Note.--For the statutory description, see the Tariff Schedules of the United States Annotated (TSUSA-1969). U.S. trade position There is little commercial domestic production of most of the articles currently being imported under this item. Comment The most important items in this summary are generally evergreen boughs and branches (referred to herein as florists' greens), cassava roots, corn husks, nongerminating pumpkin seeds, and juniper berries. Numerous items of lesser significance include loofa sponges, jumping beans, calabash gourds, sloe berries, and various crude vegetable materials which can be used for the preparation of ingredients of perfumes, flavorings, pharmaceuticals, and insecticides. These substances are still considered in a crude state if subjected to processing such as that necessary for shipping the materials, including drying (in some cases), cleaning or washing, and packing. Substances sorted as to size and quality ordinarily would not be considered to be in a crude state. The column 1 rate of duty applicable to imports (see general headnote 3 in the TSUSA-1969) is as follows: This rate of duty provided in the TSUS effective August 31, 1963, was derived from a number of paragraphs of the previous schedules most of which provided for duty-free entry. Statistics are not available on either domestic production or imports of the individual items concerned. million in the period 1964-68 (see table). domestic production of products of the type consist of florists' greens. Imports averaged $3.7 The only significant imported is believed to December 1969 Florists' greens generally are small evergreen branches used as backing in floral arrangements, but they also include evergreen boughs and branches for use in Christmas decorations. The principal florists' greens in the order of importance are huckleberry, salal, and fern. Domestic production for floral arrangements is centered in Washington and Oregon. Wholesalers in these States supplement local production with large amounts of salal from Canada and small amounts of huckleberry and fern from Canada and California. These three evergreens are gathered wild from the forests by independent pickers, sold to wholesalers who operate numerous packing houses, and are distributed throughout the United States. There are two major U.S. distributors and a number of smaller ones. Much of the imports from Canada are distributed through the same channels as those gathered in this country. The sizable imports of salal supplement a somewhat limited natural supply in the United States. Fern leaves produced domestically in the Northwest meet competition in the South Central States from imported tropical fern-like branches known as camadors (from the chamaedorea palm). These branches enter from Guatemala and Mexico. While sold mainly in the South Central States, camadors also are sold to a small extent throughout the east coast. Camadors also compete somewhat with other domestically produced florists' greens since most evergreen branches or leaves are used interchangeably to some degree. Evergreens used for Christmas decorations include the branches of balsam, cedar, Douglas fir, and holly. A large part of the production is a byproduct of the Christmas tree industry (see item 192.10). Significant quantities of balsam, cedar, and Douglas fir branches are imported from Canada. Holly is obtained mostly from domestic sources-both wild and cultivated. An evergreen called ruscus is imported in minor volume from Europe for decorative purposes. There is a small trade in palm leaves for use for religious ceremonies and for decorative purposes involving imported leaves as well as some collected in Florida. Cassava root is used as a vegetable and in the production of cassava flour, starch, and tapioca (see summary on item 132.35). The roots are imported fresh from several tropical countries. bulk comes from the Dominican Republic, Guatemala, and Mexico. tually none is grown domestically. Vir Corn husks are imported from Mexico for processing and manufacture into dolls. Many small producers of corn husk dolls, located mostly in Texas, import these husks. There is no significant collecting of domestic corn husks. December 1969 The pumpkin seeds included herein will not pass a germination test (pumpkin seeds passing a germination test are included under TSUS item 127.10), nor have they been processed for human consumption by roasting or salting (such processed products are provided for under item 182.95). These pumpkin seeds are imported raw and roasted in this country to be sold as confectionery items similar to nuts. The vast bulk of the imports enter from Mexico; the remainder enter from Yugoslavia. from Mexico are from a type of squash, whereas those from Yugoslavia are from pumpkins. All pumpkin seeds from Yugoslavia and about half of those from Mexico have been shelled before they enter this country. There are many firms throughout the United States that process these seeds, but the largest volume is probably processed in the New York City area. Two grades of juniper berries, which articles are not berries within the meaning of item 146.62, are imported. The high-grade type is used by distillers in the manufacture of gin. The regular grade of berries is used in the manufacture of pharmaceuticals. High-grade juniper berries are imported from Italy. Regular-grade berries are imported mainly from Italy and Yugoslavia and small amounts come in from other South European countries and from Canada. There is no known commerce in domestic juniper berries. Minor items in this tariff category include loofa sponges (a porous item obtained from a gourd) for bathing and other uses, calabash gourds for smokers' pipes, sloe berries for sloe gin, locust beans for the manufacture of locust bean gum, and jumping beans and tagua nuts for novelties. A wide variety of seeds, leaves, roots, flower heads, and other items (collectively known as botanicals), are imported to be processed into essential oils, extracts, crude drugs, and other ingredients for the manufacture of perfumes, flavorings, pharmaceuticals, and insecticides. For information on essential oils, extracts, crude drugs, and similar items produced from various vegetable materials covered by this summary, see summaries on TSUS schedule 4. Minor vegetable items include lycopodium powder (from a moss), oakmoss (from a lichen), angelica root, orris root, sarsaparilla root, rose hips, orange flowers, lavender flowers, nongerminating sabadilla seeds, digitalis seeds, and parsley seed. There also are small amounts of pollen imported for bee feed and pollination. Previous to December 7, 1965, a principal article in this item was seaweed. All seaweed, crude, ground, or pulverized, however, was provided for separately by the Tariff Schedules Technical Amendments Act of 1965 (P.L. 89-241) in TSUS 192.05. Import statistics, nevertheless, have erroneously continued to include quantities of seaweed under item 193.25--particularly from Mexico. December 1969 U.S. imports, Crude vegetable substances, not elsewhere enumerated: Source: Compiled from official statistics of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Note.--Import statistics include quantities of merchandise not properly classifiable under item 193.25. 37 : 54: 25 : 11 : 11 : : : : December 1969 |