Wilson's Customs Clearance, Inc. v. United States

59 Cust. Ct. 36, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2299
CourtUnited States Customs Court
DecidedJuly 19, 1967
DocketC.D. 3061
StatusPublished
Cited by37 cases

This text of 59 Cust. Ct. 36 (Wilson's Customs Clearance, Inc. 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
Wilson's Customs Clearance, Inc. v. United States, 59 Cust. Ct. 36, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2299 (cusc 1967).

Opinion

Olivee, Judge:

The cases at bar which were consolidated at the time of trial relate to importations of articles invoiced as “papier mache dogs” or “papier mache ware.” Duty was assessed at the rate of 35 per centum ad valorem under item 737.40 of the Tariff Schedules of the United States. Plaintiff claims that the imported articles are properly classifiable under item 256.75 of said tariff schedules at the rate of 8.5 per centum ad valorem as articles of papier mache. Various other claims mentioned in the protests were not pressed at trial or in the plaintiff’s brief and are deemed abandoned. The official papers accompanying the protests were received into evidence without being marked.

The pertinent statutory provisions appear as follows:

Schedule 7, part 5, subpart E, headnotes 1 and 2:

1. The articles described in the provisions of this subpart (except parts) shall be classified in such provisions, whether or not such articles are more specifically provided for elsewhere in the tariff schedules, but the provisions of this subpart do not apply to — ■
2. For the purposes of the tariff schedules, a “toy” is any article chiefly used for the amusement of children or adults.
[38]*38Item 737.40:
oy figures of animate objects (except dolls) :
Hot having a spring mechanism:
⅞{ ⅜ * ⅜ # ⅜ ⅜
Hot stuffed:
* * * * * * *
Other_35% ad val.
Schedule 2, part 4, subpart D, headnote 1 :
1. This subpart covers articles of pulp, of papier-mache, of paper, or of paperboard, not provided for elsewhere in this schedule or in schedule 7.
Item 256.75 :
Articles, of pulp, of papier-máché, of paper, or of paperboard, or of any combination thereof, not specially provided for:
* * * * * ⅜ *
Of papier-máché_8.5% ad val.
The imported merchandise as represented by plaintiff’s exhibits 1 and 2 was accurately described in the Government’s brief as follows:
Each exhibit consists of a dog-like figure, approximately 10 inches long,' with a detachable head that is inserted into an opening in the neck portion of the body by means of a hook and an eye that are attached to the outside of the head and the inside of the neck respectively. There is a metal weight attached to the head, and a collar around the neck. Plastic eyes and nose are attached to the head of each figure. The exhibits have a suede-like finish, Plaintiff’s Illustrative Exhibit 1 being black and gray, while Plaintiff’s Illustrative Exhibit 2 is brown. When the head of the figure is subjected to a force acting against it, the resulting movement, corresponding to the hook swinging through the eye, is that of a dog nodding its head.

Plaintiff’s first witness was Mr. Theodore Royffe, owner and sole employee of Royffe Continental, Inc., the actual importer in this case.1 He testified that pursuant to negotiations with Korlis, Ltd., of Engle-wood, Hew Jersey, he went to Japan and arranged to have the instant merchandise manufactured. The entries involved cover three kinds of dogs, shepherd, dachshund, and cocker spaniel, and they are all produced by the same Japanese manufacturer. Exhibit 1 represents a shepherd and exhibit 2 a cocker spaniel.

The witness further stated that he sold the items exclusively to automotive stores or wholesalers who sell to automotive outlets, such as Pep Boys in Philadelphia, Western Tire in Chicago, E.J.B. Products in Hew York, and Korlis, Ltd., in Hew Jersey. He had seen this mer[39]*39chandise, and similar merchandise, used on the inside rear of automobiles, mounted on the back shelf and plainly visible. He had never seen it used by a child and thought the presence of the hook to hold the head on, as well as the “toxic” nature of the material used, made it dangerous for youngsters.

On cross-examination, the witness testified that, besides papier mache, the items contained a weight of lead, some plastic, and cardboard.

Mr. Eric J. Browner of E.J.B. Products testified as plaintiff’s second witness. He stated that his business was that of a general importer and that he had purchased items represented by exhibits 1 and 2 from Royffe Continental, Inc. He sold 120 dozen of them to Times Square Automotive which he characterized as a store dealing in supplies, gadgets, and accessories for automobiles. He also remembered selling them to two automotive jobbers, one in Providence and the other in Los Angeles. He had never sold them to toy stores. On many occasions, he had observed similar articles displayed in the rear of cars and he had never seen them any place else.

Plaintiff argues that the fact that these imports have been sold exclusively to automotive outlets and never to toy stores and that the witnesses Royffe and Browner observed them in use only as automobile ornaments is sufficient to show they are not articles chiefly used to amuse children or adults. The Government, on the other hand, argues that plaintiff’s evidence is too limited to show the articles are not chiefly used by children, much less by adults, and that, in any event, plaintiff has failed to establish its claimed classification on the issue of chief value.

With the advent of the new Tariff Schedules of the United States, the definition of the term “toy” was changed to include articles used by adults. Under the definition appearing in paragraph 1513 of the Tariff Act of 1930, it was necessary to determine two things, namely, by whom is the article used and for what purpose. United States v. Calhoun, Robbins, & Co., 21 CCPA 167, T.D. 46495. Although the first of these two determinations is now eliminated, the second subsists. With respect to this second determination, it had always been held that not everything a child used would be a toy but that the character of amusement involved was that derived from an item which is essentially a plaything. United States v. Louis Wolf & Co., 26 CCPA 243, C.A.D. 23; F. F. G. Harper Co. v. United States, 63 Treas. Dec. 948, T.D. 46423. It follows, therefore, that Congress has broadened the toy provision to include articles that may be described as essentially playthings for adults. Apropos of this is the following observation of Mr. Russell N.

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Bluebook (online)
59 Cust. Ct. 36, 1967 Cust. Ct. LEXIS 2299, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/wilsons-customs-clearance-inc-v-united-states-cusc-1967.