Opinion ID: 590027
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: american hardboard and the common and commercial meaning of hardboard

Text: 66 Defendant's last argument is that the Court's ruling is inconsistent with the decision in American Hardboard as well as the common and commercial meaning of hardboard. On this point, defendant first maintains the Court erred by comparing the merchandise to standard hardboard classifiable under items 245.00 through 245.20, TSUS, rather than to face finished hardboard classifiable under TSUS item 245.30. Defendant's Memorandum at 20. 67 The question before the Court is whether the merchandise falls within the common and commercial meaning of face finished hardboard. Following American Hardboard, the Court's analysis centered on whether the merchandise is an input material commercially susceptible to multiple uses. Having found guidance in answering this question in a decision of the Court of Appeals, the Court applied the analysis found in Quality Marble. To the extent the Court referred to standard hardboard, see Humphreys, 15 CIT at ----, 764 F.Supp. at 192, that reference was for illustrative purposes and did not affect the outcome of the case. The Court finds, therefore, any error it committed in referring to standard hardboard to have been immaterial. 68 Defendant next contends the Court erred in failing to accept the definition of hardboard from an industrial commercial standard (CS 251-63). Defendant's Memorandum at 20. The Court rejected defendant's arguments based on CS 251-63 because the industry adopted the standard the year after Congress promulgated the TSUS. CS 251-63 is, therefore, not evidence of Congressional intent. Humphreys, 15 CIT at ----, 764 F.Supp. at 193. Defendant offers numerous cases where the Court allegedly relied on subsequent definitions as evidence of Congressional intent. See, e.g., Daw Indus., Inc. v. United States, 1 Fed.Cir. (T) 146, 147 n. 4, 714 F.2d 1140, 1141 n. 4 (1983); Nippon Kogaku, Inc. v. United States, 69 CCPA 89, 93 n. 2, 673 F.2d 380, 382 n. 2 (1982); Toyota Motor Sales, Inc. v. United States, 7 CIT 178, 182, 585 F.Supp. 649, 653, aff'd, 3 Fed.Cir. (T) 93, 753 F.2d 1061 (1985). 69 The cases defendant cites do not require this Court to give significant weight to a subsequent definition. In Daw Indus., the question was the meaning of the term prosthesis. The trial court relied on several dictionary definitions but did not state the year of publication for the references. See Daw Indus., 5 CIT at 20-21, 561 F.Supp. at 439 (1983). In the next paragraph, the Court looked at the Summaries of Trade and Tariff Information which, because they were published after the enactment of TSUS, the Court stated are not evidence of Congressional intent but may be evidence of administrative practice. Id. at 21, 561 F.Supp. at 439. 70 On appeal, the Federal Circuit agreed with the trial court and did not address the meaning of prosthesis. See Daw Indus., 1 Fed.Cir. (T) at 147, 714 F.2d at 1141. In a footnote, the Federal Circuit cited two medical dictionaries; one published in 1970 and the other in 1981 together with a 1965 and a pre-TSUS 1951 edition of the latter reference. Id. at 147 n. 4, 714 F.2d at 1141 n. 4. 71 In Nippon Kogaku, the Court of Appeals cited, in a footnote, a post-TSUS dictionary definition of a term as support for a proposition that was not in question. Nippon Kogaku, 69 CCPA at 93 n. 2, 673 F.2d at 382 n. 2 (1982). Despite this reference, the court's analysis focused almost exclusively on the TCS which was prepared prior to the TSUS in contemplation of the revised rate tariff schedules. 72 In Toyota, this court stated the meaning to be given a descriptive term used in a tariff act is that which it had at the time of the law's enactment. A subsequent definition may not be used to expand the meaning of a term, but is an aid to clarifying it. Toyota, 7 CIT at 182, 585 F.Supp. at 653 (citations omitted). The subsequently established commercial standard, therefore, does not reflect the meaning of hardboard at the time of the enactment of the TSUS. The Court's analysis of the TCS and its prior decision in American Hardboard convinced the Court the term hardboard was sufficiently clear to obviate the need for further analysis based on subsequent definitions. Furthermore, defendant's reliance on CS 251-63 is an attempt to broaden the meaning of hardboard beyond merchandise having multiple uses to encompass articles having more limited applications. The Court, therefore, did not err in failing to give the proper weight to CS 251-63. 73 Defendant's remaining arguments go to the processing to which the merchandise was subjected during manufacturing. Defendant's Memorandum at 25-27. Defendant argues none of the individual processes is sufficient to advance the merchandise beyond hardboard. The Court, however, considered the merchandise in its final condition. Based on its consideration of the merchandise as a whole, as well as the use and marketing of the merchandise, the Court found it to have been advanced beyond the input material hardboard, whether or not face finished.CONCLUSION 74 Defendant's arguments have not convinced the Court that it in error or that there was a fundamental or significant flaw in the original proceeding. To the extent defendant raised additional arguments in this motion, the Court has considered them and finds them to be reiterations of arguments previously considered or otherwise not persuasive. Accordingly, the Court adheres to the reasoning and decision enunciated in its prior opinion. As defendant has abandoned its alternative classification, see Humphreys, 15 CIT at ----, 764 F.Supp. at 193, judgment is rendered in favor of plaintiff. 75 /s/Dominick L. DiCarlo DOMINICK L. DiCARLO