United States imports.
Rates of duty.—Prior to September 6, 1916, phenol was imported free of duty. Since that date it has been dutiable at the various rates shown in table [61]. Under the act of 1930 the rate of duty is 3½ cents per pound and 20 percent ad valorem on the American selling price (the wholesale price of a similar competitive article manufactured in the United States).[21]
Table 61.—Phenol: Rates of duty upon imports into the United States, 1916-37
| Period | Rate of duty | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| To Sept. 8, 1916 | Free | Free under Tariff Act of 1913 and previous acts. |
| Sept. 9, 1916, to Sept. 21, 1922. | 2½ cents per pound plus 15 percent ad valorem on foreign value. | Under Revenue Act of 1916. |
| Sept. 22, 1922, to Sept. 21, 1924. | 7 cents per pound plus 55 percent ad valorem on American selling price1 or United States value.2 | Under par. 27 of Tariff Act of 1922; special provision for first 2 years. |
| Sept. 22, 1924, to Nov. 29, 1927. | 7 cents per pound plus 40 percent ad valorem on American selling price1 or United States value.2 | Under par. 27 of Tariff Act of 1922, rate provided for period after the first 2 years. |
| Nov. 30, 1927, to June 17, 1930. | 3½ cents per pound plus 20 percent ad valorem on American selling price1 or United States value.2 | By Presidential proclamation following a cost of production investigation under sec. 315 of Tariff Act of 1922. |
| June 18, 1930 | 3½ cents per pound plus 20 percent ad valorem on American selling price3 or United States value.4 | Under par. 27 (b) of Tariff Act of 1930. |
1 As defined in subdivision (f) of section 402, title IV, act of 1922.
2 As defined in subdivision (d) of section 402, title IV, act of 1922.
3 As defined in subsection (g) of section 402, title IV, act of 1930.
4 As defined in subsection (e) of section 402, title IV, act of 1930.
Import statistics.—Imports for consumption are shown in tables [62] and [63]. Table [62] shows imports of phenol or carbolic acid and table [63] imports of “all distillates of tars yielding below 190° C. an amount of tar acids equal to or more than 5 percent.” Imports under the latter classification prior to 1928 were probably chiefly phenol. Phenol imports consist entirely of the natural product.
Table 62.—Phenol: United States imports for consumption, 1910-37
| Year | Rate of duty | Quantity | Value | Unit value | Computed ad valorem rate | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pounds | Percent | |||||
| 19101 | Free | 4,507,693 | $275,600 | $0.061 | ||
| 19111 | do | 4,371,014 | 265,780 | .061 | ||
| 19121 | do | 5,686,704 | 521,457 | .092 | ||
| 19131 | do | 8,345,631 | 688,771 | .083 | ||
| 19141 | do | 8,393,216 | 531,535 | .063 | ||
| 19151 | do | 3,106,445 | 179,685 | .058 | ||
| 19161 | (2) | 2,246,256 | 154,841 | .069 | ||
| 19171 | 15 percent + 2½ cents per pound | 265,519 | 17,168 | .065 | 53.7 | |
| 1918 | do | 283,337 | 62,497 | .221 | 26.3 | |
| 1919 | do | 2,061 | 264 | .128 | 34.5 | |
| 1920 | do | 1,040 | 244 | .235 | 25.8 | |
| 1921 | do | 250 | 142 | .568 | 19.4 | |
| 1922 | (3) | { | 280,224 | 30,414 | .109 | 38.0 |
| { | 69,310 | 16,102 | .230 | 85.1 | ||
| 1923 | 55 percent + 7 cents per pound4 | 126,618 | 21,389 | .169 | 96.4 | |
| 1924 | (5) | 176,081 | 46,786 | .266 | 81.4 | |
| 1925 | 40 percent + 7 cents per pound4 | 256,126 | 58,958 | .230 | 70.4 | |
| 1926 | do | 218,437 | 47,351 | .217 | 72.3 | |
| 1927 | (6) | 500 | 100 | .200 | 75.0 | |
| 1928 | 20 percent + 3½ cents per pound4 | 1,653 | 298 | .180 | 39.4 | |
| 1929 | do | 433,385 | 44,226 | .102 | 54.3 | |
| 1930 | do | 500 | 115 | .230 | 39.4 | |
| 1931 | do | 2,365 | 639 | .270 | 33.0 | |
| 1932 | do | None | ||||
| 1933 | do | 3,440 | 641 | .186 | 38.8 | |
| 1934 | do | None | ||||
| 1935 | do | 2,605 | 211 | .081 | 63.0 | |
| 1936 | do | 71,429 | 8,302 | .116 | 50.1 | |
| 19377 | do | 32,238 | 3,767 | .117 | 50.0 | |
1 Fiscal year.
2 15 percent ad valorem and 2½ cents per pound effective Sept. 9, 1916.
3 55 percent ad valorem and 7 cents per pound, effective Sept. 22, 1922.
4 Ad valorem based on American selling price or United States value under acts of 1922 and 1930.
5 Ad valorem reduced to 40 percent effective Sept. 22, 1924.
6 Duty reduced to 20 percent ad valorem and 3½ cents per pound effective Nov. 30, 1927.
7 Preliminary.
Source: Foreign Commerce and Navigation of the United States.
Table 63.—All distillates of tar yielding below 190° C. an amount of tar acids equal to or more than 5 percent: United States imports for consumption, 1918-37
| Calendar year | Rate of duty | Quantity | Value | Unit value | Computed ad valorem rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pounds | Percent | ||||
| 1918 | 15 percent + 2½ cents per pound | 1,550 | $2,008 | $1.30 | 16.93 |
| 1919 | do | 3,170 | 4,587 | 1.45 | 16.73 |
| 1920 | do | 85,474 | 36,041 | .422 | 20.93 |
| 1921 | do | 16,240 | 11,811 | .727 | 18.43 |
| 1922 | (1) | 350,764 | 42,912 | .122 | 46.27 |
| 1923 | 55 percent + 7 cents per pound2 | 245,119 | 30,328 | .124 | 111.58 |
| 1924 | (3) | 662,938 | 49,380 | .074 | 134.43 |
| 1925 | 40 percent + 7 cents per pound2 | 252,382 | 15,441 | .061 | 154.41 |
| 1926 | do | 1,102 | 5,236 | 4.75 | 41.47 |
| 1927 | (4) | 2 | 16 | 8.00 | 40.88 |
| 1928-37 | None |
1 55 percent ad valorem and 7 cents per pound, effective Sept. 22, 1922.
2 Ad valorem based on American selling price or United States value under acts of 1922 and 1930.
3 Ad valorem reduced to 40 percent, effective Sept. 22, 1924.
4 Duty reduced to 20 percent ad valorem and 3½ cents per pound, effective Nov. 30, 1927.
Source: Foreign Commerce and Navigation of the United States.
United States exports.
Exports of phenol have not been separately shown in official statistics since 1924. In that year they went chiefly to Panama, Japan, Cuba, and Mexico. Table [64] shows exports from 1918 to 1924, inclusive, as furnished by the Department of Commerce.
Table 64.—Phenol: United States exports, 1918-24
| Year | Quantity | Value | Unit value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pounds | |||
| 1918 | 6,477,841 | $2,666,634 | $0.412 |
| 1919 | 1,243,841 | 363,744 | .292 |
| 1920 | 2,151,475 | 388,047 | .180 |
| 1921 | 249,658 | 35,994 | .144 |
| 1922 | 223,146 | 23,223 | .104 |
| 1923 | 232,830 | 34,389 | .148 |
| 1924 | 51,364 | 8,016 | .156 |
Source: Commerce and Navigation of the United States.
Appreciable quantities of phenol have been exported in recent years to Japan and China, and to Great Britain and other European countries. Export statistics, collected by the U. S. Tariff Commission from the several domestic producers, show the following quantities exported in recent years.
Table 65.—Phenol: United States exports, 1934-36
| Year | Quantity | Value | Unit value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pounds | |||
| 1934 | 2,622,900 | $329,269 | $0.126 |
| 1935 | 2,921,835 | 322,933 | .111 |
| 1936 | 1,258,244 | 148,501 | .118 |
Source: Data obtained by the U. S. Tariff Commission through questionnaires.
In 1934, the principal destinations in order of importance were China, Italy, and Canada; in 1935 Germany, China, Japan, and Belgium; and in 1936 China, Belgium, and the Netherlands.