United States v. Pealtz

16 Ct. Cust. 358
CourtCourt of Customs and Patent Appeals
DecidedNovember 19, 1928
DocketNo. 3115
StatusPublished
Cited by15 cases

This text of 16 Ct. Cust. 358 (United States v. Pealtz) 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. Pealtz, 16 Ct. Cust. 358 (ccpa 1928).

Opinion

Bland, Judge,

delivered the opinion of the court:

Paragraphs 302 and 374 of the Tariff Act of 1922 are as follows:

Par. 302. Manganese ore or concentrates containing in excess of 30 per centum of metallic manganese, 1 cent per pound on the metallic manganese contained therein; molybdenum ore or concentrates, 35 cents per pound on the metallic molybdenum contained therein; tungsten ore or concentrates, 45 cents per pound on the metallic tungsten contained therein; ferromanganese containing more than 1 per centum of carbon, 1% cents per pound on the metallic manganese [359]*359contained therein: Provided, That ferromanganese for the purposes of this Act shall be such iron manganese alloys as contain 30 per centum or more of manganese; manganese metal, manganese silicon, manganese boron, and ferroman-ganese and spiegeleisen containing not more than 1 per centum of carbon, 1% cents per pound on the manganese contained therein and 15 per centum ad valo-rem; ferromolybdenum, metallic molybdenum, molybdenum powder, calcium molybdate, .and all other compounds- and alloys of molybdenum, 50 cents per pound on the molybdenum contained therein and 15 per centum ad valorem; ferro-tungsten, metallic tungsten, tungsten powder, tungstic acid, and all other compounds of tungsten, 60 cents per pound on the tungsten contained therein and 25 per centum ad valorem; ferroehromium tungsten, chromium tungsten, chromium cobalt tungsten, tungsten nickel, and all other alloys of tungsten not specially provided for, 60 cents per pound on the tungsten contained therein and 25 per'centum ad valorem; ferrosilicon, containing 8 per centum or more of silicon and less than 60 per centum, 2 cents per pound on the silicon contained therein; containing 60 per c,elntum or more of silicon and less than 80 per centum, 3 cents per pound on the silicon contained therein; containing 80 per centum or more of silicon and less than 90 per centum, 4 cents per pound on the silicon contained therein; containing 90 per centum or more of silicon, and silicon metal, 8 cents per pound on the silicon contained therein; ferrochrome or ferroehromium containing 3 per centum or more of carbon, 334 cents per pound on the chromium contained therein; ferrochrome or ferroehromium containing less than 3 per centum of carbon, and chrome or chromium metal, 30 per centum ad valorem; ferro phosphorus, ferrotitanium, ferrovanadium, ferrouranium, ferrozirconium, zirconium ferrosilicon, ferroboron, titanium, zirconium, chromium nickel, vanadium nickel, zirconium nickel, chromium vanadium, chromium silicon, zirconium silicon, calcium silicide, and all alloys used in the manufacture of steel not specially provided for, 25 per centum ad valorem; cerium metal, $2 per pound; ferrocerium and all other cerium alloys, $2 per pound and 25 per centum ad valorem; ductile tantalum metal or ductile nonferrous alloys of tantalum metal, 40 per centum ad valorem. (Italics ours.)
Pab. 374. Aluminum, aluminum scrap, and alloys of any kind in which aluminum is the component material of chief value, in crude form, 5 cents per pound; in coils, plates, sheets, bars, rods, circles, disks, blanks, strips, rectangles, and squares, 9 cents per pound.

The issues in this case involve the proper classification of an importation known as dlsimm, which is an alloy used exclusively in the manufacture of steel. It was classified under paragraph 374, under the provision for “alloys of any kind in which aluminum is the component material of chief value, in crude form, 5 cents per pound.”

Before the United States Customs Court and here it is contended by the importers that the importation was incorrectly assessed under paragraph 374 and that it is dutiable, and should have been so classified by the collector, under the provision of paragraph 302 for “all alloys used in the manufacture of steel not specially provided for, 25 per cent ad valorem.”

In support of their contention the importers argue: First, that paragraph 374 does not describe- the merchandise, since it is not an alloy in which aluminum is the component material of chief value. They concede that it is an alloy and that aluminum constitutes the chief value in the article as imported, but urge that, under para[360]*360graph 1460 as interpreted by the courts, aluminum is not “the component material of chief value,” in so far as the alsimin is made from bauxite, carbon, and silicon, and not from aluminum, carbon, and silicon, and that under paragraph 1460 the component material of chief value must be ascertained at the time when the several component materials were put together for the purpose of forming the alloy. It is conceded that bauxite is known as aluminum ore and contains the materials from which aluminum metal is derived. It is argued that the processes by which alsimin is made do not and can not produce aluminum and that this fact prevents the commodity from being an alloy in which the component material of chief value is aluminum. It is further pointed out by the importers that aluminum alloys constitute a well-known and distinctive class of commodities, produced in certain ways, and that alsimin is not so known and is not so produced.

Second, that the provision of paragraph 302 for “alloys used in the manufacture of steel” is more specific than the provision in paragraph 374 for “alloys of any kind in which aluminum is the component material of chief value.”

Third, that the practice- anterior to the passage of the present Tariff Act was to classify alloys of this character under the provision for “alloys used in the manufacture of steel” instead of under a provision identical with paragraph 374.

The Government urges that, as imported, the alloy is crude, contains aluminum, and that the aluminum is the component material of chief value; that paragraph 1460, and the decisions of the various courts in construing the same, does not in any way prevent aluminum from being the component material of chief value; that paragraph 374 is more specific than the pertinent provision of paragraph 302, and that the context of the Tariff Act of 1913 and of the Tariff Act of 1922 and the history of the legislation indicate the intention of Congress to require classification of the alloy at bar under paragraph 374.

Much testimony by metallurgists and scientists was introduced in the court below as to the process of manufacturing the importation and other aluminum alloys. Many written authorities on the subject of aluminum and aluminum oxide are cited by the Government in its brief. Both parties to the case, however, are in substantial agreement as to-the pertinent facts which we deem essential for the decision of the same. The testimony is probably conflicting as to matters which we regard as immaterial in the consideration of the issues. Indeed, a great portion of the highly scientific testimony on the highly technical, metallurgical, and chemical questions is more confusing than helpful since much of it has the effect of beclouding the real issue rather than illuminating it.

[361]*361The court below in a very carefully.written opinion aptly said:

We note that although the testimony on both sides is somewhat voluminous, there is really no conflict as to the basic facts on which the determination of the issue must rest, the disagreement between the parties being due rather to the varying inferences and deductions they respectively draw therefrom.

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16 Ct. Cust. 358, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/united-states-v-pealtz-ccpa-1928.