Leaf Brands, Inc. v. United States

70 Cust. Ct. 66, 1973 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3471
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedFebruary 13, 1973
DocketC.D. 4409; Court Nos. 69/3691, etc.
StatusPublished
Cited by5 cases

This text of 70 Cust. Ct. 66 (Leaf Brands, 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
Leaf Brands, Inc. v. United States, 70 Cust. Ct. 66, 1973 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3471 (cusc 1973).

Opinion

Maletz, Judge:

The problem in this case is to determine the proper tariff classification of a product known as “Zing” that was exported from Japan in 1965 and 1966. The merchandise was assessed with duty at 20 percent ad valorem under item 182.91 of the tariff schedules as an edible preparation not specially provided for. Plaintiff claims that this assessment is erroneous and that the importation is properly dutiable at 14 percent ad valorem under item 157.10 as “confectionery”. Defendant denies that the importation is confectionery and defends its classification, but claims alternatively that it is a flavored sugar dutiable at 20 percent ad valorem under item 155.75.

[67]*67Tlie pertinent provisions oí the tariff schedules read as follows: Assessed under:

Schedule 1, Part 15
* * * * * * »
Subpart B headnotes:
1. This subpart covers preparations fit for human consumption not provided for elsewhere in schedule 1.
H< % H« :Ji # ^ H*
Edible preparations not specially provided for (including prepared meals individually packaged):
íjí ífc $ ^ ^ $
182.91 Other_ 20% ad val.
Claimed by plaintiff under:
Schedule 1, Part 10
H? H» «!* H* •{» •{»
Subpart C headnotes:
H« H* # # ❖ & ‡
2. The term “confectionery”, as used in this subpart, covers confections or sweetmeats ready for consumption. This subpart does not cover all confectionery (see sub-part B of this part, path 9 of schedule 1, and subpart B of part 15 of schedule 1 for other provisions covering confectionery).
157.10 Candy, and other confectionery, not specially provided for_ 14% ad val.
Alternatively claimed by defendant under:
Schedule 1, Part 10
Subpart A headnotes:
H* *?» *£•
155.75 Sugar, sirups, and molasses, described in this subpart, flavored; and sirups, flavored or unflavored, consisting of blends of any of the products described in this subpart_ 20% ad val.

The imported merchandise, as shown by the sample in evidence, consists of cartons containing plastic straws three and one-half inches long and plastic simulated soft-drink bottles approximately three and one-quarter inches high filled with variously colored powders (orange, [68]*68yellow, green, pink and lavender). The powder, according to a chemical analysis prepared by plaintiff, consists of 95.01 to 96.42 percent dextrose, plus citric acid, flavoring and coloring.1

The words “Leaf Zing Eat or Drink Powder Mix” are printed on the top and three sides of the cardboard container. The top cover shows a boy sipping through a straw in the Zing bottle. A band of paper encircling the middle of each bottle has the word “Zing” printed thereon and lists the flavor of the contents (i.e., grape, strawberry, pineapple, lemon-lime, or cherry). Also printed on the paper band are the ingredients and the name and location of the manufacturer.

The sole witness at the trial, the vice-president of plaintiff’s research and development division, testified to the following effect: Plaintiff is a manufacturer of “bubble gum, confectionery, and freeze pops”. The import in issue, Zing, consists primarily of dextrose to which flavoring, citric acid and food coloring have been added. It was developed and imported in order to compete with two popular products, having the same formula as Zing, that were sold in small “poppa and mamma” stores. One of these products, “Lik-M-Aid”, consists of a small packet of powder which retailed for a penny per packet. The other product, “Pixy Stix”, consists of a long straw that contains powder and is sealed tight at each end. According to the witness, Pixy Stix and Lik-M-Aid were rather popular “in the fact that a child came in, put down his penny, took * * * [the Pixy Stix] and * * * snipped off the end of the straw, put it in his mouth, [and] ate it, or, tore off the top of the little paper pouch [Lik-M-Aid], and poured it in [his mouth].”

The witness testified that he 'had tested Zing by taking the cap off the bottle, dipping the straw into the bottle and sucking the powder up through it. He found that it tasted sweet, although not as sweet as sucrose, and also tasted tart because of the citric acid. He further stated that “[i]t is pleasant and has a cooling effect on your tongue, which is characteristic of a dextrose product.” The witness added that it is highly flavored and colored to match the flavor. “In other words, cherry is red; orange is orange; and yellow is lemon; etc.”

The product was offered to the wholesale trade in selected sales territories through plaintiff’s “candy brokers”. It had a short-range success, but “didn’t have much staying power” and therefore was subsequently abandoned.

The witness agreed that, chemically, dextrose is a sugar since it is a saccharate derived from corn. He stated, however, that it was not so [69]*69known by “common usage” in view of the fact that “the general public thinks of sugar as cane sugar or beet sugar.” He also testified that Zing is soluble in water and could produce a soft drink similar in taste to Kool-Aid, although twice as much Zing would be required because dextrose has less sweetening power than “sugar”.

The witness explained that a small child buying an item like Lik-M-Aid or Zing at the local store would use it immediately without waiting to get a glass of water to mix it in a drink. In his opinion, Zing is candy or confectionery, although “chemically” it is “flavored sugar”. The product, he stated, is similar to numerous items on the market which have exactly the same formula but are pressed into a pill “and there is no question it is candy because it is in a pill form.” In fact, his company takes the Zing formulation, presses it and calls it “sour sweets”.

At the outset, it should be noted that item 182.91 — the provision imder which the present import was classified — is limited to edible preparations “not specially provided for”. Thus evidence that either item 157.10 or 155.75 is satisfied is “ipso facto” also evidence that item 182.91 “is not pertinent”. Venetianaire Corp. of America v. United States, 60 CCPA 75, C.A.D. 1084 (1973) (slip op. at 4).

Against this background, plaintiff claims that Zing is “much more than” a flavored sugar as provided for in item 155.75; that it is a “powdered candy” which comes within the common meaning of “confectionery” as that term is used in item 157.10;2 and that the only use shown for it is as a candy or confection. Plaintiff also contends that, even if Zing is a flavored sugar, the candy and confectionery provision-item 157.10 — under which it claims is a designation by use which prevails over the eo nomine provision for flavored sugar in item 155.75.

Defendant, on the other hand, relies heavily upon the holding in Westco Products, L. A. v. United States, 58 Cust. Ct. 306, C.D.

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Bluebook (online)
70 Cust. Ct. 66, 1973 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3471, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/leaf-brands-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1973.