Gorgonzola Piccante Grated Cheese from Japan
Grated Gorgonzola Piccante is a sharp, crumbly blue-veined Italian cheese made from cow's milk, grated into fine powder form for culinary use. It falls under HTS 0406.20.28.00 as grated blue-veined cheese that is not Stilton from the UK and not specifically covered by other blue-mold quotas. The blue veins from Penicillium roqueforti mold distinguish it as blue-veined.
Duty Rate — Japan → United States
12.5%
Rate breakdown
9903.05.4912.5%Section 301 (forced labor) — Japan (col1 rate < 12.5 percent): MFN < 12.5% → total duty capped at 12.5%
Import Tips
• Obtain USDA import license as this falls under blue-mold cheese quota (limited to ~2.8M kg from EU); no Mexico origin allowed
• Provide lab certification confirming Penicillium mold presence and fat content to verify blue-veined classification
• Avoid misclassification as non-quota Stilton (UK-only exemption); declare exact processing (grated/powdered)