Hemp Gym Shoes from Japan
Budget training shoes with uppers of woven hemp fabric (vegetable fiber) and outer soles featuring textile fabric as the main ground-contact material, qualifying under U.S. note 5 exclusion. Fits HTS 6404.11.51 for low-value (<$3/pair) sports-like footwear with specified materials. Lacks provisions for spikes, distinguishing from true sports footwear.
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
• Provide supplier certifications for hemp as vegetable fiber; EU REACH may apply for dyes
• Measure sole ground contact precisely; textile must exceed other materials but be non-durable per note
• Bundle in sets for retail? Classify as individual if sold separately to avoid set rules