Slip Op. 10-14 UN ITE D ST A TES COURT OF INTERNATIONAL TRADE

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- x : L EMANS CORPORATI ON, : : Plaintiff, : : v . : Before: Judge Judi th M. Barzilay : Court No. 06- 00038 UN I TE D ST AT ES, : P ubl ic Ver sion : De fe nd ant. : :

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- x
OP IN ION [Defenda nt’s Motion for Summary J udg ment is gr anted, a

nd Plaintiff’s Cross-Motion for Summary J udg ment is denied.]
Dated: F ebrua ry 8, 2010 Rodriguez, O’Donne ll, Gonzalez &W illiams, P.C

. ( Tho ma s J

. O ’D on ne ll , J

essi c a R . R ifk

in , and Lara A. Austri ns ), for

Plaintiff L eMans Corpor ation. Ton yW est , A ssi sta

nt A tto rn e y

Ge ne ra l; Barbara S. W

illiams , Attorney

in Charg e, International Trade Field Of

fice , Commercial L itigation B ranc h, Civil Division, U.S. Department of Justi ce ( Alexande r Vanderweide ); and Of fice of Assistant Chief Counsel, International Trade L itigation, U.S. Custom s & B order

Protection (

Michae l W

. Hey drich ), of

c ouns e l, f

or De fe nd ant Unit e d St ate s.
Ba rzilay , J udg e: This case conce rns the U.S. Customs & Bor der Protec tion’s (“ Cus tom s” ) c la ssi fi c atio n o f c e rt a in m oto c ro ss j e rs e y s, mot oc ro ss p ants , a nd mot or c y c le ja c ke ts under Chapte rs 61 and 62 of the Har moniz ed Ta

riff Sche dule of the United States (“HT SUS”).Court No. 06- 00038 P age 2

Entry Nos. 279-9313291-2, 279- 9313582-4, 279-9313588- 1, 279-9313790-3, 279- 1 9313997-4, 279-9316067- 3, 279-9316419-6, 279- 9317228-0, 279-9317410- 4, 279-3205158-7, 279-3205173-6, 279- 3205154-6. Summons 3-4. Def endant United States move s the court f or summary

judgme nt, arguing that Custom s classified the subject mer chandise under the appropr iate provisions of the HT SUS. P laintiff L eMans Corporation (“ L eMans” or “Plaintiff” ) conte sts the classification and cross-move s the court f or
summa ry jud g me nt, a lle g ingthat su bh e a din g s w ith in C ha

pte r 9 5 o f t

he HT SUS c ov e ri ngsp or ts equipment most acc urate ly descr ibe the subjec t jersey s, pants, and jac kets. In view of the applicable Gene ral Rules of Interpre tation (“GRI s”) a nd for the r easons e x plained below, the court grants De fenda

nt’s Motion for Summary J udg ment and denie s Plainti ff’ s Cross-Motion for Summary Judg me nt. I. Bac kgr ound A. The Subj e c t M e r c handi se L eMans imported the subject merc handise into the United States through the ports of Chicag o and L os Ang eles be tween July 20, 2004 and September

17, 2004. Summons 3-4. The

1
merc handise c onsists of “highly specia liz ed” je rsey s, pants, and jac kets “de signe d, eng ineer ed, and produc ed exclusively for use while par

ticipating in motocr oss activities and other pow er
s p o rt s r i d i n g . ” P l
. ’ s R e s p . t o D e f
. ’ s F i r s tIn t e r

r o g s . & R e q s . f

o r P r o d u c . , D e f
. M o t . f o r S um m . J. Ex . C at 5 (“Pl. Resp. to Def. F irst Interrog s.”). The dual purposes of the g oods “pre vent injury to the rider f

rom abra sion and impacts with motorcycle pa rts and the surr ounding e lements, as well as . . . provide optimal fit and comfort while pa rticipatingin the sport.” Pl. Resp. to Def. First Interrog s. 5.Court No. 06- 00038 P age 3

The re levant jer sey

models include the Men’ s and B oy ’s Phase S5, Men’s a nd Boy ’s 2 Core S5, and the Me n’s AC S5. Compl . ¶ 8. The ty pical saf ety equipment worn unde r the jer sey s consist of chest, kidney , and elbow 3 guards. Pl. Resp. to Def. F irst Interrog s. 6. Th e pe rt ine nt p ant m od e ls i nc lud e the AC S5, Cor e S5, Cor e S5 Y outh, XC R, M 1 K ids , 4 and M1. Compl. ¶ 7. Sy nthetic, abr asion-re sistant mesh and ventilated knit patterne d fabric, which a lso wicks
awa y moisture, makes up the f ive motocross jerse y s at issue. Pl. R esp. to Def . First Interrog s. 6. 2 “The jersey s have pa dded elbows f or abr asion and impac t protection” a nd “for m an integ rate d protec tion sy stem” with the use of “a ta cky silicon print on the lower ba ck to kee p the jerse y tucked into the motocross pa nt when riding .” Pl. Resp. to Def. F irst Interrog s. 6. An oversized, mul ti- pa ne l c ut a llo ws fo r a

no n- bin din gfi t so that ot he r s a fe ty e qu ipm e nt, wh ic h if

pe rm ane ntl y aff ix ed in the g ood would result in improper f it and inadequate safe ty , may be wor n under the 3 jersey . Pl. R esp. to Def

. First Interrog s. 6. Six differ ent models comprise the subject pants, and ride rs g ener ally use the g oods off- 4 road on motocr oss tracks, supe rcr oss tracks, or on other off

-roa d course s. Dep. of Jeffr ey T. Har t, Def. Mot. for

Summ. J . Ex . B at 12:12-16 (“Ha rt Dep.” ). He avy -duty

nylon provides rider s with impact and abr asion protec tion, and the pants conta in additional comfort fe ature s, such as

“ me shpa ne ls f or ve nti ng , h e at r e sis tant i nn e r l e gare a s ( ma de of le athe r o r m an[- ]ma de fi be rs ) t o preve nt burns from the e ng ine and e x haust pipe, and spa ndex and stretch pane ls to allow free dom of mov e me nt a

nd a no n[- ]bin din gfi t in

the le g s, se at, a

nd c ro tc h a re a .” Pl. Re sp . to De f. F ir stCourt No. 06- 00038 P age 4

T h e Co r e , X CR , an d

M 1 mo d e ls c o n ta in

[[ v ar io u s ty

p e s o f p a d d in g , ]] 5 ap p ro x i m at el y

[ [ ] ] th i ck , wh i l e t h e A C m o d el i n cl u d es [ [ o th er ce rt ai np ad d i n g ]]. Pl. Re sp . to De f. F ir st Inte rr og s. 5. Th e tw o Co re , X CR, M1 , a nd AC mod e ls a lso inc or po rate [[ ]] pad din g[[ ]] in th e se at or ta il a re a . Pl
. Resp. to Def. F irst Interrog s. 5. [[ Var ious ] ] patches on the upper seat a rea provide a dd iti on a l im

pa c t pr ote c tio n in

the Cor e , X CR, and

M1 mod e ls. Pl. Re sp . to De f. F ir st Inte rr og s. 5. Mo re sp e c if

ic a lly , th e Sup e r D uty

c onta ins a

“ he avy we ig ht w a xed

c ott on c ha ssi s w ith 6 le athe r s le e ve s, ” sh ou lde r a nd e lbo w a rm or pa ds that me e t mo re string e nt E ur op e an s tand ard s, “ [[ a ]] ba c k p a d, and zipp e re d c he st v e nts .” Pl. Re sp . to De f. F ir st Interrog s. 7. The Mer c consists of a “ heavy weig ht Dy

nax Ny lon chassis, [European- ]approved sh ou lde r a

nd e lbo w a rm or pa ds , [[ a

]] ba c k p a d a nd ri bb e d s pa

nd e x pane ls under the arms for

ventilation, [ and a] zipper cover on bottom of [ the] front zi pper to pre vent scratches to the motorcycle g as tank.” Pl. R esp. to Def . First Interrog s. 7. Finally , the Tar mac includes a “ heavy

weig ht knitted poly ester me sh chassis . . . , [European- ]approved shoulder a nd elbow ar mor pads, [[ a ]] back pa d, [and] leather elbows,” while the Airtex Sport contains a “he avy

weig ht poly ester me sh chassis, [European- ]approved shoulder a nd elbow armor pa ds, [[ a ]] back pa d, [as well as an] adjustable wa ist band, ref lective logo on [the] back to enha nce nighttime visi bility , [and] rubber coate d snaps to preve nt scratc hes to the motorcycle g as tank.” Pl. R esp. to Def . First I nterrog s. 7. Interrog s. 5. To ensure fre edom of moveme nt, the pants also include [[ ] ] hi p padding instead of a lternative r igid pr otective e lements. Pl. R esp. to Def . First Interrog s. 5. 5 Finally , the L eMans motorc y cle jac kets at issue ar e the Super Duty , Merc , Tarma c, and the Ai rt e x Spor

t. Com pl. ¶ 9 . H e avy -d

uty mate ri a ls p ro vid e pr ote c tio n to the ri de r o n th e pu bli c 6 street f rom impact and a

brasion injuries “which may result from a

cra sh or fa ll, including the initial im pact a

nd the sliding c ontact with the pave ment.” Pl. Resp. to Def. F irst Interrog s. 6. Interna l armor pa ds, constructe d of [[ specia l material ]] , appea r in the shoulders
and e lbo ws , “ the highe st i mpa c t are a s in the e ve nt o f c ra sh e s o r f

a lls .” Pl. Re sp . to De f. F ir st Interrog s. 6. The jac kets also fe ature a [[ ]] back pa d for a dded protec tion. Pl . Resp. to Def. F irst Interrog s. 6. L eMans de signe d the jacke ts to fit closely to theCourt No. 06- 00038 P age 5

All citations to the HTSUS refer to the 2004, as dete rmined by the date of

importation 7 for the me rcha

ndise. Hea dings 5602, 5603, 5903, 5906, a nd 5907 of the HTSUS cove r ce rtain fa brics. 8 He a din g56 02 inc lud e s “ F e lt, wh e the r o r n ot i mpr e g nate d, c oate d, c ov e re d o r l amin ate d, ” wh ile Hea ding 5603 pr ovides for “Nonwovens, whether or not impreg nated, c oated, c overe d or laiminated.” Unde r the other three provisions, Heading5903 encompa sses “Te x tile fabric s impreg nated, c oated, c overe d or laminated w ith plastics, other than those of he ading5902,” Hea ding 5906 c omprises “Rubber ized tex tile fabric s, other than those of heading5902,” and rider’ s body

and tape red the sleeve s snugly around the wrist “to kee p the jacke t in proper position wh ile ri din gor

duri nga c ra sh .” Pl. Re sp . to De f. F ir st Inte rr og s. 6. Th e ja c ke ts a lso
a c c omm od ate a

ri de r’ s p os tur e wi th a

c ut t hat ha s lo ng e r s le e ve s a

nd fu lle r s ho uld e rs , w ith zipp e re d v e nts or

me shpr ov idi ng“ a ir fl owint o th e ja c ke t f or va ri ou s r idi ngc on dit ion s. ” Pl. Resp. to Def. F irst Interrog s. 6-7. In summary , all the subject mer chandise are rea dily rec og nizable as article s of clothing
a lbe it w ithc e rt a in s pe c ia lize d p ro te c tiv e fe atur e s, so me min ima l, s ome mor e signif ic ant. B. Th e Subject Classification Customs classified the subject merc handise unde r five subhe ading s within Chapters 61
and 62 of the HT SUS
. Th e a g e nc y e nte re d th e re le va

nt m oto c ro ss j e rs e y s a s “ Swe ate rs , 7 pullovers, sweatshirts, waistcoats (vests) a nd simil ar a

rticles, knitted or c roche ted: Of man- made fibers: Othe r” unde r subhea ding 6110.30.30 of the HTSUS at a duty

rate of 32% ad valorem
. Compl. ¶¶ 13, 20. Custom s classified the subje ct motocross pants as “ Gar ments, made up of fabr ics of hea ding 5602, 5603, 5903, 5906 or 5907: Other men’ s or boy ’s g arme nts: Of manmade f ibers: Other ” under

subheading6210.40.50 of the HTSUS at a duty rate of 7.1% ad valorem
. Com

pl. ¶¶ 11 , 1 9. F ina lly , Cu sto ms f ound that th e va

ri ou s mo tor c y c le ja c ke ts f it 8Court No. 06- 00038 P age 6

Hea ding 5907 c oncer

ns “Textile fabrics othe rwise impre g nated, c oated or cover ed; painted canva s beingtheatric al sce nery , studio back-c loths or the like.” He a din g62 01 of

the HT SUS c ov e rs in p e rt ine nt p art : 9 6201 Men’s or boy s’ over coats, c arc oats, ca pes, cloaks, anoraks (includingski-jacke ts), windbrea kers a nd simil ar a

rticles (includingpadded, sle evele ss jackets), othe r than those of heading 6203[(which cover s “Men’ s or boy s’ suits, ensembles, suit-ty pe jacke ts, blazers, trousers, bib and br ace overa lls, breec hes and s h o rts ( o th e r

th a ns w imw e ar ) ” ) ]:

. . . Anoraks (includingski-jacke ts), windbrea kers a nd simil ar a

rticles (i nc lud ingpa dd e d, sle e ve le ss j a c ke ts)

. . . 6201.92 Of c otton.

. . . O th e r : 62 01 .9 2. 15 Wat e r r e sis tant.

. . . 62 01 .9 3 Of man- ma de fi be rs :

. . . O th e r

. . . O th e r

. . . O th e r 62 01 .9 3. 30 Wat e r r e sis tant. 6201.93.35 Other. within three sepa

rate provisions of Hea ding 6201, H TSUS, and classified a nd liquidated the Airtex S port and Mer c models under subheading6201.93.30 at a duty rate of 7.1% ad valorem , the Tar mac jac ket under

6201.93.35 at a r ate of

27.7% ad valorem , and the Super Duty model under 6201.92.15 at a rate of 6.2% ad valorem
. Compl. ¶¶ 14-15, 21; Answer ¶ 15. 9Court No. 06- 00038 P age 7
II. Su bjectMatt er Jurisdiction & Standard of Review Th e Court

ha s e xclu siv e jur isd ic tio n o ve r a ll c ivi l a c tio ns c omm e nc e d und e r 1 9 U .S. C. § 1515 that contest Customs’s denial of a pr otest. 28 U.S.C. § 1581(a). An a ction befor e the court wa rra nts summary

judgme nt “if the plea dings, discove ry and disclosure materia ls on file, and any aff idavits show that there is no g enuine issue a s to any materia l fac t and that the movant is e nti tle d to jud g me nt a s a matte r o f l aw. ” USC I T R. 56 (c ); se e als o Ce lote xCor p. v . Ca tre tt , 47 7 U .S. 31 7, 32 2 ( 19 86 ). A g e nu ine iss ue of mate ri a l f

a c t e xists on ly

wh e n th e c ourt

c ou ld resolve a fac tual element unde r the a pplicable law

in favor of

either pa rty . See M

arriott Int’l Resorts, L.P. v. United States , 5 8 6 F. 3 d 9 6 2 , 9 6 8 (F ed
. C i r. 2 0 0 9 ) ( ci t i n g An de rso n v . Li be rty Lobby, Inc. , 477 U.S. 242, 247-49 (1986)) . I f no dispute over a mater ial fac t would impact the outcome of the suit and the ac tion focuses solely on the prope r cla ssification of the mer chandise , a s in thi s c a se , th e c ourt

may g ra nt s umm ary

jud g me nt. See B ausch &Lomb, Inc. v . United States , 148 F.3d 1363, 1365 ( Fe d Cir. 1998). Th e c ourt a pp lie s a tw o- ste p a

na ly sis wh e n d e te rm ini ngwh e the r C us tom s p ro pe rl y classified the imported merc handise. Pillowt ex Corp. v. U nites States , 171 F.3d 1370, 1373 (F ed
. C i r. 1 9 9 9 ) ( ci t i n g Bausch &Lomb, Inc. , 1 48 F .3 d at 13 65 ). Th e c ourt fi rs t mu st a sc e rt a in the meaningof the ter

ms within t he re levant tar iff provision and subseque ntly deter mine whether the subject mer chandise fits within thos e ter ms. Id. The fir st step presents a question of law, Franklin v. United States , 289 F.3d 753, 757 ( Fe d. Cir. 2002), while the sec ond conce rns issues of fa ct. Pillowt ex Corp. , 1 71 F .3 d at 13 73 . N or ma lly , th e fa c tua l c omp on e nt o f t he Cus tom s classification ga

rner s a pre sumption of corre ctness. 28 U.S.C. § 2639(a) (1). How ever , thatCourt No. 06- 00038 P age 8

presumption does not apply to Custom s’s dec ision when no fac tual disputes surround the subjec t
merc handise. Intercontinental Marble Corp. v. U nited States , 27 CI T 654, 655 n.3, 264 F. Supp. 2d 1306, 1309 n.3 (2003), aff’d , 381 F.3d 1169 ( Fe d. Cir. 2004). III. Discussion A. The Ge neral Rules of In ter pretat ion The GRI s g overn the classification of g oods under the H TSUS. Boen Hardwood Flooring, Inc. v. U

nited States , 357 F.3d 1262, 1264 ( Fe d. Cir. 2004). The c ourt applies the GRI s in numerical or der a nd once a particula r rule pr ovides proper

classification, the court may not consider a

ny subsequent GRI
. See M

ita Copystar Am. v. United States , 160 F.3d 710, 712 (F ed. Cir. 1998). The products in this case a re subjec t to classification pursua nt to the first rule, GRI1, which holds that “c lassification shall be de termined a ccor ding to the te rms of the he a din g s and

any re lativ e se c tio n o r c ha

pte r n ote s. ” GR I1; see also Orlando Food Corp. v. United States , 140 F.3d 1437, 1440 ( Fe d. Cir. 1998). Absent contr ary leg islative intent, the court must construe HTSUS terms “a ccor ding to their common and commer cial mea nings.” Car l Zeiss, Inc. v. U

nited States , 195 F.3d 1375, 1379 ( Fe d. Cir. 1999) (citation omitted). The Ex planatory

Notes (“ EN”) that acc ompany eac h Chapter of

the HTSUS provide per suasive assistance to the court in asc erta ining the c orre ct classific ation of the mer chandise , though the explanations do not constit ute leg ally binding a uthority
. See Lonza, Inc . v. United States , 46 F.3d 10 98 , 1 10 9 ( F e d. Cir . 1 99 5) . O nc e it d e te rm ine s th at th e pa rt ic ula r h e a din gc ontr ols the ana ly sis , the cour t must l ook to the subheading s to find the corr ect c lassification for the merc handise. See Orlando Food Corp. , 1 40 F .3 d at 14 40 . T he re fo re , und e r G RI 1, de te rm ini ng

the mos tCourt No. 06- 00038 P age 9

He a din g95 06 pr ov ide s in re le va nt p art : 10 95 06 Ar tic le s and e qu ipm e nt f

or g e ne ra l phy sic a l e xer c ise , gy mna sti c s, athl e tic s, oth e r s po rt s ( inc lud ingta ble -t e nn is) or

outdo or g ame s, not specified or

included else wher e in this chapter ; swimmi ng pools and wadingpools; parts and ac cessor ies there of:

. . . Other: 9506.91.00 Articles a nd equipment for g ener al phy sical exercise, gy

mnastics or athletics; par

ts and acc essories ther eof.

. . . 9506.99 Other

. . . 9506.99.60 Other. ap p ro p ri at e c l as s i fi ca t i o nfo r t h e m er ch an d i s e i n v o l v es a “ cl o s e t ex tu al an al y s i s o f t h e l an gu age of the he ading s and the a ccompa nying e x planatory

notes.” Bauer Nike H

ocke y USA, I nc. v. United States , 27 CI T 1645, 1652, 305 F. Supp. 2d 1345, 1351 (2003) , rev’d on other grounds , 393 F.3d 1246 ( Fe d. Cir. 2004) (“ Bauer ”). B. T he Cl as sific at ion of t he Subj e c t M e r c handi se Whil e De fenda

nt maintains that it correc tly classified the merc handise unde r Chapter s 61 and 62 of the HTSUS, Def. Mot. for Summ. J . 8, 21-28, L eMans a rgues that two provisions under H eading9506 (subhea ding 9506.91.00, a t a duty rate of 4.6% ad valorem , or in the alternative 9506.99.60, at a r ate of 4% ad valorem ) best desc ribe the subjec t jersey s, pants and jacke ts. Pl. Mot . for Summ. J . 3-23. More over, Plaintiff c ontends that “the spe cialized nature

10
and purp os e of

[its] g oo ds pr e c lud e the m f ro m c la ssi fi c atio n in

[C]ha pte rs 61 or

62 .” Pl. Mo t. fo r S umm . J. 2 3. Th e c e ntr a l qu e sti on in t his c a se is whe the r t

he su bje c t me rc ha

nd ise c on sti tut e “other sports equipment” c lassifiable unde r Chapter 95 or whe ther Customs corre ctly classifiedCourt No. 06- 00038 P age 10

A “plac ket” is “a

finished slit in a ga

rment.” W

ebster’s Third New International 11 Di c tio na ry

1728 (2002). the g oods in the first instance a s cer tain appar el under

Chapters 61 a

nd 62. Be cause the motocross jerse y s, motocross pants, and motorcycle jac kets are descr ibed by the terms of the
re sp e c tiv e he a din g s in

Cha pte rs 61 and

62 , a nd are we ari nga

pp are l, t he c ourt a g re e s w ith Customs ’s classific ation of the subjec t mercha ndise. 1. The Motocr oss Jerse ys & P ants The subjec t motocross jersey s constitute a knitted “swe ater ” under the plain languag e of Hea ding 6110. N either the HTSUS nor the leg islative history define s the term swe ater . Under the common meaningof those ter ms, see Carl Zeiss, Inc. , 195 F.3d at 1379, a sweater de scribes “a knitted or

sometimes croc heted e lastic jacke t or pullover made in various styles and of va rious materia ls and usu[ally ] having ribbingaround the neck, c uffs, a nd lower e dg e,” a

nd a pullover comprises “ a g arme nt (as a sw eate r, shirt, or blouse) that is put on by beingpulled over the head and is usu[ally ] m ade w ithout a placket or simil ar ope ning.” W

ebster’s Third New 11 In te rn ati on al D ic tio na ry

1840, 2308 (2002). A g arme nt ty pifies “a n article of outer c lothing (a s
a coat or dress) usu[ally ] ex clusive of a cce ssories,” a nd clothing me ans a “ cover ing f or the human body

or g arme nts in ge nera l: all the ga rments and a cce ssories worn by a per son at any one time.” W

ebster’s Third New International Dictionary 42 8, 93 6 ( 20 02 ); se e als o H.I.M./Fathom, I

nc. v. U nited States , 21 CI T 776, 781, 981 F. Supp. 610, 615 (1997) (citing W ebster’s Third New International Dictionary 428, 936 (1993)) . In rele vant par t, the EN to 6110 adds that the he adingcover s “a c ateg ory of knitted or cr ochete d article s . . . desig ned to cove r the upper pa rts of the body

(jerse y s, pullovers, ca

rdig ans, wa istcoats and similar ar ticles).” ENCourt No. 06- 00038 P age 11

The ter m “texti le fa

bric” applies to, inte r a lia , fabr ics made of man-made fibers 12 produce d by

the poly merization of org anic monomer s, such as poly ester a nd poly uretha ne, as we ll a s th os e fi be rs ma de thr ou g h th e c he mic a l tr ans fo rm atio n o f n atur a l or g anic po ly me rs . N ote 1(a) -(b) to Chapter 54, HTSUS. 61.10. The jer sey s consist of sy nthetic, knit-patterne d fabr ics cut in assorted de signs a nd made with various mesh and ve ntilated materia ls that cover the human body at a pa rticular time, i.e., wh ile e ng a g ingin m oto c ro ss a c tiv iti e s and oth e r p ow e r s po rt s r idi ng . Pl . Re sp . to De f. F ir st Inte rr og s. 5- 6. Ea c h o f t

he je rs e y s h a s a

sma ll p la c ke t, a

nd an in div idu a l mu st p ull the art ic le over his hea d to wear

it. See, e .g. , M e n’ s Co re S5 Je rs e y , Pl . M ot. fo r S umm . J. E x. 12 . T his descr iption fits closely

with the terms of He ading6110, and bec ause the g oods are wea ring appar el, see Adm iral Cr aft Equip. Cor p. v. United States , 82 Cust. C t. 162, 164 (1979) (not repor ted in F. Supp.), the c ourt upholds Custom s’s classification of the jerse y s under subhe ading 61 10 .3 0. 30 of

the HT SUS
. Simi larly , using the HTSUS-define d meaningof re levant ter ms and the common understandingof “g arme nt,” see Carl Z eiss, Inc. , 195 F.3d at 1379, the languag e of H eading 6210 controls the cla ssification of the motocr oss pants. As a g arme nt, the pants cove r the human body , and an individual we ars the a rticle of oute r clothingat a pa rticular time – whe n she rides on motocross trac ks, superc ross trac ks, or other of f-r oad cour ses. Har

t Dep. at 12:13-16. Moreove r, the pa

nts include ce rtain texti le fa brics that fa ll under He ading s 5903 and 5906, 12 No te 1 to Cha

pte r 5 9, HT SUS , in

that th e art ic le s c on sis t of so me c omb inatio n o f t

he fo llo wi ng : heavy-duty

nylon mesh, heavy -duty

ballistic woven nylon fabric , heavy-duty woven polyester,Court No. 06- 00038 P age 12

Kepr otec is a unique blend of seve ral sy nthetic fiber s – Cordura®, Dyanfil TS-70, 13 Kevlar ®, and poly

uretha ne fibe rs. Pl.’s Statement of Undisputed Mater ial Fa cts ¶ 47; Def .’s Resp. to Pl.’s S tatement of Undisputed Materia l Fac ts ¶ 47. heavy-duty

poly ester, a

nd Kepr otec®. Pl.’s St atement of Undisputed Mater ial Fa cts ¶ 40; 13 Def .’s Resp. to Pl.’s St atement of Undisputed Mater ial Fa cts ¶ 40. The se man-ma de fibe rs form the “ me shpa

ne ls f or ve nti ng , h e at r e sis tant i nn e r l e gare a s, ” and the str e tc h p ane ls “ in t

he le g s, seat, a nd crotc h are a.” Pl. Resp. to Def . First Interrog s. 5. The pants a lso conform to the re levant ENto H e a din g62 10 . EN 6 2. 10 (s tatin gthat he a din gc ov e rs “ a ll g arm e nts ma de up of
. . . te xtile fa br ic s ( oth e r t

ha n k nitte d o r c ro c he te d f

a br ic s) of he a din g59 .0 3, 59 .0 6 o r 5 9. 07 ” ) ( e mph a sis
remove d). The de scription of the pa nts situates the article squa rely within the terms of He ading 6210 and the c lass of g oods used as we aringappar el. See A dmiral Craf t Equip. Corp. , 8 2 Cu st. Ct. at 164. There fore , the cour t also upholds Cust oms’s classification of the pants under
su bh e a din g62 10 .4 0. 50 of

the HT SUS
. 2. The Motorc ycle Jac kets The c ommon definition of an “ove rcoat” enc ompasses the subjec t motorcycle jac kets and, there fore , the plain text of Heading6201 cover s these ar ticles. A word not de fined by the HTSUS or in leg islative history , an over coat c onnotes “a coat wor n over a suit or other clothing ,” and “c oat” indicates “a

n outer g arme nt (as a r aincoat) usu[ally ] wit h long sle eves, a collar, a nd a sin g le -b re a ste d o r d ou

ble -b re a ste d f

ro nt o pe nin gma de of

fa br ic , f ur , o r p la sti c and

va ry ingin leng th and style ac cordingto fashion and use .” W e bs te r’ s Th ird Ne w I nte rn ati on al D ic tio na ry 433, 1607 (2002). An individual we ars the ja ckets ove r other c lothing and a t a par ticular time,
su c h a s whe n h e ri de s o n th e pu bli c str e e t. P l. R e sp . to De f. F ir st Inte rr og s. 6. Th e ja c ke ts a lsoCourt No. 06- 00038 P age 13

A “suit” is “a

set of g arme nts composed of two or thr ee pie ces ma de up, in re spect of 14 their outer sur fac e, in identical f abric and compr ising,” inte r a lia , a g arme nt desig ned to cove r the up pe r p art

of the bo dy and ano the r a rt ic le that c ov e rs the low e r p art of the bo dy . N ote 3( a ) t o Cha pte r 6 2, HT SUS . Impo rt antl y , “ [a]ll of the c omp on e nts of

a ‘s uit ’ m us t be of the same fa

br ic construction, color , and composition,” id. , a re quirement that plac es the subjec t jackets outside of this definition. That require ment also preve nts classification of the merc handise a s either a n “ e ns e mbl e ” or

a “ su it- ty pe ja c ke t” un de r H e a din g62 03 . N ote 3( b) to C ha pte r 6 2, HT SUS ; W e bs te r’ s Th ird Ne w I nte rn ati on al D ic tio na ry

1206 (2002) ( defining“jac ket” a s “a g arme nt like a c oat f or the up pe r b od

y us u[a lly] havin ga

fr ont op e nin g , c oll ar, la

pe ls, sle e ve s, and

po c ke ts, made in var

ying le ng ths from waist to hip, and worn se parately or as pa rt of a suit”) . Moreove r, the diffe rent nature of a

blazer disqualifies it as an a ccur ate de scription of the mer chandise
. W e bs te r’ s Th ird Ne w I nte rn ati on al D ic tio na ry

232 (2002) ( defining“blazer” as “a single
br e a ste d s po rt s ja c ke t of

fl ann e l or

oth e r f a br ic in b ri g ht s tr ipe s o r s oli d c olo r m a de us u[a lly] wit h a notche d collar, patch pocke ts, and sometimes decor ated e dg es). F inally , unlike the jacke ts at issue, the terms bre eche s, overa lls, shorts, and trousers all addr ess ar ticles that cove r the lowe r body in part. Se e W

e bs te r’ s Th ird Ne w I nte rn ati on al D ic tio na ry

274, 1606, 2102, 2453 (2002). vary in leng th and style to acc ommodate a r ider’s posture , with a cut that has long er slee ves and fuller shoulder s. Pl. R esp. to Def . First Interrog s. 6-7. L e Ma ns de signe d th e Me n’ s a

nd B oy s’ article s to consist of a combination of the f ollowing mate rials: heavy-duty poly ester knitted a

nd mesh fabr ics; Dy

nax ny lon; and a hea

vy weig ht waxed cotton chassis. Pl.’s St atement of Un dis pute d M ate ri a l F a c ts at ¶ 82 ; D e f. ’s Re sp . to Pl. ’s State me nt o f Und isp ute d M ate ri a l F a c ts
at ¶ 82 . T he ja c ke ts d o n ot a mou nt t o “ Me n’ s o r b oy s’ su its , e ns e mbl e s, su it- ty pe ja c ke ts, blazers, trouser s, bib and brac e over alls, [or] bree ches a nd shorts (other tha

n swimwear)” unde r Hea ding 6203. In findingthat the desc ription of the jacke ts conform with the text of Heading 14 6201 and identify

with wear ing a

ppare l, see Adm iral Cr aft Equip. Cor p. , 82 Cust. C t. at 164, the court upholds Customs’s classification of the g arme nts under subhea dings 6201.92.15, 6201.93.30, and 6201.93.35.Court No. 06- 00038 P age 14

C. The Su bjectGoods Ar e NotEligi ble f or Classifi cation Under Chapter 95 of the HTSUS Af te r p ro vid ingwh at it

un de rs tand s a s th e c ontr oll ingde fi nit ion fo r “ e qu ipm e nt, ” Pl. Mo t. f or Summ. J. 3 -4 , L e Mans ave rs that th e je rs e y s, pa nts , a nd ja c ke ts c on sti tut e “ sp or

ts equipment” unde r He ading9506. Pl. Mot . for Summ. J . 5-23. In the eve nt that the subject g oods
are classifiable both as other sports e quipment under Chapter 95 and appa

rel in Chapter s 61 and 62 , L e Mans argue s th at G RI 3( a ) c omp e ls t

he c ourt to f ind that Ch a pte r 9 5 mo re sp e c if

ic a lly descr ibes the subject mer chandise . Pl. Mot . for Summ. J . 29-30. The c ourt is not persuade d by
e ith e r a rgume nt. The EN to He ading9506 demonstrates that the subject merc handise is of a differ ent nature and cha

rac ter than those c lassifiable a s “sports equipment” unde r Chapter 95. To qualify as “e quipment” for a

sport, the g ood should ge nera lly provide “ what is nec essar y , useful, or appropr iate.” Se e W

e bs te r’ s Th ird Ne w I nte rn ati on al D ic tio na ry

768 (2002) ( defining

“ e qu ipm e nt” a s “ the e qu ipp ingof a pe rs on or thi ng ” and

“ e qu ip” a s “ to p ro vid e wi th what is
ne c e ssa ry , u se fu l, o r a

pp ro pr iate ” ); see also Rollerblade, I nc. v. U nited States , 282 F.3d 1349, 1354 (F ed. Cir. 2002) (e x plaining that “def inition offere d for ‘ equipment’ include s those article s that are nece ssary

and spec ifically

desig ned for

use in athletics and othe r sports”) . Whil e the subject merc handise a

rguably constitutes useful, if not nec essar y , article s to motocross and motorcycle r iding, Subsec tion B of EN95.06 distinguishes the subjec t mercha ndise from a

rticlesCourt No. 06- 00038 P age 15

In rele vant par

t, the EN states that He ading9506 cover s requisites for othe r sports, such 15 as (1) Snow-skis and other snow- ski equipment, (e.g ., ski-fastening s (ski-bindings) , ski

brake s, ski poles). (2) Water-skis, surf- boards, sa ilboards and other water -sport equipment, such a s diving stag es (platf

orms), chute s, divers’ f

lippers and r espirator

y masks of a kind used without ox yg en or c ompressed a ir bottles, and simple underwa ter bre athing tub e s ( g e ne ra lly

kn own a s “ sn or

ke ls” ) f or sw imm e rs or

div e rs . (3 ) Go lf

c lub s and

oth e r g olf

e qu ipm e nt, su c h a s g olf

ba lls , g olf

te e s. (4) Articles a

nd equipment for ta

ble-tennis (ping -pong ), such a s tables (with or wi tho ut l e g s) , b ats (pa dd le s) , b a lls and ne ts. (5 ) T en n i s , b ad m i n t o no r s i m i l ar ra ck et s (e
. g. , s qu as hra ck et s ), wh et h er o r n o ts tru n g. (6 ) B a lls , o the r t

ha n g olf ba lls and ta ble -t e nn is b a lls , s uc h a s te nn is b a lls , f oo tba lls , rugby balls and similar balls (includingbladder s and cove rs for suc h balls); water po lo, ba sk e tba ll a

nd sim ila r v a lve ty pe ba lls ; c ri c ke t ba lls
. (7) I ce skates and roller skates, includingskatingboots with skates attache d. (8) Sticks and bats for hoc key , cric ket, lacr osse, etc.; c histera ( jai alai scoops) ; pucks fo r i c e ho c ke y ; c ur lin gsto ne s. (9) Nets for

various g ames (te nnis, badminton, voll ey ball, football, basketba ll, etc.). (1 0) F e nc inge qu ipm e nt: fe nc ingfo ils , s a br e s a nd ra pie rs and the ir pa rt s ( e .g ., bla de s, guards, hilts and buttons or stops), etc. (1 1) Ar c he ry

e qu ipm e nt, su c h a s b ow s, arr ow s a nd targ e ts. (12) Equipment of a kind used in c hildren’s play g rounds (e .g ., swing s, slides, see-sa ws and g iant strides). (1 3) Pr ote c tiv e e qu ipm e nt f or sp or ts o r g ame s, e .g ., fe nc ingma sk s a nd br e a st p late s, e lbo w a nd kn e e pa ds , c ri c ke t pa ds , s hin -g ua rd s. (1 4) Othe r a

rt ic le s and

e qu ipm e nt, su c h a s r e qu isi te s f or de c k te nn is, qu oit s o r b ow ls; sk ate bo ard s; r a c ke t pr e sse s; m a lle ts f or po lo o r c ro qu e t; b oo me ra ng s; i c e a xes; clay pige ons and cla

y pige on projec tors; bobsleighs ( bobsleds), lug es and similar non-motorised vehic les for slidingon snow or ice
. EN 95.06 (B ). ty pically classified unde r He ading9506. The e x amples listed in Subsection B ce nter on non- 15 clothing a rticles and do not de scribe a ppare l like the subject merc handise. Althoug h Ex ample 13
su g g e sts that so me a

pp are l- lik e ite ms m ig ht f

a ll und e r H e a din g95 06 , th os e e xamp le s c on sis t
a lmo st e nti re ly

of c e rt a in i nte rn a l gua

rd s o r p a ds pie c e d to g e the r b y min ima l te xtile c omp on e nts ,Court No. 06- 00038 P age 16

To be sure , the Bauer

decision ca

n be re ad to ca

ution ag ainst an over ly

restric tive 16 interpre tation of “e quipment.” 393 F.3d at 1250-51. Th is s ub he a din gpr ov ide s c ov e rs “ tr a c k s uit s, sk i- su its and sw imw e ar; oth e r g arm e nts ” 17 c omp ri se d “ [o]f

man- ma de fi be rs .” 62 11 .3 3. 00 , H TSU S. a desc ription that does not fit the subject merc handise. SeeP l
. M o t . f o r S um m . J
. E x s . 7
- 1 7
. In fa c t, t he ty pe of me rc ha nd ise re pr e se nte d in

Exampl e 13 mor e a c c ur ate ly de sc ri be s th e pr od

uc ts that riders ty

pically will attach dire ctly

to their body , with the subject merc handise wor n over those hard guards a

nd brac es. Pl.’s Statement of Undisputed Mater ial Fa cts ¶¶ 18, 58, 120; Def .’s Resp. to Pl.’s St atement of Undisputed Mater ial Fa cts ¶¶ 18, 58, 120; Ha rt Dep. 10:4-23, 13:13, 14:19, 19:7-13, 27:24, 29:11, 40: 1, 43:20. That rider s rely on hard pr otection worn underne ath the jer sey s, pants, and jac kets illustrates the nature of the subjec t goods a s appar el and not sports equipment. More over, N ote 1(e ) to Chapter 95 pr ovides additional support for the conclusion that g oods like the subject mer chandise do not constitute sports equipment. Chapter 95, Note 1(e ), HTSUS (explaining that Chapter 95 does not cove r, inte r a lia , “[s] ports clothing or fa ncy dress, of te x tiles, of [C ]hapter 61 or 62” ). Thus, He ading9506 does not control the classification of the subject mer chandise
. L eMans doe s not convince the court that the F eder al Circuit meant to provide a n authoritative de finition of “equipment” in Bauer , or that the a naly sis therein g overns the classification of the subject mer chandise in this case. 393 F .3d 1246. In that case , Customs had 16
c la ssi fi e d ic e ho c ke y

pa nts – c on str

uc te d p ri mari ly

of an e xter ior

nylon or po ly e ste r t e xtile sh e ll and an inter ior assembly

of har d nylon plastic g uards a nd soft poly

uretha ne, poly ethylene, or po ly e ste r f

oam pa dd ingatta c he d to a be lt – un de r s ub he a din g62 11 .3 3. 00 of the HT SUS , a

17Court No. 06- 00038 P age 17

Subheading9605.99.25 controls the cla ssification of ce rtain sports equipment – “[i]ce- 18 hockey and fie ld-hocke y

article s and equipment, e x cept ba lls, and parts and a cce ssories there of.” 95 06 .9 9. 25 , H TSU S. classification upheld by

this Court. Bauer Nike H ocke y USA, I nc. , 2 7 C I T at16 51 -61 , 3 05 F. Sup p. 2d at 13 51 -5 9. On

a pp e a l, P la int if

f B a ue r N ike Ho c ke y

USA , Inc . a lle g e d th at it s
merc handise wa s more appr opriately classifiable under subhe ading9506.99.25. Bauer , 393 18 F.3d at 1250. The F eder al Circuit disag ree d with how this Court construed the term “equipment,” id. at 1250-51, but in so doing did not g ive its opinion on what constituted a controllingdefinition of that term. Se e id . T he F e de ra l Cir c uit e xpla ine d th at “ e qu ipm e nt” de fi ne s “ the e qu ipp ingof a pe rs on or thi ng ” and

that “ e qu ip” me ans “ to p ro vid e wi th what is
nece ssary , useful or a

ppropriate .” Id
. at1 2 5 1 (c i t i n g W ebster’s Third New International Di c tio na ry

768 (1993)) (quotation marks omitted). The Fe dera l Circuit noted that the definition for e quipment “provides no support f or the Court of International Trade ’s conc lusion that an item must be nece ssary

to be equipment bec ause the definition uses the disjunctive, ‘or,’ in the definition of ‘e quip,’ not the conjunctive, ‘ and.’” Id . Moreove r, in findingthat Chapter 95
cover ed the mer chandise at issue in Bauer , th e F e de ra l Cir c uit re a c he d it s d e c isi on

us ingGR I 3(a)
. Id . at 12 52 -5 3. In th is c a se , th e c ourt ba se s it s d e c isi on

on GR I1 a nd fi nd s n o n e e d to
re so rt to a n a na ly sis un de r G RI

3. Th e re fo re , th e c ourt

fi nd s th at Ba ue r do e s n ot c ontr ol i ts analy sis. The Customs classification of c erta in ge ar a fter the Fe dera l Circuit’s decision in Bauer further demonstrates that the subject g oods are distinct from those classifiable under H eading 95 06 . In 2 00 5, Cus tom s c la ssi fi e d und e r H e a din g95 06 a sh in- gua rd ma de of ha rd pla sti c wi thCourt No. 06- 00038 P age 18

an ethylene- vinyl ace tate foa m backingperma

nently enca sed in a spec ially -fitted poly ester soc k,
no tin gthat th e “ ha

rd pr ote c tiv e gua

rd is s pe c ia lly -f

itt e d to the po ly e ste r s oc k in wh ic h it is
enca sed and it is not removable .” HQ 967738 ( Sept. 21, 2005). Howe ver, later that year , Customs deter

mined that knitted poly ester a nd cotton shorts and pants with hig h-density foam paddingdesig ned for

socce r g oalkee pers did not constitute sports equipment under Hea ding 9506, but instead classified the socce r pants and shor ts under He ading6114, HTSUS. HQ 967957 (De c. 9, 2005). Customs rea soned that while the a rticles conta ined var ious protective features, the pa dding a

ppear ed “in isolated a

rea s where g oalkee pers a

re most likely

to make contac t with the gr ound. Th[at] paddingis insubst antial, offe ringonly some cushioningfrom the g round and pr otection ag ainst g round abr asions.” Id . Simi lar to the socc er pa nts and shorts, the subject merc handise incor porate s limi ted paddingto isolated are as of the a rticle, a nd they do not contain nor a

re pr edominantly

comprised of

hard pla stic like the shin-guards in HQ 967738 or the ice hoc key

pants in Bauer
. SeePl. Mot . for Summ. J . Ex s. 7-17. Finally , as pre viously

noted, the ter

ms of the re levant hea dings w ithin C hapter s 61 and 62 descr ibe the subjec t mercha ndise. Be cause GRI1 resolves this classific ation inquiry , the cour t need not c onsider any

subsequent GRI
. See M

ita Copystar Am. , 160 F.3d at 712. IV. Conclusion UsingGRI1, the cour

t upholds Cus toms’s classification of the subject merc handise unde r the re le va nt p ro vis ion s o f C ha

pte rs 61 and

62 of the HT SUS
.

D at e d : F e b r

u ar y 8 , 2 0 1 0 / s /J u d i thM
. B ar z i l ay Ne w Y o rk , Ne w Y o rk J u d i thM
. Barz i l ay , J u d ge