Analysis
Subheading 6402.91 covers covering the ankle, within heading 6402. The first six digits are shared by every country that uses the Harmonized System, so this part of the code is the same in the US, UK and EU schedules; the 13 US tariff lines below it are national.
The spread of 42 percentage points between the cheapest and dearest lines makes misclassification expensive here. The highest rate, 48%, applies to 6402.91.60 (valued not over $3/pair).
None of its 13 lines is duty-free at the general rate. Rates run from 6% to 48% with a median of 20%, so the line you choose sets the duty.
4 of the lines carry specific or compound rates (per kilogram, per dozen and so on) rather than a percentage, so their burden depends on the unit value of the goods.
Its 13 lines start with 6402.91.05 (having uppers of which over 90 percent of the…), 6402.91.10 (footwear designed to be worn over, or in lieu of…), 6402.91.16 (valued not over $3/pair) and 6402.91.20 (valued over $3 but not over $6.50/pair); the full list is in the table below.
Tariff lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 6402.91.05 | Having uppers of which over 90 percent of the external surface area (including any accessories or reinforcements such as those mentioned in note 4(a) to this chapter) is rubber or plastics (except footwear having foxing or a foxing-like band applied or molded at the sole and overlapping the upper and except footwear designed to be worn over, or in lieu of, other footwear as a protection against water, oil, grease or chemicals or cold or inclement weather) | 6% |
| 6402.91.10 | Footwear designed to be worn over, or in lieu of, other footwear as a protection against water, oil, grease or chemicals or cold or inclement weather | 37.5% |
| 6402.91.16 | Valued not over $3/pair | 24% |
| 6402.91.20 | Valued over $3 but not over $6.50/pair | 90¢/pr. + 37.5% |
| 6402.91.26 | Valued over $6.50 but not over $12/pair | 90¢/pr. + 20% |
| 6402.91.30 | Valued over $12/pair | 20% |
| 6402.91.40 | Having uppers of which over 90 percent of the external surface area (including any accessories or reinforcements such as those mentioned in note 4(a) to this chapter) is rubber or plastics except (1) footwear having a foxing or a foxing-like band applied or molded at the sole and overlapping the upper and (2) except footwear (other than footwear having uppers which from a point 3 cm above the top of the outer sole are entirely of non- molded construction formed by sewing the parts together and having exposed on the outer surface a substantial portion of functional stitching) designed to be worn over, or in lieu of, other footwear as a protection against water, oil, grease or chemicals or cold or inclement weather | 6% |
| 6402.91.42 | Protective active footwear (except footwear with waterproof molded bottoms, including bottoms comprising an outer sole and all or part of the upper and except footwear with insulation that provides protection against cold weather) whose height from the bottom of the outer sole to the top of the upper does not exceed 15.34 cm | 20% |
| 6402.91.50 | Footwear designed to be worn over, or in lieu of, other footwear as a protection against water, oil, grease or chemicals or cold or inclement weather | 37.5% |
| 6402.91.60 | Valued not over $3/pair | 48% |
| 6402.91.70 | Valued over $3 but not over $6.50/pair | 90¢/pr. + 37.5% |
| 6402.91.80 | Valued over $6.50 but not over $12/pair | 90¢/pr. + 20% |
| 6402.91.90 | Valued over $12/pair | 20% |