KMW Johnson, Inc. v. United States

728 F. Supp. 754, 13 Ct. Int'l Trade 1079, 13 C.I.T. 1079, 1989 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 409
CourtUnited States Court of International Trade
DecidedDecember 28, 1989
DocketCourt 81-10-01421
StatusPublished
Cited by3 cases

This text of 728 F. Supp. 754 (KMW Johnson, Inc. v. United States) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering United States Court of International Trade primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
KMW Johnson, Inc. v. United States, 728 F. Supp. 754, 13 Ct. Int'l Trade 1079, 13 C.I.T. 1079, 1989 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 409 (cit 1989).

Opinion

RE, Chief Judge:

The question presented in this case pertains to the proper classification, for customs duty purposes, of certain merchandise imported from Sweden and described on the customs invoice as “remaining parts for dryer section” of a papermaking machine.

The merchandise entered at the port of Chicago in 1977, and was classified by the Customs Service as “[industrial machinery ... for the treatment of materials by a process involving a change of temperature, ... and parts thereof,” under item 661.70 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States (TSUS), with duty at the rate of 6 per centum ad valorem. Plaintiff protests the classification, and contends that the imported merchandise should properly be classified as an “entirety” as “[mjachines for making cellulosic pulp, paper, or paperboard,” under item 668.00, TSUS, with duty at the rate of 3.6 per centum ad valorem.

The pertinent statutory provisions of the tariff schedules are as follows:

Classified Under:
Schedule 6, Part 4, Subpart A:
Industrial machinery, plant, and similar laboratory equipment, whether or not electrically heated, for the treatment of materials by a process involving a change of temperature, such as heating, cooking, roasting, distilling, rectifying, sterilizing, pasteurizing, steaming, drying, evaporating, vaporizing, condensing, or cooling; instantaneous or storage wa *755 ter heaters, non-electrical; all the foregoing (except agricultural implements, sugar machinery, shoe machinery, and machinery or equipment for the heat-treatment of textile yarns, fabrics, or made-up textile articles) and parts thereof:
661.70 Other.6% ad val.
Claimed Under:
Schedule 6, Part 4, Subpart D:
Machines for making cellulosic pulp, paper, or paperboard; machines for processing or finishing pulp, paper, or paperboard, or making them up into articles:
668.00 Machines for making cellulosic
pulp, paper, or paperboard .. 3.5% ad val.

The question presented is whether the imported merchandise has been properly classified by Customs as “[industrial machinery ... for the treatment of materials by a process involving a change of temperature, ... and parts thereof,” under item 661.70, TSUS, or is properly classifiable as an “entirety” as “[mjachines for making cellulosic pulp, paper, or paperboard,” under item 668.00, TSUS, as maintained by plaintiff.

In order to decide the question presented, the court must consider “whether the government’s classification is correct, both independently and in comparison with the importer’s alternative.” Jarvis Clark Co. v. United States, 733 F.2d 873, 878, reh’g denied, 739 F.2d 628 (Fed.Cir.1984). Pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 2639(a)(1) (1982), the government’s classification is presumed to be correct, and the burden of proof is upon the party challenging the classification.

After an examination of the pertinent tariff provisions, relevant case law, and supporting papers, it is the determination of the court that the imported merchandise was properly classified by the Customs Service, as “[ijndustrial machinery ... for the treatment of materials by a process involving a change of temperature, ... and parts thereof,” under item 661.70, TSUS.

The parties have stipulated to the facts in this case. The imported merchandise, which entered at the port of Chicago in 1977, consists of parts of a papermaking machine known as the Owens-Illinois Tomahawk machine (O-I Tomahawk). The O-I Tomahawk “was purchased at a single multi-million dollar price pursuant to the terms of a contract for the purchase of an entire papermaking machine and auxiliary equipment.” In approximately 16 other entries in 1977 and 1978, at various ports, plaintiff imported other parts of the O-I Tomahawk. Together, the imported parts “constitutef ] an almost complete paper-making machine.” The various parts of the O-I Tomahawk “were imported in several entries because it is impossible to import an entire machine in a single shipment.” Relying on their stipulation, the parties have submitted this action for decision in lieu of trial.

Plaintiff contends that the imported merchandise, together with all the other imported parts of the O-I Tomahawk, should be classified as an “entirety” as “[mjachines for making cellulosic pulp, paper, or paperboard,” under item 661.70, TSUS, because “where Congress has provided a specific tariff classification for merchandise which due to its physical characteristics cannot be imported in a single shipment, the merchandise is nevertheless a single tariff entity and must be classified as such to effectuate the will of Congress.” According to plaintiff, “[tjhe size, complexity, cost, manufacturing and erection time of the machine rendered it physically impossible and economically unfeasible to import all the components in a single shipment.”

Defendant contends that plaintiff raises the customs doctrine of “entireties” by asserting that the imported parts of the O-I Tomahawk, which were imported at various ports between 1977 and 1978, are classifiable together as “[mjachines for making cel-lulosic pulp, paper, or paperboard,” under item 668.00, TSUS. According to defendant, plaintiff’s argument “contravenes the well established principle that articles which are not imported together are precluded from being classified as an entirety.” Defendant contends that a close reading of the TSUS “evidence[sj the [Congressional] intent that the imported components in this case be separately classified in the specific provision found correct by the Customs Service.”

It is fundamental in customs cases that “the dutiable classification of articles imported must be ascertained by an examination of the imported article itself, in the *756 condition in which it is imported.” Worthington v. Robbins, 139 U.S. 337, 341, 11 S.Ct. 581, 583, 35 L.Ed. 181 (1891) (Blatchford, J.). Similarly, in cases in which it is contended that imported articles constitute an “entirety,” “[classification is determined by the condition of the articles at the time of importation.” Miniature Fashions, Inc. v. United States, 54 CCPA 11, 17, C.A.D. 894 (1966).

This court has described or defined the customs doctrine of “entireties” by stating that:

“if there are imported in one importation separate entities, which by their nature are obviously intended to be used as a unit, or to be joined together by mere assembly, and in such use or joining the individual identities of the separate entities are subordinated to the identity of the combined entity, duty will be imposed upon the entity they represent.”

Karoware, Inc. v.

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Bluebook (online)
728 F. Supp. 754, 13 Ct. Int'l Trade 1079, 13 C.I.T. 1079, 1989 Ct. Intl. Trade LEXIS 409, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/kmw-johnson-inc-v-united-states-cit-1989.