United Metal Goods Mfg. Co. v. United States

41 Cust. Ct. 93
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedSeptember 18, 1958
DocketC. D. 2026
StatusPublished
Cited by1 cases

This text of 41 Cust. Ct. 93 (United Metal Goods Mfg. 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
United Metal Goods Mfg. Co. v. United States, 41 Cust. Ct. 93 (cusc 1958).

Opinion

LawRence, Judge:

This cause of action involving the seven protests enumerated in the schedule attached to and made part of this [94]*94decision presents for our determination the proper dutiable classification of importations, described in the record variously as “zinc aluminum casting metal,” “zinc metal,” “zinc,” “zinc die casting metal,” “alloy zinc metal,” and “zinc alloy,” which are, in fact, zinc aluminum ingots containing approximately 95 percent zinc and 5 percent aluminum, and, in some cases, there are small amounts of copper or lead present.

The collector of customs classified the merchandise as articles not specially provided for, wholly or in chief value of base metal, in paragraph 397 of the Tariff Act of 1930 (19 U. S. C. § 1001, par. 397), as modified by the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade, 82 Treas. Dec. 305, T. D. 51802, and imposed duty thereon at the rate of 22K per centum ad valorem.

Plaintiff claims, by its protests, that the importations are properly entitled to entry free of duty pursuant to the provisions of Public Law 869, 81st Congress, 2d session, approved September 30, 1950, and 86 Treas. Dec. 27, T. D. 52656, as metal scrap, or as articles of which metal is the component material of chief value, imported to be used in remanufacture by melting. Alternatively, it is claimed that if the commodity is not entitled to free entry, then it should be classified as zinc blocks, pigs, or slabs in paragraph 394 of said act (19 U. S. C. § 1001, par. 394), as modified, supra, and dutiable at the rate of seven-eighths of 1 cent per pound, or at said rate, by virtue of the similitude clause in paragraph 1559 of said act (19 U. S. C. § 1001, par. 1559). A further alternative claim was made that the merchandise should be classified as a nonenumerated article pursuant to the terms of paragraph 1558 of said act (19 U. S. C. § 1001, par. 1558), or as modified, supra, dutiable at 5 per centum or 20 per centum ad valorem.

Defendant, in its brief, states that “Plaintiff having decided not to press and argue in support of its alternative claims under paragraphs 394, 1559, and 1558, respectively, * * * those alternative claims are treated by the Government as abandoned.” Inasmuch, however, as plaintiff specifically states in its brief that the alternative claims have not been abandoned, consideration will be given to all of them.

It appears from the collector’s reports attached to the protests that the importations were classified in paragraph 397, as modified, supra, on the authority of the decision of this court in M. W. Zack Metal Company v. United States, 26 Cust. Ct. 91, C. D. 1306, wherein an article known by the patented name “Zamak,” which was, in fact, an alloy made to standard specifications to contain 95 percent zinc and 5 percent aluminum, with the possibility of copper or lead in very small amounts, was so classified.

Por reasons which will presently appear, we deem it unnecessary to set forth a detailed analysis of the testimony of record. There is [95]*95no material conflict of evidence as to the salient facts. It is not disputed that the ingots presently before the court consist of metal alloys made in accordance with standard specifications of the American Society for Testing Materials, composed approximately of 95 percent zinc and 5 percent aluminum, small amounts of lead or copper, and, possibly, magnesium being used to suit certain requirements. It is likewise not disputed that the imported commodity — with the exception of the item of “Zamak” covered by entry A-3925 in protest 175556-K — is used in what the industry describes as the slush method of casting metal in the manufacture of giftware, clockcases, et cetera. In this connection, it is well established that, in applying the slush method of casting, the ingots are first reduced to a molten state. The so-called “Zamak,” not being adapted for use by the slush-casting method, was not used by the plaintiff company but was exchanged by it with a local metal dealer for domestically produced unbreakable casting metal.

Confronted with the uncontradicted statement as to the composition and utility of the importations, the real question for determination is whether the commodity comes within the privilege granted by said Public Law 869, which is here set forth:

Sec. 1. (a) No duties or import taxes shall be levied, collected, or payable under the Tariff Act of 1930, as amended, or under section 3425 of the Internal Revenue Code with respect to metal scrap, or relaying and rerolling rails.
(b) The word “scrap”, as used in this Act, shall mean all ferrous and nonferrous materials and articles, of which ferrous or nonferrous metal is the component material of chief value, which are second-hand or waste or refuse, or are obsolete, defective or damaged, and which are fit only to be remanufactured.
Sec. 2. Articles of which metal is the component material of chief value, other than ores or concentrates or crude metal, imported to be used in remanufacture by melting, shall be accorded entry free of duty and import tax, upon submission of proof, under such regulations and within such time as the Secretary of the Treasury may prescribe, that they have been used in remanufacture by melting: Provided, however, That nothing contained in the provisions of this section shall be construed to limit or restrict the exemption granted by section 1 of this Act.

Plaintiff, as stated in its brief herein, relies primarily upon the claim for free entry pursuant to section 2 of Public Law 869, supra. Simply stated, plaintiff urges that since the importations are, in fact, articles of which metal is the component material of chief value, other than ores or concentrates or crude metal, and are imported to be used in remanufacture by melting, they respond literally to the language of said section 2 and, ipso jacto, should be accorded entry free of duty and import tax, provided that it be established that the articles “have been used in remanufacture by melting.”

Even granting the logic of plaintiff’s argument that the imported articles of merchandise are “articles” within the broad sense attributed to that word in tariff statutes; that said merchandise was imported into this country for remanufacture by melting; and that said [96]*96articles were, in fact, so remanufactured, to come to the legal conclusion that said items of merchandise fall within the scope of Public Law 869 would run counter to the legislative intent of Congress.

On the point of the legislative intent of Public Law 869, reference is made to report No. 2259 of the Committee on Finance of the United States Senate, 81st Congress, 2d session, wherein the following pertinent matter appears as part of the “Explanation op the Bill”—

For example, under the definition of scrap steel, it is understood that the Treasury Department has followed the practice of admitting free of duty as “refuse” such articles as Japanese armor-plate ingots.

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

Related

National Lead Co. v. United States
43 Cust. Ct. 248 (U.S. Customs Court, 1959)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
41 Cust. Ct. 93, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-metal-goods-mfg-co-v-united-states-cusc-1958.