United Merchandising Corp. v. United States

48 Cust. Ct. 50
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedFebruary 1, 1962
DocketC.D. 2313
StatusPublished
Cited by13 cases

This text of 48 Cust. Ct. 50 (United Merchandising Corp. 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
United Merchandising Corp. v. United States, 48 Cust. Ct. 50 (cusc 1962).

Opinion

Foed, Judge:

The merchandise covered by the above protest consists of 600 dry cell 45-volt batteries, which were classified by the collector of customs under the provisions of paragraph 353 of the [51]*51Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by tlie Torquay Protocol to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 86 Treas. Dec. 121, T.D. 52739, which provides as follows :

Articles having as an essential feature an electrical element or device, such as electric motors, fans, locomotives, portable tools, furnaces, heaters, ovens, ranges, washing machines, refrigerators, and signs, finished or unfinished, wholly or in chief value of metal, and not specially provided for:
Batteries_17%% ad val.

It is contended by plaintiffs that said merchandise is properly dutiable either as parts of radios under paragraph 353 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by said Torquay protocol, supra, or, in the alternative, that 500 of the batteries, which were imported together with 500 radios (the classification of which radios is not contested herein), are properly dutiable as entireties under paragraph 353, supra, and, in either case, at the prescribed rate of 12y2 per centum ad valorem.

The provisions of paragraph 353 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified by T.D. 52739, supra, covering radios and parts, are as follows:

Electrical signaling, radio, welding, and ignition apparatus, instruments (other than laboratory), and devices, finished or unfinished, wholly or in chief value of metal, and not specially provided for (not including television apparatus,
instruments, or devices)_12%% ad val.
* * * * * * *
Parts, finished or unfinished, wholly or in chief value of metal, The same rate not specially provided for, of articles provided for in any item of duty as 353 of this Part (not including X-ray tubes or parts thereof) the articles of which they are parts

The record herein consists of the testimony of one witness and the introduction of three exhibits. Plaintiffs’ exhibit 1 consists of one of the batteries covered by the involved importation. Plaintiffs’ illustrative exhibit 2 consists of a sample of the radio, without batteries, covered by the same invoice. Plaintiffs’ illustrative exhibit 3 consists of a sample of a common ordinary flashlight battery.

Mr. William Newman, an importer, whose duties include buying from Japan, Hong Kong, Germany, Austria, Italy, and all over the world and who sells throughout the United States, Mexico, and Canada, was called on behalf of plaintiffs.

Mr. Newman testified that he is familiar with the radios and batteries covered by the protest herein and has been for about 4 years; that his duties require considerable traveling and that he is familiar with the use of exhibit 1; that exhibit 1 is used exclusively for exhibit 2, the imported radio, although he admitted that it could be used by any radio requiring the same voltage and adaptable to the same size battery; that he has never been able to find any other use for the battery, although he has tried, since this would add to his [52]*52sales of the item; that exhibit 2, the radio, requires exhibit 1 and one flashlight battery, such as exhibit 3, in order to operate; that he purchased 600 batteries and only 500 radios, since batteries wear out, and the balance he sells as refills.

Based upon the foregoing, plaintiffs contend that, since exhibit 1 is commercially used only in a radio and that the radio would not operate without a source of electric current, such as provided for by exhibit 1, it is of necessity a part of a radio, citing Marconi Instruments, Ltd. v. United States, 38 Cust. Ct. 311, C.D. 1880; United States v. Willoughby Camera Stores, Inc., 21 C.C.P.A. (Customs) 332, T.D. 46851; The American Import Co. v. United States, 39 Cust. Ct. 9, C.D. 1894.

The question of what constitutes a part for tariff purposes has long been the subject of judicial interpretation. The Willoughby Camera case, supra, is most frequently cited as the authority for determining whether an article is a part. In the Willoughby Camera case, supra, the court made the following observations:

■It is a well-established rule that a “part” of an article is something necessary to the completion of that article. It is an integral, constituent, or component part, without which the article to which it is to be joined, could not function as such article. Welte & Sons v. United States, 5 Ct. Cust. Appls. 164, T.D. 34249; United States v. American Steel & Copper Plate Co., 14 Ct. Cust. Appls. 139, T.D. 41673; Peter J. Schweitzer, Inc. v. United States, 16 Ct. Cust. Appls. 285, T.D. 42872, and cases cited therein; United States v. John Wanamaker, 16 Ct. Cust. Appls. 548, T.D. 43266. [Italics quoted.]
The mere fact that two articles are designed and constructed to be used together, does not necessarily make either a part of the other. Columbia Shipping Co. et al. v. United States, 11 Ct. Cust. Appls. 281, T.D. 39085; United States v. Kalter Mercantile Co. et al., 11 Ct. Cust. Appls. 540, T.D. 39680.
Typewriter desks are designed and constructed to be used with typewriters, and frequently have attachments so that typewriters may be joined to them. Furthermore, typewriters must be rigidly supported in order that they may be used properly, yet no one would suggest that ordinary typewriter desks were integral, constituent, or component parts of typewriters, although, no doubt, users of ordinary typewriters would testify that typewriter desks were essential to the proper use of such typewriters.

The rule for determining what is a part cited in the Willoughby Camera case, supra, is followed to mark the distinction between a part and a material or an accessory. However, this rule does not take into consideration the fact that an article which is necessary to permit the article to which it is joined to function as such article may, in fact, be a separate and distinct commercial entity which does not lose its name by being joined with the article.

In the case at bar, the imported article is a commercial entity known, bought, and' sold as a battery. The court can take judicial notice of the fact that one seeking to replace a battery for a portable [53]*53radio would go to a store and ask for a battery and not for a part of a radio.

Accordingly, a battery is to a radio as the typewriter desk is to the typewriter, referred to in the Willoughby Camera case, supra. There are numerous examples which confirm our position that where a commercial entity retains its name, although used with and necessary for the operation of the article with which it is used, it would not become a part of the article.

In the case of Decorated Metal Manufacturing Co. (Inc.) v. United States et al., 12 Ct. Cust. Appls. 140, T.D. 40061, the court, in considering the proper classification of certain typewriter ribbon spools, made the following comment:

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Bluebook (online)
48 Cust. Ct. 50, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-merchandising-corp-v-united-states-cusc-1962.