UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION MUZZLE-LOADING MUSKETS, SHOTGUNS, RIFLES, AND PARTS Comment This summary covers only the muzzle-loading type of muskets, rifles, and shotguns, and parts for such firearms. Firearms of this type are used very little at present. The modern types which are loaded at the breech with factory-made cartridges are dutiable and are separately discussed in summaries under paragraph 365. The arms discussed herein are loaded with loose gun powder and bullets or shot inIserted at the muzzle. The charge is compacted and retained in place by wadding, seated with a ramrod. The charge is fired by percussion caps containing fulminate which explodes upon being struck by the gun hammer, or by the older type flint lock which ignites the gun powder by a spark caused by striking flint upon steel. The United States produced muzzle-loading firearms in considerable volume until about 90 years ago; since then, commercial production declined and finally ceased, as breech-loading weapons replaced the muzzle-loading type in general use. At the present time only an occasional muzzle-loading firearm is produced in the United States. There are in the United States probably about 1,000 persons who regularly use muzzle-loading rifles and shotguns for hunting or target shooting. Others have them as collectors' items or as ornaments for club rooms and residences. Muzzle-loading arms are regularly used by native hunters in the less-civilized portions of the Tropics, particularly in Africe. They are made in some volume in Europe. United States imports of muzzle-loading firearms have been small and sporadic. Imports amounted to 184 pieces, valued at $2,700 in 1938, to 470 pieces, valued at $8,400 in 1947, and to 62 pieces, valued at $700 in 1948. Most of the imports have come from the United Kingdom and Belgium. In the 10-year period, 1931-40, a total of 707 muzzle-loading arms (average foreign value $7.97 each) was imported. Most of the imported arms are low-priced, but a few are high-priced. Statistics on United States exports of muzzle-loading muskets, rifles, and shotguns are not available, but exports are negligible. SUMMARIES OF TARIFF INFORMATION NEEDLES, HAND SEWING OR DARNING Par. 1724. Tariff Status Hand sewing or darning needles were free of duty under the Tariff Act of 1922, and are duty-free also under the Tariff Act of 1930. Their duty-free status was bound in the trade agreement with the United Kingdom, effective January 1939, and in the Geneva agreement. Trade Statistics Table 1.- Needles, hand-sewing or darning: United States Source: Official statistics of the U. S. Department of Commerce. Note. With the exception of a few special types, hand-sewing and darning needles are not produced in commercial quantities in the United States. Statistics on exports are not available, but it is understood that few if any hand-sewing needles of the types covered by this summary are exported. UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION NEEDLES, HAND SEWING OR DARNING Comment This summary covers needles for sewing by hand, which are manufactured in countless types and sizes, including needles used in plain sewing, arts, crafts, and certain trades--milliners', glovers', tapestry, beading, and sail--and darning needles with large eyes to carry floss. Machine needles of all kinds, crochet and knitting needles, bodkins, and needle cases or books containing assortments of needles or combinations of needles and other articles, which are dutiable, are not included herein but are covered in separate summaries under paragraph 343. Needles, such as those covered in this summary, are usually made of fine quality steel wire by highly skilled labor on specialized machines. With the exception of a few special types in the coarser grades (used in sewing heavy materials, like bagging), hand sewing needles are not produced in the United States, and for the types produced here no statistics are reported. Exports are probably negligible. United States requirements of hand sewing needles before World War II were supplied chiefly by imports from the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan, and Czechoslovakia. Imports amounted to between 700 and 900 million needles, valued at between 500 and 600 thousand dollars (foreign value), in most prewar years. During the war the United Kingdom was virtually the only source. In 1948 imports reached a peak of 1 billion needles, valued at 1.6 million dollars, of which the United Kingdom accounted for about two-thirds, and China, Japan and France for most of the remainder (see table 1). SUMMARIES OF TARIFF INFORMATION OTTER TRAWL NETS, OR FINISHED SECTIONS Tariff Status Par. 1725. Otter trawl nets, or finished sections thereof, of manila (abaca), which were free of duty under the Tariff Act of 1922, are free of duty also under the Tariff Act of 1930. Their duty-free status was bound in the trade agreement with the United Kingdom, effective January 1939, and in the Geneva agreement. Trade Statistics Table 1.- Otter trawl nets, or finished sections thereof, of manila (abaca): United States imports for consumption, Source: Official statistics of the U. S. Department of Commerce. Note.- United States production of otter trawl nets is not separately reported and is believed to be small. There are no domestic exports. UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION OTTER TRAWL NETS, OR FINISHED SECTIONS Comment The otter trawl net is essentially a large, flattened conical bag which is towed along the bottom of the sea by fishing vessels. The smaller nets are usual made from cotton twine 1/ and the larger ones usually from manila (abaca) twine. This summary covers only nets or finished sections of nets for use in otter-trawl fishing, if composed wholly or in chief value of manila (abaca). Otter trawl nets of manila are made by lacing together several different sec tions of netting, known as wing sections, back section, belly section, extension section, and cod end. The completed net has a spread of from 40 to 80 feet at t mouth, averages about 130 feet in length and, if spread flat, the larger nets woul cover an area of approximately one-quarter acre. The lightest twine in the net 3/16-inch in diameter and the heaviest 1/4-inch in diameter. In the cod end the mesh is usually double and of a superior quality of cord. The mesh size in the wing and back sections is 4 inches and tapers to 2 inches in the cod end. Rope used in the strapping and reinforcing is from 7/8-inch to 1-3/4 inches in diamete Two large boards (otter boards), one of which is attached to the wing sections at each side of the mouth, operate to hold the net mouth open as the net is drawn for ward under water. Otter trawl nets of manila are used in the United States principally in takin ground, or bottom, fish in the New England fisheries. About 20 percent of the total domestic catch of fish is usually taken by otter trawl nets. United States production of otter trawl nets and netting of manila is not separately recorded but it is understood to have been small. There probably have been no domestic exports. United States imports of manila otter trawl nets and sections thereof in the years 1937-39 averaged about 939,000 pounds per year, valued at $186,000 (foreign value). Imports were very small during World War II because the manufacture of otter trawl nets of manila was largely discontinued on account of a lack of manila fiber from the Philippine Republic. 2 During this period sisal twines and rope were substituted for manila fiber in the manufacture of otter trawl nets. Imports of the sisal products are dutiable as "manufactures of vegetable fiber, not specially provided for" under paragraph 1023. Since the end of the war imports of manila otter trawl nets have shown a sharp upward trend and in 1948 amounted to 640,000 pounds, valued at $366,000 (see table 1). The United Kingdom and Japan have been the chief sources of the postwar impo of otter trawl nets. The large increase in the value of imports in 1948 compared with prewar years is attributable to the higher average unit foreign value for imported otter trawl nets of 57 cents per pound in 1948 compared with 18 cents in 19 1/ The cotton nets, used principally for shrimp fishing, are dutiable under par graph 923; see separate summary on Fish nets and nettings of cotton. 2/ See separate summary on Manila (abaca) fiber, duty free under par. 1584. |