UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION MISCELLANEOUS NATURAL VARNISH RESINS Comment This summary covers all natural resins used principally in the manufacture of varnish or related products, except cashew-nut shell liquid, 1/ mastic, 2/ and those resins specifically provided for in the Tariff Act of 1930 (damar, kauri, copal, dragon's blood, and sandarac; 3/ rosin; lac: Crude, seed, button or stick; and shellac 6/). Natural resins are exudations of various species of trees. They are chemically related to the terpenes or essential oils, and differ from the natural gums, which, although also exudations of trees or shrubs, are more closely related to the sugars and other carbohydrates. Resins are further distinguished from guns by being insoluble in water, though partially soluble in vegetable oils or organic solvents, and by melting with the distillation of volatile constituents when heated. Resins are incorrectly termed guns by the varnish trade. Included in this summary is a variety of elemi obtained from trees of the species Canarium. This type of elemi is used as a plasticizer in lacquers for metal surfaces; in adhesives and cements, wax compositions, printing inks, surface coatings for textiles and paper, and in linoleum and oilcloth; as a perfume base; in water-proofing compositions; and in engraving processes. Kiree lac, another resin here included, is an inferior type of refined lac used for some of the same purposes as shellac. Other varnish resins not specially provided for in the Tariff Act of 1930 are produced from a number of different trees and are used for purposes similar to those for which elemi is used. In recent years synthetic resins have replaced natural resins in many products for which the natural resins were formerly used exclusively. The United States probably produces none of the varnish resins covered by this summary, and domestic requirements are supplied by imports. Imports averaged about 225,000 pounds, valued at $12,000, annually in 1937-39 (see table). During and immediately after World War II, imports declined substantially. They amounted to 100,000 pounds, valued at $5,000, in 1943 and to 18,000 pounds, valued at $5,000, in 1946. There were no imports in 1944 or 1945. Imports increased to 217,000 pounds, valued at $39,000, in 1947 and to 382,000 rounds, valued at $63,000, in 1948. The Philippine Republic has been the chief source of supply, except in 1943 when the Dominican Republic and Australia were the only sources. In 1948 India was also an important source. Imports from the Philippine Republic have consisted of elemi; imports from India have been ghatti, a natural gum (see separate summary on miscellaneous natural gums and resins (except varnish resins), par. 1686), and, in 1948, kiree lac. Imports from other sources have consisted of guaiac, a resin used in preserving food, and a number of resins of minor commercial importance. Statistics on United States exports of the resins covered by this summary are not available, but exports, if any, are probably small. 1 See separate summary on cashew nut-shell liquid, par. 1686. 2/ See separate summary on mastic, par. 1686. 3 See separate summaries on damar, kauri, copal, dragon's blood, and sandarac, par. 1686. See separate summary, par. 90 (dutiable). 5 See separate summary, par. 1707. 6 See separate summaries on unbleached shellac and bleached shellac, par. 1707. SUMMARIES OF TARIFF INFORMATION Par. 1686. MISCELLANEOUS NATURAL GUMS AND RESINS Tariff Status Natural gums and resins, not specially provided for (except varnish resins, talka, leche caspi, and myrrh), 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 Iran, effective June 1944, and in the Geneva agreement. Trade Statistics Table 1.- Miscellaneous gums and resins (except varnish resins): 1/ Total 1,798 1,807 1,711 3,495 6,055 5,088 4,371 Includes benzoin and spruce which were separately classified until 1944. 2/ Preliminary. 3/ Includes Burma in 1937 and Pakistan in 1937-47. There were no imports from Pakistan in 1948, the first year for which separate statistics for that country were reported. 4/Data for 1937-39 are for British East Africa, British Somaliland including Seychelles and dependencies, and Mauritius and dependencies. 5/ Includes imports from Netherlands Indies amounting to 199 thousand pounds valued at 21 thousand dollars. 6/ Includes imports from Mexico amounting to 558 thousand pounds valued at 277 thousand dollars. 7/Less than $500. Source: Official statistics of the U. S. Department of Commerce, less imports of leche caspi as determined from records of the U.S. Bureau of Customs for 1937 and 1939 and estimated for 1938. Note. Statistics on United States production and exports are not available but production and exports are probably small compared to imports, and consist of the kinds of gums and resins which are not imported. UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION MISCELLANEOUS NATURAL GUMS AND RESINS Comment This summary covers all natural gums and resins except the following: those specifically provided for in the Tariff Act of 1930; those used principally in the manufacture of varnish and related products; leche caspi; talka; and myrrh. 1/ Natural gums and resins are produced as exudations by trees and shrubs of many different species. Gums are exudations which are chemically related to the sugars and other carbohydrates. They are water-soluble or water-dispersible, but insoluble in vegetable oils or organic solvents, and decompose on heating. Resins are related to the terpenes and hydrocarbons. They are insoluble in water but soluble in vegetable oils and organic solvents, and melt with the distillation of volatile constituents when heated. Resins are incorrectly termed guns by the varnish trade. The gums and resins covered in this summary are used for a variety of purposes, including textile printing, the compounding of pharmaceuticals, the manufacture of chewing gum, and in perfumery. Some of the more important gums and resins included in this summary are perillo, olibanum, shiraz, ghatti, benzoin, pendare, and massaranduba. Statistics on United States production and exports of the miscellaneous gums and resins covered by this summary are not available. Production is probably small compared to imports; and exports, if any, are probably negligible. United States imports of the miscellaneous gums and resins here considered averaged about 1.8 million pounds, valued at $224,000 (foreign value), annually in 1937-39 (see table 1). Imports increased to 3.5 million pounds, valued at $822,000, in 1943. Imports since the end of the war have been substantially larger than before the war, although they declined from 6.1 million pounds, valued at 2.0 million dollars, in 1946 to 4.4 million pounds, valued at 1.1 million dollars, in 1948. Peru, India, Venezuela, and Nigeria were the principal sources of prewar imports, whereas Colombia, Brazil, Venezuela, and India have been the principal sources of supply in recent years. 1 For data on the gums and resins not herein included, see separate summaries on balsams, par. 10; on amber and amberoid, and gum arabic, par. ll; on turpentine gum and rosin, par. 90; on asafetida, par. 1602; on damar, cashew-nut shell liquid, copal, crude chicle, dragon's blood, karaya, kauri, leche caspi, mastic, myrrh, sandarac, tragacanth, and tragasol, par. 1686; on lac: Crude, seed, button, or stick, par. 1707; on unbleached shellac and bleached shellac, par. 1707; and on miscellaneous natural varnish resins, par. 1686. SUMMARIES OF TARIFF INFORMATION GUNPOWDER, SPORTING POWDER, AND ALL OTHER EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES, NOT (PAR. 1687) Tariff Status Par. 1687. Gunpowder, sporting powder, and all other explosive substances, not specially provided for, and not wholly or in chief value of cellulose esters, which were free of duty 1/ under the Tariff Act of 1922, are free of duty also under the Tariff Act of 1930. 1/ Except for a proviso as to countervailing duties which was repealed by the amendment to the Tariff Act of 1930 approved June 12, 1934 (Treasury Decision 47117). UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION GUNPOWDER, SPORTING POWDER, AND ALL OTHER EXPLOSIVE SUBSTANCES, NOT (PAR. 1687) Trade Statistics Table 1.- Gunpowder, sporting powder, and all other explosive substances, 1/ Production of black blasting powder only. Does not include production of fuse powder last reported in 1937. Black gunpowder was last reported in 1931. See text for comment on production. 2/ Preliminary, except production. 3/ Not available. Source: Production 1937, U. S. Bureau of Mines and U. S. Department of Commerce; 1938-48, U. S. Bureau of Mines; imports, official statistics of the U. S. Department of Commerce. |