Nippon Import & Trading Co. v. United States

8 Cust. Ct. 18, 1941 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2200
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedDecember 29, 1941
DocketC. D. 575
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 8 Cust. Ct. 18 (Nippon Import & Trading 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
Nippon Import & Trading Co. v. United States, 8 Cust. Ct. 18, 1941 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2200 (cusc 1941).

Opinion

Kincheloe, Judge:

This suit involves the dutiable classification for customs purposes of certain merchandise invoiced as 5 bales “Hit & Miss Cotton Rag Rugs” measuring 21 inches by 9 feet, on invoice covered by entry 709143, and to the item of 8 bales, ditto, measuring 27 by 90 inches, on invoice covered by entry 97997. The merchandise was shipped by Kakunaka & Co., Ltd., Kobe, Japan, and was imported by the Nippon Import & Trading Co., Inc., New York, the plaintiff herein. Duty was assessed on the merchandise at the rate of 75 per centum ad valorem under paragraph 921 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as “rag rugs, wholly or in chief value of cotton, of the type commonly known as ‘hit-and-miss/ ” and it is claimed to bo more properly dutiable under the provision of the same paragraph for “all other floor coverings * * * wholly or in chief value of cotton,” at 35 per centum ad valorem.

The contention of the plaintiff is that a cotton “hit-and-miss” floor ■covering of a length three or more times its width is not a rug in the •commercial sense, but a runner, and that it therefore does not come within the provision for cotton “hit-and-miss” rag rugs, but is relegated to said residuary provision of said paragraph 921 for dutiable classification.

[19]*19The same issue was raised by the plaintiff herein in protest 964255-G, decided as Abstract 41571, wherein the so-called cotton “hit-and-miss” rag rugs or runners measured 21 inches by 9 feet. In that case, however, plaintiff relied solely on the common or ordinary meaning of the terms “rugs” and “runners.”

Under the common or dictionary meaning of the term “rug” this court found it sufficiently broad to embrace the merchandise there in issue, and the claim of the plaintiff was accordingly overruled. In the present case, however, the plaintiff relies on the doctrine of commercial designation to prove its claim. It has been agreed between counsel on both sides that illustrative exhibit 1, representative of the merchandise in the former case, supra, shall be accepted and received in evidence as representative of the merchandise in the present instance, and it was ordered, filed and marked exhibit 1 herein. (R. 6.)

Counsel for the defendant contends that the provision for “rag rugs, wholly or in chief value of cotton, of the type commonly known as ‘hit-and-miss,’ ” in paragraph 921 of the Tariff Act of 1930, is not subject to proof of commercial designation. His main argument for this, as we understand it, is because of the language “of the type commonly known as ‘hit-and-miss’ ” in said paragraph, and that it is therefore not subject to proof of commercial designation. In support of such contention he cites the case of United States v. Stone & Downer Co., 274 U. S. 225. In that case the merchandise consisted of wool, worsted, and worsted cloth, and was assessed for duty under paragraph 18 of the Emergency Tariff Act of 1921, providing for “Wool, commonly known as clothing wool,” etc. The importer protested the assessment and claimed that the wool there in question was combing wool, and that combing, wool was not included in said paragraph 18 of said emergency act, but fell under paragraph 650 of the Tree List of the Tariff Act of 1913.

We have carefully considered said decision, and are of opinion that it has no bearing here. The issue in the case at bar is not whether the instant merchandise is of the “type commonly known as ‘hit-and-miss,’ ” but whether such merchandise is a “rug” or a “runner,” as claimed by plaintiff. On such issue the attorneys for the plaintiff have made the following concession in their brief:

It is conceded that the merchandise herein is wholly or in chief value of cotton and of the type commonly known as hit and miss. It is further conceded for the purposes of this case that such merchandise is within the common understanding of the term ‘rugs.’ * * * Plaintiff here relies upon commercial designation and contends that the term ‘rugs’ as used in the cotton rag hit and miss floor covering trade of the United States at and prior to June, 1930, had a uniform, definite and general meaning, different from its common meaning, and that such commercial meaning excluded floor coverings such as those covered by the case at bar, whose length exceeds the width by three times or more, which articles are known in the trade as runners.

[20]*20We do not agree with the contention of counsel for the defendant on the question of commercial designation, and are of opinion that under the issue raised in the instant case the question of whether the merchandise at bar is a “rug” or a “runner” is susceptible of proof of commercial designation.

The rule of commercial designation is well illustrated by the case of Neuman & Schwiers Co. v. United States, 24 C. C. P. A. 127, T. D. 48606, wherein the following language was used by the court:

We have pointed out, on numerous occasions, and did so again in the Wile case, supra, [T. D. 47327] what the true rule was. This conclusion was based upon a uniform line of authorities from the beginning of the consideration of su'eh cases by the courts of this country. The Supreme Court, in the very early consideration of these matters, as in the noted case of Two Hundred Chests of Tea, 9 Wheat. 428, recognized that customs laws were particularly adapted for use by merchants, and that it might well be that commodities which were well known among those who were engaged in the trade, under a certain designation might not be so known, by those who were not engaged in trade; that the Congress was to be understood as speaking in terms of the trade; and that if an article, although not commonly known as designated by the law, was uniformly, definitely, and generally known by that designation in the trade and commerce of the country, it should be included within the statutory term. This rule has been carried down through the years, continuously. * * *

On the issue thus presented plaintiff called as its first witness Isaac Davis, vice president and salesman of the importing company since 1924. His testimony is to the effect that he is in charge of the sales of the plaintiff corporation, Nippon Import & Trading Co., and has been buying and selling floor coverings since 1911; that he has personally sold “hit-and-miss” floor coverings such as exhibit 1 in different sizes all over the country to resident buyers, general stores, etc., at wholesale since 1923 (R. 8, 9, 13); and that he has come into contact with buyers and the trade generally, and is familiar with the trade usage and phraseology (R. 9). The witness further testified that at and before June, 1930, there was a trade understanding of the term “rug” in the cotton “hit-and-miss” floor covering trade which was definite, uniform, and general (R. 9), and that such meaning was different from the common or dictionary meaning, and was as follows:

The term “rug” as used in the cotton rag “hit and mip°” floor covering trade included all floor coverings of any shape or form, finished on all sides, but did not include floor coverings where the length is three or more times greater than the width, which was known and sold as runners. (R. 14.)

and that such trade understanding does not include merchandise like exhibit 1, which is always sold and offered for sale as “runners,” and is never sold or offered for sale as rugs (R.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

Nippon Import & Trading Co. v. United States
14 Cust. Ct. 35 (U.S. Customs Court, 1945)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
8 Cust. Ct. 18, 1941 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2200, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nippon-import-trading-co-v-united-states-cusc-1941.