Men's Leather Loafers from Japan
Classic men's loafers feature a leather upper and rubber outer sole, designed for casual everyday wear. The leather constitutes the greatest external surface area of the upper, qualifying under HTS 6403.99.90 as other footwear for men valued over $2.50/pair. Not designed for sports, these are general purpose dress shoes.
Duty Rate — Japan → United States
52.5%
Rate breakdown
9903.41.1040%Footwear with outer soles of leather and uppers wholly or in part of leather, and footwear with outer soles of rubber or plastics and uppers having an exterior surface area predominantly of leather, the foregoing provided for in chapter 64, except (a) slip-on footwear of a type not suitable for outdoor use, without backs or backstraps, having outer soles with a thickness of less than 5 mm and with less than 20 mm difference between the thickness of the bottom at the ball of the foot and at the heel, and (b) footwear which is designed for a sporting activity and has, or has provision for, attached spikes, sprigs, stops, clips, bars or the like, and skating boots, ski-boots and cross-country ski footwear, wrestling boots, boxing boots and cycling shoes
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
• Verify leather upper exceeds 50% external surface area per Chapter Note 4(a); provide lab tests if disputed
• Declare exact value per pair accurately to confirm over $2.50 threshold; undervaluation leads to penalties
• Ensure no sports features like cleats to avoid reclassification under sports footwear subheadings