T. D. Downing Co. v. United States

63 Cust. Ct. 57, 1969 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3808
United States Customs Court·Decided July 28, 1969·No. C.D. 3873·Published·Cited by 5 cases

Opinion

Donlon, Judge:

The merchandise at bar, imported by plaintiff on September 4, 1965, from the United Kingdom for Jaco Devices, Inc., the ultimate consignee, was described in the entry as parts for machine tools, classificable under TSUS item 674.53. The merchandise was so classified in liquidation. The protest before us claims that classification properly should be as machine tool accessories, under TSUS item 674.55.

The provisions of the respective TSUS enumerations and the relevant general interpretative rule are as follows:

Schedule 6, part 4, TSUS
Subpart F.-Machines for Working Metal,
Stone, and other Materials
‡ ‡ ‡ $
Work and tool holders and other parts of, and accessories used principally with, machine tools; tool holders for the mechanical hand tools provided for in items 651.27, 674.70, and 683.20:
* * * * * t- *
Other:
Parts:
* ij: ‡ * * * *
Other:
674.53 Other parts— 14% ad val.
Accessories:
674.55 Machines_ 10% ad val.
10. General Interpretative Rules. For the purposes of these schedules — -
* * * * * * *
(ij) a provision for “parts” of an article covers a product solely or chiefly used as a part of such article, but does not prevail over a specific provision for such part.

The official papers are in evidence. They show a customs invoice description of the merchandise as controlled oilers, press tool feeders, and straighteners.

[59]*59There is a presumption, not rebutted, that the collector correctly found that the punch presses, of which the oilers, feeders and straighteners at bar are either parts or accessories, are machine tools within the schedule 6 definition. Indeed, it was stipulated in court that they are chiefly used with machine tools. The sole controversy here litigated is whether they are parts, as classified, or accessories, as plaintiff claims.

Mr. Albert E. Cotton testified for plaintiff. He identified himself as formerly the treasurer of Jaco Devices, Inc., which is a manufacturer and distributor of punch press accessories. At the time of trial, and since October 5,1967, he has been employed by Jaco as consultant. However, he has been with Jaco since 1950.

As to his work experience, he began as an indentured apprentice tool and die maker with Yickers Limited, in London, in 1916; came to the United States in 1920; worked as a tool and die maker for various employers, including E.W. Bliss Company, manufacturers of punch presses; for about nine years, during the depression, he was not employed in the punch press trade but returned to it in 1989. During the years of World War II, he worked first 'in the ship building industry and later he was employed by the United States Government as an industrial specialist, speeding up the manufacture of landing craft. He next developed his own die casting business, and in 1950 he sold this to Jaco Corporation, then newly formed “for the purpose of selling to the punch press trade, in the light metal stamping end of it, specialties which could be accessories to the basic machine tool which is the punch press.” (B..7.)

He has frequently operated punch presses. He has designed, manufactured and distributed punch press accessories. As to the merchandise at bar, Mr. Cotton testified that he ordered it, received it and paid for it.

Exhibit 1 is a piece of literature which Mr. Cotton designed, with the assistance of an advertising agency, and caused to be printed for Jaco. In this advertising piece, the three, items of merchandise at bar are enumerated. Witness marked as “A” a coil stock straightener, as “B” a controlled oiler, and as.“C” a Jacomatic stock feed; and he testified that these were representative of the several articles of imported merchandise described in the customs invoice.

Exhibit 2 is a Jacomatic feed. Exhibit 3 is a straightener. Exhibit 4 is an oiler. In all material respects, except size, these exhibits are similar to the merchandise at bar.

While there has been judicial determination, under TSUS, as to what articles are “parts”, none of the cases thus far decided 'appears to have involved the competing provisions of TSUS here before us. There was no tariff enumeration for machine tool accessories in the Tariff Act of 1930. Indeed, it may be that the machine tool accessories [60]*60provision is the sole enumeration for accessories in the new tariff schedules. We are cited to no other.

The only guide to Congressional intention, in establishing this accessories classification, is a statement in the Tariff Classification Study, a report to the President and to the Chairmen of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance, made by the United States Tariff Commission pursuant to Congressional directive in the Customs Simplification Act of 1954.

In reporting on schedule 6, part 4, the Commission’s explanatory note says:

“There are a number of jigs, fixtures, and other subsidiary devices or accessories which are principally used in connection with machine tools. Such devices, although principally used with machine tools, are not parts of any particular tool. Item 674.55 would cover such accessories which are machines at the rate of 12.5 percent ad valorem which is the approximate arithmetical average of the existing rates in the “basket” provisions of paragraphs 353 and 372. Item 674.56 would cover “other” accessories at the rate of 19 percent ad valorem which is the rate presently applicable under paragraph 397 to most jigs, fixtures, and other accessories which are not in themselves machines.” [Pp. 272, 273.]

It is axiomatic that if the articles at bar are accessories, whether in themselves they are or are not machines, the specific provision will prevail over the general provision for parts. We set aside, for the time being, the issue as to whether these articles are machines, in order to resolve the primary issue as to whether they are machine tool accessories.

The first test seems to be whether such devices as those at bar, which are principally used in connection with machine tools, are solely or chiefly used with a particular machine tool. The record seems clear that they are chiefly, if not solely, used with punch presses, that is to say, with a particular machine tool.

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T. D. Downing Co. v. United States, 63 Cust. Ct. 57, 1969 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 3808 (cusc 1969).

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