In 1931 practically all imports of refined cresylic acid were from the United Kingdom and consigned to one importer in New York. In 1932 about 73 percent of the total dutiable imports were consigned to the same firm. From these data and from a conference with representatives of the importer it would appear that the imports were not cresylic acid in its original meaning (a mixture of cresols in their natural proportions), nor in the broadened commercial meaning (including with the cresols, xylenols and higher boiling tar acids), but were chiefly a product consisting largely of a single cresol separated from its two isomers. Treasury Decision 46146, effective March 11, 1933, closed the classification of refined cresylic acid to products of this type and imports thereafter under this head have been much smaller. After 1927 substantial amounts of the imports were reexported with benefit of drawback. The imports of crude cresylic acid are also not of the type which the domestic producer would sell by that name. Far from being a straight run mixture of the cresol and higher boiling tar acids, they are usually a mixture of fractions which have been separated, and then chosen and combined so that they will meet both the tariff requirement (i. e., less than 75 percent of the total product will distill over at 215° C.) and the specifications of the purchasers. Customer’s specifications are so drawn that the product will fill his special needs or can easily be broken down by fractional distillation in this country into elements, one or more of which will be so usable. Thus although imported crude cresylic acid must keep within the limitations set by the tariff it approaches as nearly as possible the type of cresylic acid which, if produced in this country, would be termed refined, since it was produced to meet the specifications of the consumer. United States exports. Exports of the cresols and of cresylic acid are not shown in official statistics and exports of these products as such are probably negligible, but there are appreciable exports of antiseptics, insecticides, and disinfectants in which they are incorporated, as well as of products or parts of products molded of resins made from cresylic acid. Competitive conditions.