Budget Hemp Textile Training Shoes from Japan
Entry-level gym training shoes with uppers of hemp (vegetable fiber) textile and soles featuring textile-dominant ground contact (non-US note 5 excluded). Rubber/plastic components bonded solely by adhesive, no foxing or overlaps beyond toe/heel, priced at $4.50/pair. Fits 6404.11.61.90 for sports-style construction, materials, and value.
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
• Label fiber content accurately as vegetable (hemp) per chapter notes; test for external surface area dominance
• Confirm no mid-sole stitching—adhesive-only is key; pitfalls include incomplete construction photos in entry docs
• Batch value consistency critical; importers often hit issues with mixed-value shipments exceeding $6.50 threshold