UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION

May 1953

EDGAR B. BROSSARD, Chairman

LYNN R. EDMINSTER, Vice Chairman

OSCAR B. RYDER

GEORGE MCGILL

JOSEPH E. TALBOT

DONN N. BENT, Secretary

Address all communications
UNITED STATES TARIFF COMMISSION

Washington 25, D. C.

For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office

CONTENTS

Report of the United States Tariff Commission in connection with its inves-

tigation relating to spring clothespins - - - -

Finding and conclusion of the Commission..

Considerations bearing on the finding and conclusion..........

Dissenting statement of Commissioners Brossard and Gregg --

Summary of the information obtained in the investigation:

Description, uses, and comparability of domestic and imported spring

clothespins:

Description, uses, and methods of packaging....

Substitute products----

Comparability of domestic and imported articles_

Process of manufacture___.

United States rates of duty:

Tariff history- - - -.

United States industry:

Ad valorem equivalents of the United States rates of duty____.

15

General features__

16

Capacity trends__

17

Employment and wage trends.

Earnings of domestic concerns on spring-clothespin operations___

Raw materials. - -

17

19

23

Marketing and distribution of domestic product:

Selling and shipping practices_

24

Production trends..

Market areas - - -

United States production:

Relation of shipments and stocks to production__

Proportions of spring clothespins sold packaged and in bulk_

United States imports:

24

25

26

27

United States requirements and comparison of production, shipments,

and imports:

Trend of United States consumption_...

*34

Relation of domestic production and imports to total supply--

Trends of United States production and imports..

34

Summary of the information obtained in the investigation-Continued

General

Comparison of selling prices of imported and domestic clothespins.

TABLES

1. Spring clothespins: Average ad valorem equivalents of United States

rates of duty, specified years 1924 to 1951, and January-May 1952.

2. Number of workers employed in spring-clothespin manufacture in the

United States in January and July 1947-51 and December 1951---

3. Man-hours worked by employees engaged in assembling spring clothes-

pins in the United States, by months, 1950 and January-August

1951.

4. Average wage rates in effect for typical jobs in the United States spring-

clothespin industry and average hourly earnings in all United States

manufacturing industries, 1946-51___.

5. Ratio of profit or loss on spring clothespins to investment in spring-

clothespin operations for 5 United States manufacturers for whom

data are available, fiscal years 1949-51----

6. Spring clothespins: Distribution of shipments of United States pins,

by market areas, 1948 and January-May 1949, and percent of

United States population occupying each area, 1948..

7. Spring clothespins: United States production, shipments, and stocks

on hand, specified years 1924 to 1951, and January-May 1952_____

8. Spring clothespins: Shipments of bulk and packaged spring clothes-

pins by United States producers, 1948-51 and January-May 1952-

9. Spring clothespins: United States imports for consumption, by prin-

cipal sources, 1935-40, 1943-51, and January-May 1952-

10. Spring clothespins: Stocks of imported clothespins held by certain

importers, at the end of December 1949, June and December 1950,

and June and September 1951-----

11. Spring clothespins: United States imports, by geographic areas and

principal customs districts, 1947-51

32

12. Spring clothespins: Summary of United States production, shipments,

imports, and apparent consumption, specified years 1924 to 1951,

and January-May 1952...

35

13. Spring clothespins: United States production, shipments, and imports,

by 6-month periods, 1947-51, and January-May 1952-

14. Spring clothespins: United States production and imports, by quar-

ters, 1947-51..

36

37

15. Spring clothespins: Quoted prices for delivery of domestic spring

clothespins in eastern and western areas of the United States, by

6-month periods, 1946-48, and by periods during which specified

prices were in effect, January 1949-March 1952...

39

16. Spring clothespins: Average prices delivered (including freight) and

f. o. b. mill (excluding freight) of bulk and packaged domestic

clothespins, 1948, by 6-month periods, 1949-51, and January-March

1952

40

17. Spring clothespins: Average entered value and c. i. f. and c. i. f.-plus-

duty values of small packaged, large bulk, and large packaged im-

ported spring clothespins, at United States ports of entry, by 6-month

periods, January 1950-June 1951, and July-September 1951 and

January-March 1952.

18. Spring clothespins: Average selling price f. o. b. ports of importation

of bulk and packaged, large and small imported spring clothespins,

by 6-month periods, January 1950-June 1951, and July-September

1951

19. Spring clothespins: Sales prices of imported spring clothespins f. o. b.

port of entry, and sales prices of domestic spring clothespins delivered

and f. o. b. mill, by 6-month periods, January 1950-June 1951, and

July-September 1951 and January-March 1952...

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