was not decorative because it bad a packer’s label on it, indicating that tbe jar contained mustard, together with tbe declaration that it bad been manufactured by Grey Poupon since 1777. Tbe only decorations thereon appear to be tbe seller’s trade-mark.

Counsel for tbe plaintiff conceded that tbe value of tbe jar and cover was 16 cents, and tbe wooden ladle $0,012.

Counsel for tbe plaintiff contends that tbe container is not within tbe class of unusual coverings because it is tbe ordinary container for this particular kind of mustard and tbe only container ever used to bold same, citing May Department Stores Co. v. United, States, 62 Treas. Dec. 906, Abstract 21578, and Tonkin Distributing Co. v. United States, 64 Treas. Dec. 1050, Abstract 25882.

It is further contended that tbe phrase under section 504 “bona fide transportation of such merchandise to tbe United States” included [3]*3accompanying tbe article into tbe bands of tbe ultimate consumer, citing Oberteuffer v. Robertson, 116 U. S. 499; United States v. Thurber, 28 Fed. 56; and Rosenstein v. Magone, 34 Fed. 120, which was affirmed by the Supreme Court in Magone v. Rosenstein, 142 U. S. 604.

Tbe Government contends tbat the jars in question, made of earthenware, are highly decorative, refillable, and capable of being reused; tbat they were not tbe usual containers for mustard; and tbat tbe facts herein are similar to tbe facts in tbe case of United States v. Charles H. Demarest, Inc., 19 C. C. P. A. (Customs) 186, T. D. 45293, involving tbe importation of ginger in decorated china jars, wherein tbe jars were held to be unusual containers. Government also cites the case of Meyer & Lange v. United States, 12 Ct. Cust. Appls. 15, T. D. 39892, concerning decorated earthenware mugs, containing mustard, held to be unusual containers, and Lee & Schiffer, Inc. v. United States, 69 Treas. Dec. 1283, Abstract 34052, where shaving bowls, containing soap, were held dutiable separately, because tbe bowls could be used as refills and were designed for purposes other than tbe bona fide transportation of tbe soap to tbe United States. Government counsel also stresses tbat tbe value of tbe jar, as compared with tbe value of tbe mustard, is an indication tbat tbe jars should be classed as unusual containers.

Tbe jar containing mustard in evidence herein as exhibit 1 stands 3K inches high. It is about 2% inches in diameter at tbe widest part. Tbe diameter of tbe base is 2% inches. Tbe top of tbe jar is 1% inches in diameter. Tbe top is covered with a metal cap, hermetically sealing in tbe contents. Attached with scotch tape to tbe bottom of tbe jar is a plain earthenware cap, having a bole at one edge for tbe insertion of a mustard ladle. In fact, tbe article looks like and is an ordinary mustard jar. Tbe earthenware is of an off-white color. Tbe only decorations, blue in color, appear on one side and resemble a coat of arms, with words in tbe French language on either side thereof, and, at tbe bottom, tbe words “Grey 1777 Poupon.” On the reverse side of tbe jar appears a similar floral decoration surrounded by French words. On tbe bottom of tbe jar appear further French names, with tbe Engbsb words “Packed in France.”

From tbe appearance of this jar, it is difficult to discover anything extraordinary about it, save tbe French words and tbe coat-of-arms trade-mark. It is an ordinary mustard pot with a cover, and there is no indication in tbe design of tbe jar to suggest tbat it is suitable for any other use than to bold its contents until consumed. There is nothing about this representative sample wbicb would even suggest tbat it is highly decorative, as claimed by Government counsel.

Tbe ginger jars in tbe Demarest case, supra, were described as artistically decorated china jars, obviously suitable for many uses other than tbe transportation of ginger. It was obvious to tbe court [4]*4that tbe decorated lid was provided-with tbe jar so tbat tbe article might be used for a useful or decorative purpose after tbe ginger had been removed.

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Bluebook (online)
33 Cust. Ct. 1, 1954 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 561, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/julliard-fancy-foods-co-v-united-states-cusc-1954.