United States v. Goffigon

43 C.C.P.A. 172
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedJune 20, 1956
DocketNo. 4861
StatusPublished

This text of 43 C.C.P.A. 172 (United States v. Goffigon) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Court of Customs and Patent Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
United States v. Goffigon, 43 C.C.P.A. 172 (ccpa 1956).

Opinion

Worley, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

This is an appeal from the judgment of the United States Customs Court, First Division, pursuant to its decision, C. D. 1722, one member dissenting, sustaining a protest by the importer, appellee here, in overruling the collector’s classification of the importation ás “pumice stone, unmanufactured, valued at $15 or less per ton,” dutiable at i/20 cent per pound under paragraph 206 of the Tariff Act of 1930, as modified, infra. The court held the merchandise entitled to free entry as “Lava, unmanufactured” under paragraph 1708 of the Act.

The competing paragraphs follow:

Paragraph 206, as modified by T. D. 52476 and T. D. 52373:
Pumice stone:
Unmanufactured:
Valued at $15 or less per ton_ 1/20(4 per lb.
Par 1708: [Free] Lava, unmanufactured.

The merchandise is described in the invoice as “Crushed Pumice Stone Aggregate Sand and Gravel.” It is of volcanic origin and indigenous to the Greek Island of Santorin. After being mined with picks and shovels the material is crushed once, then screened prior to lading for shipment. As imported, the pieces vary in size from about five-eighths down to one-sixteenth of an inch.

One Government contention is that because of the crushing and screening process, the merchandise should be classified as a manufactured product, but both the collector and the court agreed the merchandise is unmanufactured, the latter pointing out that the crushing and screening were carried out primarily to facilitate shipment and that any resultant benefit in the ultimate use was.merely incidental. Lackawanna Steel Co. et al. v. United States, 10 Ct. Cust. Appls. 93, T. D. 38359. The record supports that conclusion.

Pumice stone is a form of lava, and the material here is clearly lava, whether or not it is also pumice stone. However, since the latter is the more specific of the two classifications it should be adopted if properly applicable. Accordingly, as stated by the Customs Court, “the basic question is whether the imported merchandise is embraced [174]*174within the provision ‘pumice stone.' ” The court noted the absence of any judicial or long continued administrative interpretation of that precise point. Since neither party alleged commercial meaning the court relied on the following definitions and interpretations:

Webster’s New International Dictionary, 1930.
A highly vesicular volcanic glass, produced by the extravasation of water vapor at a high temperature as lava comes to the surface; hardened volcanic glass froth. Its color is white, gray, yellowish, or brownish, rarely red. It is much used, esp. in the form of powder, for smoothing and polishing. Called also •pumice stone.
The second edition, 1948, of the same work has a similar definition, as follows:
A kind of volcanic glass that is so full of minute cavities that it is very light; hardened volcanic glass froth. The cavities are produced by the expulsion of water vapor at a high temperature as lava comes to the surface. Its color is white, gray, yellowish, or brownish, rarely red. It is much used, esp. in the form of powder, for smoothing and polishing. Called also pumice stone.

Funk & Wagnalls New Standard Dictionary, editions of 1930 and 1942, defines “pumice” (noting that it is also called “pumice stone”) as follpws:

Volcanic scoria or lava, spongy or cellular from bubbles of steam or gas which it contained during liquidity; much used as a polishing material, especially when powdered.

The Summary of Tariff Information, 1929, compiled by the United States Tariff Commission and printed for the use of the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives when the bill which later became the Tariff Act of 1930 was under consideration by the Congress, contains the following under the- heading “PUMICE STONE AND PUMICITE” and subheading “Description and uses”: .

Pumice stone is a volcanic lava having a honeycomb structure. The marketable grades are:
(a) Crude pumice as extracted from the mines, but excluding separately marketable lumps, and varying in size from chips to coarse sand.
(b) Lump pumice, varying in size from about 1}4 to'6 inches across, not conforming to any predetermined shape. ■ ■
(c) Lump pumice, trimmed or cut to shapes.
(d) Powdered pumice.
A commodity allied to powdered pumice is pumicite, a volcanic ash, weathered 'and contaminated by wind-blown sand and soil.
• Practically the entire supply of pumice and pumicite is used as an abrasive, either in solid form for polishing wood and metals or combined with liquids or fats to make cleaning and scouring soaps and pastes.

After considering tbe above definitions, the Customs Court observed:

'' Were we to confine ourselves to that part of the common meaning of the term “pumice stone;” as expressed in the above definitions, which deals with the description of the origin and physical characteristics of pumice stone, it seems .clear that the merchandise at bar would undoubtedly be embraced within such description.

There is no doubt as to the soundness and correctness of that conclusion,. yet. the majority went on to say:

[175]*175However, to do so would be to ignore an important part of the meaning of the term, namely, that which relates to its use. In fact, use is so tied to the meaning of the term that the noun “pumice” has been verbified and has the meaning “To clean, smooth, etc., with pumice” (Webster, op. cit.).

The majority of the Customs Court accordingly held that “pumice stone” as used in paragraph 206 of the Tariff Act of 1930 is limited to material which is suitable for use as an abrasive. It is contended by appellant, on the other hand, that the eo nomine provision for pumice stone in paragraph 206 is not a use designation and that the merchandise here involved is pumice stone within the meaning of that paragraph.

Although the record is somewhat conflicting as to whether the instant merchandise is suitable for abrasive use, in view of our conclusion it is not necessary to pass on that point.

From our examination of the authorities and precedents cited in relation to the facts here, we are of the opinion the well established rule governing designations of an eo nomine character is applicable. That rule is stated in Nootka Packing Co. et al. v. United, States, 22 C. C. P. A. (Customs) 464, T. D. 47464, as follows:

The clear weight of the authorities on the subject is that an eo nomine statutory designation of an article, without limitations or a shown contrary legislative intent, judicial decision or administrative practice to the contrary, and without proof of commercial designation, will include all forms of said article.

The same rule was followed in Crosse & Blackwell Co. v. United States, 36 C. C. P. A.

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Related

Lackawanna Steel Co. v. United States
10 Ct. Cust. 93 (Customs and Patent Appeals, 1920)

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43 C.C.P.A. 172, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-goffigon-ccpa-1956.