National Silver Co. v. United States

56 Cust. Ct. 401, 1966 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1951
United States Customs Court·Decided April 28, 1966·No. C.D. 2666·Published·Cited by 3 cases

Opinions

Donlon, Judge:

Certain plastic mugs which were imported from Hongkong at the port of Boston on April 12, 1962, were classified by the collector as nonenumerated manufactured articles, dutiable under paragraph 211, Tariff Act of 1930, by virture of the similitude provision of paragraph 1559. Plaintiff’s protest made two claims: First, for classification by similitude under paragraph 218 (glassware); and, second, for classification under paragraph 1558 as nonenumerated manufactured articles, but without operation of the similitude provision.

The first of the protest claims has been abandoned. (Plaintiff’s brief, p. 2.) That claim is dismissed.

Inasmuch as the collector’s similitude classification is necessarily predicated on a finding that these plastic mugs are nonenumerated manufactured articles, plaintiff’s burden of proof is to negative classification that is based on similitude in use. The pertinent tariff pro-lusions are as follows:

Paragraph 1559, as amended by the Customs Simplification Act of 1954, T.D. 53599:

Each and every imported article, not enumerated in this Act, which is similar in the use to which it may be applied to am/y article enumerated in this Act as chargeable with duty, shall be subject to the same rate of duty as the enumerated article which it most resembles in the particular before mentioned; and if any nonenumerated article equally resembles in that particular two or more enumerated articles on which different rates of duty are chargeable, it shall be subject to the rate of duty applicable to that one of such two or more articles which it most resembles in respect of the materials of which it is composed. [Emphasis supplied.]

[402] Paragraph 211, as modified by the Japanese Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, T.D. 53865:

Earthenware and crochery ware comyosed of a nonvitrified absorbent body, including white granite and semi-porcelain earthenware, and cream-colored ware, terra cotta, and stoneware, including clock cases with or without movements, pill tiles, plaques, ornaments, charms, vases, statues, statuettes, mugs, cups, steins, lamps, and all other articles composed wholly or in chief value of such ware; * * *: [Emphasis supplied.]

Tableware, kitchenware, and table and kitchen utensils:

all the foregoing-per doz. pieces and 40% ad val.

Plaintiff introduced into evidence two samples of the imported merchandise. (Exhibits 1-A, 1-B.) There is in evidence, also, a report of the United States Customs Laboratory at New York on its analysis of exhibit 1-B.

The imported merchandise is conceded to be made of plastic materials and paper, as the laboratory report states:

The sample is a double-walled cup with a layer of woven paper between the walls. The inside wall is yellow and is composed of styrene and acrylonitrile synthetic resin having a vitrified nonabsorbent body. The outer wall is transparent and is composed of polystyrene synthetic resin having a vitrified nonabsorbent body.

The imported mugs, as represented by exhibits 1-A and 1-B, are used to contain, hold and serve coffee, milk, water, soup and other beverages. The fact of such use was stipulated.

Defendant introduced into evidence two specimen earthenware mugs. (Exhibits A and B.) Defendant adduced the testimony of two witnesses.

Defendant’s witnesses, who hold executive sales positions with the respective manufacturers of exhibits A and B, testified that their mugs are made of a semivitreous product or, as Mr. Rice testified with respect to exhibit B, of a “semi-vitreous, semi-procelain ware, commonly known as earthenware in our industry.”

It is presumed that the collector found each and every fact necessary to his classification. Therefore, he is presumed to have found similitude in use, as between the imported plastic mugs at bar and those mugs which are dutiable by enumeration under paragraph 211. Actually there is no contention that such similitude in use does not exist. The record confirms that it does.

Whether the collector found, additionally, an equal similarity in use between these imported mugs and some other mugs, which are dutiable [403] by enumeration under tariff provisions other than paragraph 211, has not been shown in the record before us. There is no evidence whatsoever to that effect. Such a finding is, of course, not necessary to the collector’s classification. Therefore, we may not presume that the collector so found. Absent a record that would support a finding of equal similarity in use to two or more articles composed of different materials, a finding which was not essential to the collector’s classification, we should not extend presumption as to the collector’s findings beyond those findings that are required by his classification.

The issue before us, to state it in its simplest terms, is whether, under amended paragraph 1559, these plastic mugs which concededly are nonenumerated manufactured articles that are similar in use to earthenware mugs, an article enumerated in paragraph 211, may be classified under paragraph 211 by similitude in use to such earthenware mugs, notwithstanding they are of plastic materials which do not have a non-vitrified absorbent body.

The argument which plaintiff advances is that, however similar the two articles are in their use, no plastic mugs may be so classified unless they, too, are composed of the nonvitrified and absorbent material that is described in paragraph 211 for earthenware articles. It is plaintiff’s contention that the so-called exclusionary rule excludes from paragraph 211 classification, by virtue of similitude in use, articles such as these mugs which do not possess the so-called exclusionary feature.

This is an issue that has long been litigated, both under the predecessor paragraph 1559 and, more recently, under paragraph 1559 as amended by the Customs Simplification Act of 1954. The issue is now before our appeals court in J. E. Bernard & Co., Inc. v. United States, 55 Cust. Ct. 17, C.D. 2549.

In the Bernard case, the writer of this opinion discussed at some length both the history of the judicial development of the so-called exclusionary rule and cases that reflect that history. It is not necessary to repeat that discussion here. My opinion stated in Bernard is reaffirmed. I am of opinion that the exclusionary rule does not bar similitude classification, by use, of these plastic mugs to mugs dutiable under paragraph 211.

The merchandise at bar in the Bernard case was plastic toilet roll holders which the collector had classified by similitude in use to toilet roll holders within the enumeration of paragraph 212. The following excerpt from my opinion in Bernard summarizes my views in that case.

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National Silver Co. v. United States, 56 Cust. Ct. 401, 1966 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 1951 (cusc 1966).

56 Cust. Ct. 401 (National Silver Co. v. United States) — published by Counsel Stack Legal Research, free access to 12M+ legal documents.

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