RESTANI, Chief Judge.
This matter is before the court on cross-motions for summary judgment by plaintiff Citizen Watch Co. of America, Inc. ("Citizen") and defendant United States ("the Government") pursuant to USCIT Rule 56. Citizen challenges the tariff classification of its imported watch boxes. U.S. Customs and Border Protection ("Customs") classified the merchandise under subheading 4202.99.90 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States ("HTSUS"), which provides for jewelry boxes and similar containers.
Between 2001 and 2003, Citizen imported the merchandise at issue, four models of boxes manufactured in China and Thailand, at the Port of Los Angeles. Def.'s Statement Undisputed Material Facts ("Def.'s SMF") ¶ 1; Pl.'s Objs. & Resps. Def.'s Statement Undisputed Facts ("Pl.'s Resp. SMF") ¶ 1; Pl.'s Resp. Def.'s First Interrogs. & Req. Produc. Docs., available
Customs classified and liquidated the merchandise under heading 4202, HTSUS. Pl.'s SMF ¶ 4; Def.'s Resp. SMF ¶ 4. Citizen timely filed protests, which Customs denied.
The court has jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C. § 1581(a). Summary judgment is appropriate if "there is no genuine issue as to any material fact," and "the movant is entitled to judgment as a matter of law." USCIT R. 56(c). The proper construction of a tariff provision is a question of law, and whether the imported merchandise falls within a particular tariff provision is a question of fact. Franklin v. United States, 289 F.3d 753, 757 (Fed.Cir.2002). The court decides both questions de novo. See 28 U.S.C. § 2640(a)(1); Metchem, Inc. v. United States, 441 F.Supp.2d 1269, 1271 (CIT 2006). Although Customs' classification decision "is presumed to be correct," 28 U.S.C. § 2639(a)(1), this presumption attaches only to factual determinations, Universal Elecs. Inc. v. United States, 112 F.3d 488, 492 (Fed.Cir.1997).
The General Rules of Interpretation ("GRIs") of the HTSUS direct the proper classification of merchandise entering the United States. Orlando Food Corp. v. United States, 140 F.3d 1437, 1439 (Fed. Cir.1998). Under GRI 1, HTSUS, "classification shall be determined according to the terms of the headings and any relative section or chapter notes." The terms "are construed according to their common and commercial meanings." Len-Ron Mfg. Co. v. United States, 334 F.3d 1304, 1309 (Fed.Cir.2003). Note 2(h) to Chapter 48 of the HTSUS provides that the chapter "does not cover . . . [a]rticles of heading 4202 (for example, travel goods)."
Heading 4202, HTSUS consists of a list of exemplars, including "jewelry boxes," followed by the general phrase "similar containers." Here, Customs classified the imported watch boxes as "jewelry boxes and similar containers." HQ 966321 (Nov. 21, 2003), available at 2003 WL 23303771, at * 1, 5. The Government now contends that the watch boxes are "covered by the tariff term `similar containers' in heading 4202" under the doctrine of ejusdem generis and argues in the alternative that the imported watch boxes are "jewelry boxes" under heading 4202. Def.'s Br. 2, 6-20. The court determines that watch boxes that fall within heading 4202 are most precisely classified as containers similar to jewelry boxes because watches are not necessarily jewelry. Compare Chapter 71, HTSUS (covering jewelry) with Chapter 91, HTSUS (covering watches); see also HQ 951028 (Mar. 3, 1993), available at 1993 WL 126634, at *3 (stating that because jewelry presentation cases are "jewelry boxes," "cases used in the presentation and sale of other articles are `similar containers' as that phrase appears in" heading 4202). This distinction, however, does not affect the requirements the watch boxes must satisfy to be classifiable under heading 4202.
Where, as in heading 4202, "a list of items is followed by a general word or phrase, the rule of ejusdem generis is used to determine the scope of the general word or phrase." Aves. In Leather, Inc. v. United States, 423 F.3d 1326, 1332 (Fed. Cir.2005). Under that rule, "the general word or phrase is held to refer to things of the same kind as those specified." Sports Graphics, Inc. v. United States, 24 F.3d 1390, 1392 (Fed.Cir.1994). "In classification cases, ejusdem generis requires that, for any imported merchandise to fall within the scope of the general term or phrase, the merchandise must possess the same essential characteristics or purposes that unite the listed exemplars preceding the general term or phrase." Aves. In Leather, 423 F.3d at 1332.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has held that the essential characteristics or purposes of the exemplars in heading 4202 consist of "organizing, storing, protecting, and carrying various items." Id. (internal quotation marks and citation omitted). According to the Government, the watch boxes are "similar
Another essential, and here determinative, characteristic of the exemplars in heading 4202 is suitability for long-term or prolonged use. See Aves. In Leather, 423 F.3d at 1332-33 (affirming this Court's determination that a folio that was not sufficiently durable to hold personal items for any extended period did not have the essential characteristics of a container classifiable under heading 4202); see also Chapter 42 Note 2(A)(a), HTSUS (providing that heading 4202 does not cover "[b]ags made of sheeting of plastics . . . with handles, not designed for prolonged use"); World Customs Organization, Harmonized Commodity Description & Coding System Explanatory Notes, Explanatory Note 42.02, 792 (3d ed. 2002) ("Explanatory Note(s)") (providing that heading 4202 does not cover "[s]hopping bags . . . not designed for prolonged use").
Additionally, this Court and Customs have applied the requirements of the definition of "jewelry boxes" to watch boxes that may be containers similar to jewelry boxes. See, e.g., Jewelpak I, 97 F.Supp.2d at 1194 (applying the definition of "jewelry boxes" to boxes the parties agreed were designed to hold jewelry, "including rings, bracelets, necklaces, and watches" (emphasis added)); HQ 953398 (Sept. 15, 1993), available at 1993 WL 474190; HQ 950396 (Apr. 6, 1993), available at 1993 WL 163479. The term "jewelry boxes"
Explanatory Note 42.02, at 791.
Here, the imported watch boxes are not boxes specially designed for keeping jewelry
Explanatory Note 42.02 does not define "suitable for long-term use." This Court addressed the meaning of the phrase in Jewelpak Corp. v. United States, 131 F.Supp.2d 100 (CIT 2001) ("Jewelpak II"). The court concluded in Jewelpak II that the jewelry presentation boxes at issue in the case were suitable for long-term use and classifiable under heading 4202, HTSUS based on "[t]he physical construction of the merchandise, the ability of the merchandise to protect as well as store jewelry, the design and marketing of the merchandise, the expectation of both jewelry retailers and the ultimate purchaser that these boxes will survive repeated handling," and other facts revealed at trial. Id. at 104. The Federal Circuit affirmed. Jewelpak III, 297 F.3d at 1337.
Citizen contends that items are "suitable for long-term use" only if they are "designed to have a durability comparable to that of the articles for which they are intended" by analogy to the Explanatory Note to GRI 5(a) and under the commercial meaning of the phrase. Mem. Law Supp. Pl.'s Mot. Summ. J. ("Pl.'s Br.") 12-15. The witnesses for both parties agree that the imported watch boxes do not have such durability. See Fuller Decl. ¶ 8; Zuckerman Decl. ¶ 5; Singh Dep. 127:22-25; Hamill Dep. 51:15-24, Apr. 17, 2008, available at Smithweiss Decl. Ex. D. Citizen's legal contention, however, lacks merit.
GRI 5(a), HTSUS states:
This provision is not applicable here because the boxes are not entered with the watches. The Explanatory Note to GRI 5(a) states that containers "are suitable for long-term use" if "they are designed to have a durability comparable to that of the articles for which they are intended." Explanatory Note GRI 5(a)(I)(2), at 7.
GRI 5(a) and its accompanying notes do not compel the conclusion that containers under heading 4202 must be designed to have a durability comparable to that of the articles for which they are intended. Because
Citizen also cites the expert witnesses' testimony and a glossary of packaging terms published by The Packaging Institute, U.S.A. and Packaging Machinery Manufacturers Institute for the proposition that in the packaging industry, "suitable for long-term use" means that a container will last as long as the item it is designed to contain. See Pl.'s Br. 14-15. This evidence of the commercial meaning of the term is problematic. The testimony of Citizen's expert witness, Peter Fuller, that a container must be designed to have a durability comparable to that of the articles it contains contradicts his testimony in Jewelpak that a jewelry box can be suitable for long-term use but need not last as long as the piece of jewelry it contains. See Fuller Decl. ¶ 8; Fuller Dep. 63:19-22, Mar. 30, 1999, available at Def.'s Br. Ex. H. The testimony of the Government's expert witness, Dr. Sher Paul Singh, and the glossary of packaging terms appear to refer to shipping containers, not containers similar to jewelry boxes. See American National Standard, Glossary of Packaging Terms: Standard Definitions of Trade Terms Commonly Used in Packaging 47 (5th ed.1979), available at Smithweiss Decl. Ex. E; Singh Dep. 127:8-128:22, 161:3-10.
Apparently, the court in the Jewelpak cases was not asked to determine whether the jewelry boxes were designed to have a durability comparable to that of the jewelry for which they were intended when it decided whether the boxes were suitable for long-term use. In ruling letter HQ 951028, Customs determined that jewelry boxes need not be designed to have a durability comparable to that of
The court finds the ruling letter's conclusion persuasive. It is consistent with the Jewelpak II factors and the essential characteristic of suitability for long-term repeated use that the exemplars of heading 4202 share. As Customs noted in HQ 951028, the notion that presentation boxes for jewelry and similar articles, made of leather, composition leather, sheeting of plastics, textile materials, vulcanized fiber, or paperboard, must have a durability comparable to those articles, which may have a life expectancy of decades or centuries, is untenable. See HQ 951028, available at 1993 WL 126634, at *4-5. Even a hard plastic hinged ring presentation box covered with textile material will not last as long as the diamond ring it contains, but it may last for many years.
Thus, the imported watch boxes are suitable for long term use if they are "sufficiently well constructed to provide durability adequate" to store and protect an item for many years after sale. Id. at *4-5. In making this determination, the court looks to: (1) "[t]he physical construction of the merchandise," (2) "the ability of the merchandise to protect as well as store" watches, (3) "the design and marketing of the merchandise," and (4) "the expectation of both jewelry retailers and the ultimate purchaser that these boxes will survive repeated handling." Jewelpak II, 131 F.Supp.2d at 104. The undisputed evidence related to each of these factors indicates that the imported watch boxes are not suitable for long-term use.
The witnesses for both parties agree that boxes constructed with paper on the outside generally are not intended for long-term use. See Singh Dep. 57:2-5; Leavey Dep. 20:20-24; 22:3-5; Fuller Decl. ¶ 9. Charles Leavey, a jewelry retailer, testified that the imported watch boxes are not suitable for long-term use because of their paper covering, quality, and odd sizes. Leavey Dep. 22:6-11. Citizen's expert, Fuller, also concluded that the imported watch boxes are not suitable for long-term use based on their physical construction and materials. Fuller Decl. ¶¶ 5, 12. According to Fuller, boxes that are suitable for long-term use generally have metal, hard plastic, or wood frames, unlike the cardboard frames here, and lids with hinges made of heavy gauge steel to withstand repeated openings and closings, unlike the removable lids here. Fuller Decl. ¶ 9, Ex. A, at 3. Fuller also testified that the imported watch boxes' paper covering lacks a protective coating necessary to prevent staining and wear from repeated use. Id. ¶ 5, Ex. A, at 2-3. The Government's expert, Singh, agreed that a protective coating would be more appropriate and would help prevent staining and wear from repeated use. Singh Dep. 112:5-18, Sept. 23, 2008, available at Def.'s Br. Ex. D.
Singh did not conclude that the imported watch boxes are suitable for long-term use. He merely stated that the construction and materials of the imported watch
Similarly, because imported the watch boxes are capable only of ten to fifty cycles of openings and closings, they are not sufficiently well constructed to provide a durability adequate for protective storage of a watch for many years. The undisputed evidence demonstrates that the boxes can protect and store the watches for a short period of time. See Def.'s SMF ¶ 4; Pl.'s Resp. SMF ¶ 4; Leavey Dep. 18:20-25, 22:16-25. As discussed supra, watch boxes classifiable under heading 4202 must be suitable for protective storage for years, not merely days, weeks, or months.
Although the evidence indicates that the cylindrical shape, the inclined interior, and the "velvety" feel of the flocked paper of the boxes enhance the display and marketing of Citizen's watches, and a cylindrical box is more expensive to ship and store than a rectangular box, Citizen has shown that the watch boxes were primarily designed to be recyclable to enhance the marketing of Citizen's watches as eco-friendly. See Def.'s SMF ¶ 25; Pl.'s Resp. SMF ¶ 25; Singh Aff. ¶¶ 16, 21-23; Singh Report 4-5; Zuckerman Decl. ¶ 5. Although
The only evidence of the expectation of jewelry retailers regarding the imported watch boxes' ability to survive repeated handling is Leavey's testimony that Citizen's watch boxes have the same durability as the shiny-coated square paper boxes with cotton inside that contain lower-end, less expensive merchandise and merely serve as packaging for a consumer to bring a watch home. Leavey Dep. 17:1-18:6, 18:12-15. Although the parties dispute the durability of the flocked paper and the ability of the boxes to withstand high humidity, the undisputed evidence, including the testimony of the Government's expert, indicates that the watch boxes will suffer wear and tear through ordinary handling and are only suitable for limited reuse of ten to fifty cycles of openings and closings.
Heading 4819, HTSUS provides for "packing containers, of paper[ or] paperboard." It "covers containers of various kinds and sizes generally used for the packing, transport, storage or sale of merchandise, whether or not also having a decorative value." Explanatory Note 48.19(A), at 893. The undisputed evidence indicates that the imported watch boxes may be used for the packing, transport, storage, and sale of watches. See Leavey Dep. 19:2-22, 22:16-25; Singh Report 4-6. The Government has offered no evidence to support its denial of Citizen's assertion that the boxes can facilitate transportation and serve as fancy packaging. See Pl.'s SMF ¶ 19; Def.'s Resp. SMF ¶ 19. Rather, the Government's evidence demonstrates that the boxes are a somewhat
The proper classification of the imported merchandise, therefore, is under subheading 4819.50.40, HTSUS. The plaintiff's motion for summary judgment is GRANTED, and the defendant's cross-motion for summary judgment is DENIED.
4202 Trunks, suitcases, vanity cases, attache cases, briefcases, school satchels, spectacle cases, binocular cases, camera cases, musical instrument cases, gun cases, holsters and similar containers; traveling bags, insulated food or beverage bags, toiletry bags, knapsacks and backpacks, handbags, shopping bags, wallets, purses, map cases, cigarette cases, tobacco pouches, tool bags, sports bags, bottle cases, jewelry boxes, powder cases, cutlery cases and similar containers, of leather or of composition leather, of sheeting of plastics, of textile materials, of vulcanized fiber, or of paperboard, or wholly or mainly covered with such materials or with paper:
The term "insulated food or beverage bags" is in the 2002 and 2003 versions of the HTSUS, but not the 2001 version. Goods falling within subheading 4202.99.90, HTSUS are subject to a 20% duty.
4819 Cartons, boxes, cases, bags and other packing containers, of paper, paperboard, cellulose wadding or webs of cellulose fibers; box files, letter trays and similar articles, of paper or paperboard of a kind used in offices, shops or the like:
Goods falling within subheading 4819.50.40, HTSUS were dutiable at 1.6% in 2001, 1.1% in 2002, and 0.5% in 2003.