Nippon Import & Trading Co. v. United States

14 Cust. Ct. 35, 1945 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJanuary 10, 1945
DocketC. D. 908
StatusPublished
Cited by8 cases

This text of 14 Cust. Ct. 35 (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, 14 Cust. Ct. 35, 1945 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3 (cusc 1945).

Opinion

Kincheloe, Judge:

These protests relate to certain floor coverings imported from Japan, which were classified and assessed for duty by the collector 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’,” at the rate of 75 per centum ad valorem, and which are claimed to be dutiable under the catch-all provision of the same paragraph for “all other floor coverings, including carpets, carpeting, mats, and rugs, wholly or in chief value of cotton,” at the rate of 35 per centum ad valorem.

The contention of the plaintiffs is that all of the “hit-ánd-miss” cotton floor coverings in these importations whose length ■ is three times or more its width are commercially known in the trade of this [36]*36country as “runners” and not as “rugs,” and that therefore they are excluded from the provision of paragraph 921 for “hit-and-miss” cotton rag rugs, and are relegated to said catch-all provision for dutiable classification.

The definition of the word “rug” is given in Funk & Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary, 1930 edition, as follows:

rug, n. 1. A heavy textile covering for a floor, differing from a carpet in that it is properly made in one piece, commonly with a shaggy pile, and of a size to cover only a portion of a floor.

The samé authority gives the definition of the word “runner” as follows:

runner, n. 20. A long narrow rug, as for a hallway.

The definition of “runner” appears in Webster’s New International Dictionary, 1936, as follows:

runner, n. 6. A long, narrow strip of material, as of roofing, carpeting, etc. Specif.: a Among Oriental rugs, a long narrow carpet, generally woven in pairs, used on either side of the kali (which see) in a Persian room, or as a divan cover. b Hence, any rug adapted by its long and narrow shape for running, or extending, along halls, passageways, etc.

Upon the trial it was stipulated between counsel herein that the merchandise in the present case is the same in all material respects as that in the case of Nippon Import & Trading Co., Inc. v. United States, 8 Cust. Ct. 18 (C. D. 575), affirmed in United States v. Nippon, 30 C. C. P. A. 89 (C. A. D. 220), in that the length of the rugs in both cases is three times or more than its width, that the rugs are of the type commonly known as “hit-and-miss,” are composed of rags, and are wholly or in chief value, of cotton. Thereupon, on motion of counsel for the plaintiffs the record in the said Nippon case, supra, was incorporated as a part of the record herein, the parties, the merchandise, and the issue therein being the same as in the instant case. Plaintiff then rested its case.

In view of the fact that in the incorporated case we went thoroughly into the evidence- and law embodied in that record, we deem it very important here to quote at length from our opinion in same, as follows:

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 such 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, [37]*37it 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 miss” 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. 15), and that the same thing applies to the “hit-and-miss” floor coverings measuring 27 by 90 inches (R. 16).

On cross-examination Mr. Davis named some of the people to whom he sold “hit-and-miss” floor coverings as including J. C. Penney, McCrory Corp., J. J. Newberry, McClelland Stores, and Ely-Walker Dry Goods Co., all of whom, when buying merchandise like exhibit 1, specified “runners” (R. 20). The witness further stated that it was the practice of his company to keep its records for 7 years only, and that records prior to 1930 were therefore not available, but that he could recall the character of the bills and circulars distributed to the trade prior to 1930,'and that such merchandise as exhibit 1 was described therein and offered for sale as runners and never as rugs (R. 26, 27).

On recall the same witness testified further that “rugs” and “runners” are used in different ways, the runners in narrow passages and halls, also as a floor covering over a good rug or carpet to save it from wear, also for stair covering, while rugs are used to cover the floor space inside rooms (R. 46).

Plaintiff's second witness was Samuel Milgrim, vice president and secretary of the Providence Import Co., New York, from 1928 to date. He testified that they were importers of rugs and floor coverings, including “hit-and-miss” cotton rag floor coverings. He stated that his duties have been that of selling since 1926 (R. 30).

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Bluebook (online)
14 Cust. Ct. 35, 1945 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/nippon-import-trading-co-v-united-states-cusc-1945.