Roovers Bros. v. United States

23 Cust. Ct. 53, 1949 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 621
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedNovember 1, 1949
DocketC. D. 1190
StatusPublished
Cited by14 cases

This text of 23 Cust. Ct. 53 (Roovers Bros. 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
Roovers Bros. v. United States, 23 Cust. Ct. 53, 1949 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 621 (cusc 1949).

Opinion

Cole, Judge:

Merchandise described on the invoice as ‘Gloy’ C Paste” was classified, by similitude, as a chemical compound, not specially provided for, with an assessment of duty at 25 per centum ad valorem under paragraphs 5 and 1559 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U. S. C. §1001, par. 5 and par. 1559). Plaintiff’s principal claims are for classification either directly, paragraph 84 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19U.S.C. §1001, par. 84), or by similitude, paragraph 1559, supra, as soluble or chemically treated starch, dutiable at 2 cents per pound; [54]*54or as a nonenumerated manufactured article under paragraph 1558 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U. S. C. §1001, par. 1558), carrying an assessment of 20 per centum ad valorem. An additional claim, not pressed either at the trial or in the brief, is made under paragraph 83 of the Tariff Act of 1930.

In addition to the testimony of three witnesses, the record also contains a sample of the present' merchandise, plaintiff’s exhibit 1, consisting of a small glass jar with a substance resembling in appearance ordinary library paste. All of the proof was offered by plaintiff.

Plaintiff imported the present merchandise as an. adhesive. Its plant manager for over a period of 5 years used and observed the use by customers of this “Gloy” C paste for its adhesive- qualities in packaging cartons and sticking papers or documents together. Concerning the comparability of soluble or chemically treated starch with the imported product, the witness testified that he had made physical tests of both for their adhesiveness and evaporating properties, and “they seemed very similar.” He used soluble chemically treated starch “intermittently, over many years,” for binding paper together.

The Government chemist, who analyzed the merchandise in question, testified, using her written report, defendant’s exhibit 2, that the product contains 20.3 per centum solids and 79.7 per centum water. The solids and their proportionate quantities are: Zinc chloride, 4.4 per centum; calcium chloride, 6.4 per centum; sodium chloride, 0.7 per centum; starch (chemically treated) 4.8 per centum; gum arabic or similar carbohydrate gum, 4 per centum.

The nature and functions of the several components of the paste under consideration were explained by a chemist, testifying for the plaintiff, and his test agreed with the Government’s report, defendant’s exhibit 2, sufra. The chemically treated starch and carbohydrate gum impart to the substance its adhesiveness. The zinc chloride and calcium chloride prevent it from jellying and add to its usability.

He defined a chemical compound as a combination of chemical elements in a definite proportion in which the substance has a definite molecular weight and possessed properties separate and distinct from the elements composing it. The merchandise in question is not a chemical compound because its several different components deprive it of a specific or definite molecular weight. Furthermore, the presence of chemically treated starch and carbohydrate gum precludes it from being a mixture of chemical compounds because both are mixtures of components having different molecular weights and therefore neither is a chemical compound. The witness called the imported product “a water solution of chemically treated starch and a carbohydrate gum.” His statement that the present merchandise, and chemically treated starch in water solution, could be used for the same purpose, cannot be considered favorably in the light of his admissions on cross-[55]*55examination tbat he never used chemically treated starch and that his experience therewith was limited to a study of technical literature, which, it should be added, was neither produced nor even cited for reference.

At the trial, Government counsel stated that the collector’s classification of the present merchandise followed the conclusion reached in a line of cases holding different mixtures of various substances to be chemical compounds, and so classifiable. B. P. Ducas & Co. v. United States, 4 Treas. Dec. 260, T. D. 22872; B. P. Ducas & Co. v. United States, 6 Treas. Dec. 344, T. D. 24372; and Arthur A. Brigham, v. United States, 9 Treas. Dec. 65, T. D. 25972. All of said cases arose under the Tariff Act of 1897. The Ducas & Co. cases, supra, concerned preparations having a substantial content of chemical starch. One product was used for stiffening the backs of corduroys and plushes; the other for filling woolen and cotton fabrics. In the Brigham case, supra, the merchandise consisted of two varieties of size or finish, composed of chemical starch, zinc, and magnesium chlorides. In all of the cited' cases, the merchandise was held to be classifiable as a chemical compound under paragraph 3 of the Tariff Act of 1897.

Government counsel now admits that the three cases, just reviewed, have no application toward determining the present issues. The concessions appear in defendant’s brief as follows:

The-record herein, supra, does not indicate that the merchandise at bar is identical or similar in all material respects to the merchandise involved in the cases cited above. Therefore we do not wish to argue that the ruling set forth in the said cases should be applied and be controlling in the instant case. As a matter of fact the evidence supra indicates that the merchandise herein contains components which are not chemical compounds. In view of this situation we feel that we cannot urge that the classification of the merchandise at bar be affirmed. It is our position that the merchandise under consideration is properly dutiable at the rate of 20 per centum ad valorem under the proviso for articles manufactured, in whole or in part, in paragraph 1558, supra.

It follows from the foregoing that the classification now sought by the Government is one of the claims made by plaintiff.

Counsel for plaintiff, in his brief, has argued to show that the merchandise in question is not a chemical compound or a mixture of chemical compounds under paragraph 5, supra, as classified. In view of defendant’s present attitude, virtually abandoning the collector’s action as hereinabove set forth, it becomes unnecessary to discuss the correctness of the official classification.

In urging classification under paragraph 84, supra, by similitude, as “soluble or chemically treated starch,” plaintiff relies on the matter of use, pointing to testimony to the effect that both the imported product and the merchandise directly provided for in said paragraph 84 are used as adhesive agents. Advance Solvents & Chemical Corp. v. United States, 16 Cust. Ct. 98, C. D. 992, is cited. That case [56]*56related to so-called “Tylose,” a cellulose compound, which had been classified as such under paragraph 31 (b) (1) of the Tariff Act of 1930, and claimed to be dutiable under several different classifications, including the one for “dextrine substitutes” in paragraph 84, supra. The record showed a variety of uses for the merchandise but failed to establish any chief use.

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

Related

General Systems Service, Inc. v. United States
46 Cust. Ct. 222 (U.S. Customs Court, 1961)
S. S. Kresge Co. v. United States
40 Cust. Ct. 145 (U.S. Customs Court, 1958)
Seattle Marine & Fishing Supply Co. v. United States
45 C.C.P.A. 93 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1958)
Shackman v. United States
38 Cust. Ct. 30 (U.S. Customs Court, 1957)
Atalanta Trading Corp. v. United States
37 Cust. Ct. 149 (U.S. Customs Court, 1956)
British Overseas Airways Corp. v. United States
34 Cust. Ct. 411 (U.S. Customs Court, 1955)
Roovers Bros., Inc. v. United States
28 Cust. Ct. 492 (U.S. Customs Court, 1952)
Holeproof Hosiery Co. v. United States
27 Cust. Ct. 176 (U.S. Customs Court, 1951)
Ward v. United States
25 Cust. Ct. 344 (U.S. Customs Court, 1950)
Wenchow Importing Co. v. United States
25 Cust. Ct. 269 (U.S. Customs Court, 1950)
Wing Wo Lung Co. v. United States
25 Cust. Ct. 270 (U.S. Customs Court, 1950)
Wing On Co. v. United States
25 Cust. Ct. 271 (U.S. Customs Court, 1950)
John J. Ward, Inc. v. United States
24 Cust. Ct. 482 (U.S. Customs Court, 1950)
Roovers Bros. v. United States
24 Cust. Ct. 352 (U.S. Customs Court, 1950)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
23 Cust. Ct. 53, 1949 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 621, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/roovers-bros-v-united-states-cusc-1949.