Kelco Inc. v. United States

63 Cust. Ct. 439, 1969 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3735
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedNovember 26, 1969
DocketC.D. 3931
StatusPublished

This text of 63 Cust. Ct. 439 (Kelco 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
Kelco Inc. v. United States, 63 Cust. Ct. 439, 1969 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3735 (cusc 1969).

Opinion

Newman, Judge:

The issue in this case is the proper tariff classification of certain chains imported in ten foot lengths. The customs officials classified the merchandise under item 652.35 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States (TSUS), and accordingly the chains were assessed with duty at the rate of 19 per centum ad valorem.

In their protest, plaintiffs interposed two claims in the alternative: 10.5 per centum ad valorem under item 664.10, TSUS; and 10 per centum ad valorem under item 678.50, TSUS. At the trial, plaintiffs orally moved to amend the protest to claim that the merchandise is properly dutiable at the rate of 12.5 per centum ad valorem under item 652.18, TSUS.1

Plaintiffs’ original protest claims were not argued in their brief and are deemed abandoned. Accordingly, only plaintiffs’ claim under item 652.18 is considered, which we sustain.

Quoted below are the pertinent statutory provisions:

Schedule 6, Part 3, Subpart F, Tariff Schedule of the United States:
Chain and chains, and parts thereof, all the foregoing of base metal not coated or plated with precious metal:
Of iron or steel:
Chain or chains used for the transmission of power, and parts thereof:
652.18 Other_ 12.5% ad val.
652.35 Other_ 19% ad val.

At the trial of this case, the record in Border Brokerage Company et al. v. United States, 58 Cust. Ct. 228, C.D. 2947, 266 F. Supp. 903 (1967), was incorporated on plaintiffs’ motion, and was augmented by the testimony of three witnesses: Edward Kelly — president of plaintiff Kelco; Edward A. Burns — vice president of Pacific Chain Manufacturing Co., purchaser of the merchandise from Kelco; and Thomas I’Anson — an importer and seller of the chain links and rivets, which comprised the imported chain (who had testified, also, in the the incorporated case). There was-also received in evidence, representative samples of the various sizes of chain links and rivets comprising the imported chains.

Defendant presented no evidence.

[441]*441The facts in this case are not in dispute, and may be briefly summarized:

The imported chains, known as “mill chain” or “sprocket chain,” were sold primarily to such users as sawmills, pulp and papermills, plywood mills, and firms in the forest products industry. The chains were chiefly used for conveying or hauling various materials, such as logs and lumber refuse.

The chains are described on the invoice by size as H-78, IT-82, and H-124. These different sizes were applied to the varying loads and types of products conveyed by use of the imported chains.

The power source used in connection with the chains was ordinarily an electric motor, although occasionally gas or steam was used. The drive motor has a shaft with a sprocket, and the teeth of the sprocket engage the links of the chain to drive them forward, which in turn moves the material conveyed. There were various attachments used with the chains so that they could be utilized for moving materials.

The chains were imported and sold in ten foot lengths, and were comprised of chain links (exhibits 1 through 8) connected together with rivets (exhibits 4 through 6).' Additionally, rivets were used to connect the chains together so that any length chains desired by the user could be made.

The chains were in chief value of iron or steel, and not coated or plated with precious metal.

At the conclusion of the hearing, the court granted both parties time within which to file a brief. Plaintiffs have filed a brief, which in substance argues that Border Brokerage Company, supra, is stare decisis. Defendant, upon request, was relieved from filing a brief. In the request, defendant has agreed that Border Brokerage is controlling, but has also raised a new issue relating to entireties. That “new issue” is hereinafter discussed in more particularity.

Border Brokerage covered two consolidated protests: one protest covered five entries of chain links (including sizes H-82 and H-78); and the other protest involved two entries of certain “rivets.” Both the chain links and rivets were classified under paragraph 397 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified, as articles not specially provided for, in chief value of base metal. Plaintiffs’ principal claim was that the chain links and rivets were properly dutiable as parts of chain used for the transmission of power under paragraph 329, as modified, or that the chain links should have been so classified, and the rivets classified within the eo nomine provision therefor in paragraph 33'2, as modified.

The court found in Border Brokerage that the chains formed from the imported links were designed for and were used chiefly in the sawmill, pulpmill, and construction industries to convey logs or other materials from one point to another. Following General Chain & Belt [442]*442Co. v. United States, 42 Cust. Ct. 115, C.D. 2074 (1959), as stare decisis, the court held that conveyor chains are used for the transmission of power, and accordingly that the chain links were properly dutiable as parts of chain used for the transmission of power under paragraph 329, as modified. Since the rivets were found not dedicated for use as parts of chain, they were held classifiable under paragraph 332, as modified.

In the present case, the Government admits that size H-124 chain links are used for the same purposes as sizes H-78 and H-82 (which were the subject of Border Brokerage), and also concedes that the chain links in the imported chain are similar in all material respects to those in Border Brokerage.

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Related

Donalds Ltd. v. United States
32 Cust. Ct. 310 (U.S. Customs Court, 1954)
General Chain & Belt Co. v. United States
42 Cust. Ct. 115 (U.S. Customs Court, 1959)
Border Brokerage Co. v. United States
58 Cust. Ct. 228 (U.S. Customs Court, 1967)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
63 Cust. Ct. 439, 1969 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3735, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kelco-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1969.