Lug All Co. v. United States

48 Cust. Ct. 74
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedFebruary 21, 1962
DocketC.D. 2317
StatusPublished

This text of 48 Cust. Ct. 74 (Lug All 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
Lug All Co. v. United States, 48 Cust. Ct. 74 (cusc 1962).

Opinion

LawkeNCe, Judge:

Plaintiff imported certain merchandise, described as anchor plates, single glazing strip, and double glazing strip, which was classified as articles in chief value of metal, not specially provided for, in paragraph 397 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U.S.C. § 1001, par. 397), as modified by the Sixth Protocol of Supplementary Concessions to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 91 Treas. Dec. 150, T.D. 54108, and subjected to duty at the rate of 21 per centum ad valorem.

Plaintiff claims that the articles should be classified in paragraph 312 of said act (19 U.S.C. § 1001, par. 312), as modified by the Tor-quay Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 86 Treas. Dec. 121, T.D. 52739, as structural shapes, which have been fabricated for use, or advanced beyond hammering, rolling, or casting, and dutiable at 7% per centum ad valorem.

The foregoing provisions of the statutes are here set forth.

Paragraph 397 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified, supra:

Articles or wares not specially provided for, whether partly or wholly manufactured :

*******
Composed wholly or in chief value of iron, steel, copper, brass, nickel, pewter, zinc, aluminum, or other base metal (except lead), but not plated with platinum, gold, or silver, or colored with gold lacquer: Typewriter spools * * *
Not wholly or in chief value of tin or tin plate:
Carriages, drays, * * *
* * * * * if! *
Other, composed wholly or in chief value of iron, steel, brass, bronze, zinc, or aluminum * * *_21% ad val.

[76]*76Paragraph. 312 of said act, as modified by the Torquay protocol, sufra,:

Beams, girders, joists, angles, channels, car-truck channels, tees, columns and posts, or parts or sections of columns and posts, and deck and bulb beams, together with all other structural shapes of iron or steel:
Not assembled, manufactured or advanced beyond hammering, rolling,
or casting_ * * *
Machined, drilled, punched, assembled, fitted, fabricated for use, or otherwise advanced beyond hammering, rolling, or easting_7%% ad val.

Plaintiff also makes alternative claims for classification in paragraphs 304 and 312, as modified, quoted below:

Paragraph 304 of said act, as modified by the Sixth protocol, sufra:

Sheets and plates and steel not specially provided for (except circular saw plates), valued over 16 cents per pound_11%% ad val.

Paragraph 304 of said act, as modified by the Annecy Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 84 Treas. Dec. 403, T.D. 52373, supplemented by Presidential proclamation, 85 Treas. Dec. 116, T.D. 52462:

* * * pressed, sheared, or stamped shapes, not advanced in value or condition by any process or operation subsequent to the process of stamping; * * *
Valued above 5 and not above 8 cents per pound_12%% ad val.

Paragraph 312 of said act, as modified by the Sixth protocol, sufra:

Sashes and frames of iron or steel_14% ad val.

The following exhibits illustrating the character and use of the imported merchandise were introduced by plaintiff:

Exhibit 1 — anchor plate.

Exhibit 2 — single glazing strip.

Exhibit 3 — double glazing strip.

Illustrative exhibit 4 — sample illustrating how the anchor plate is used in connection with Handy Angles.

Illustrative exhibit 5 — article consisting of two parts of the so-called Handy Angle joined together - with a nut and a bolt, without the anchor plate.

Illustrative exhibit 6 — article showing the Handy Angle incorporating two anchor plates.

Illustrative exhibit 7- — -article illustrating how both the single and double glazing strips are used with Handy Angles.

The following exhibits offered by the defendant were received in evidence:

Exhibit A- — booklet describing the purposes and uses of the Handy Angle.

[77]*77Exhibit B — photograph showing use of a Handy Angle.

It appears that the so-called “Handy Angles” were classified as “structural shapes” by the collector of customs, as to which there is no dispute.

The only witness in the case, DeWitt Cox, was called by the plaintiff. The substance of his testimony may be summarized as follows:

As vice president of the plaintiff company, with which he has been a sales representative since 1949, he has sold its products throughout the United States. The company deals in a “* * * line of lightweight, portable hoists, tripods, winches, and ‘Handy Angle,’ which is a slotted steel angle, a framing material.” The witness had gained an intimate knowledge of the nature and uses of the articles represented by exhibits 1, 2, and 3 from having sold the material throughout the United States, developed its uses, and made sales calls in the field to promote the product.

He described exhibit 1, the anchor plate, as a punched piece of cold rolled steel, used to make a strong, rigid joint. When two pieces of Handy Angle (illustrative exhibit 5) intersect, an anchor plate is incorporated in order to obtain three bolting positions, rather than one. This arrangement is represented by illustrative exhibit 4. Anchor plates are used only with Handy Angles. The witness explained that when two pieces of Handy Angle are combined without the use of an anchor plate, a strong, rigid joint is not obtained, as disclosed by illustrative exhibit 5.

The witness described the following uses of anchor plates in conjunction with Handy Angles:

* * * a joint in fences, small buildings, heavy-duty racking, partitions, hand-trucks, platforms, motor stands, electrical switch frames. It’s such a basic material that it had endless uses and this could go on and on and on.

According to the witness, anchor plates, when combined with Handy Angles, provide maximum strength with little weight, forming a fundamental part of the items above referred to, greatly increasing their strength and rigidity.

The glazing strips, represented by exhibits 2 and 3, are, according to the witness, used only with Handy Angles to attach glass or some other material to a metal framework. The use of the two types of glazing strips (exhibits 2 and 3) in conjunction with Handy Angles is shown by illustrative exhibit 7.

With the use of illustrative exhibit 7, the witness explained that “* * * the glazing strips are holding portions of plexiglass in position to illustrate to a potential customer the way they could use it to hold glass in position, or fiberboard, or whatever they may wish to enclose a framework with.”

[78]

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Related

§ 1001
19 U.S.C. § 1001

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48 Cust. Ct. 74, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/lug-all-co-v-united-states-cusc-1962.