HS code 6404 covers sports footwear and shoes with rubber or plastic soles. These attract BCD 20% and IGST 18%, giving a total effective duty of approximately 41%. Upper material determines the exact sub-heading.
Quick answer: HS code 6404 covers sports footwear with rubber or plastic soles including sneakers, tennis shoes, and basketball shoes. BCD: 20%. IGST: 18%. Social Welfare Surcharge: 10% of BCD. Total effective duty: approximately 41% on CIF value. No mandatory pre-import licence. Quality Control Order under BIS may apply.
HS code 6404 covers footwear with rubber or plastic soles and textile uppers. 64041190 covers sports shoes with rubber soles. 64041910 covers tennis and basketball shoes. The upper material (leather vs synthetic vs textile) determines the primary HS chapter, not the sole material.
Leather footwear uses HS 6403. Textile-upper casual shoes use HS 6404. Plastic/rubber sandals use HS 6402. Slippers use HS 6402. The upper material (not sole) determines the primary classification. Misclassifying leather as synthetic can trigger examination and valuation disputes.
Related resources: find HS codes for other products, calculate footwear import duty.
Total effective duty on CIF value = BCD + SWS (10% of BCD) + IGST on (CIF + BCD + SWS). For HS code 6404, BCD is 20% and IGST is 18%.
| Duty Component | Rate | On ₹200,000 CIF (200 pairs) |
|---|---|---|
| Basic Customs Duty (BCD) | 20% | ₹40,000 |
| Social Welfare Surcharge (SWS) | 10% of BCD | ₹4,000 |
| IGST | 18% | ₹43,920 |
| Total Customs Duty | ~44.0% of CIF | ₹87,920 |
Note: Anti-dumping duty has been levied on certain Chinese-origin footwear categories in the past. Check current DGTR notifications for active ADD orders on your specific HS subheading before booking.
Footwear does not qualify for EPCG. Some ASEAN-origin footwear may qualify for reduced BCD under the ASEAN-India FTA if rules of origin are met. Verify with your CHA before ordering from Vietnam or Indonesia.
Use our import duty calculator to compute exact landed cost for your shipment.
No mandatory pre-import licence for most footwear. Quality Control Order (QCO) for footwear under BIS may apply — check latest notification.
No mandatory import licence is required for most footwear. However, India's Quality Control Order (QCO) for footwear under BIS may apply — check the latest BIS notification for your product category.
Footwear must display: brand name, size (EU/UK/US or Indian standard), material composition (upper, lining, sole), country of origin, and importer name/address. For retail sale, MRP label in Indian rupees is required. Non-compliant labelling causes customs delays.
Sample imports (up to ₹10,000 CIF per consignment) may qualify for duty concessions if the goods are mutilated to prevent resale.
Need help with compliance? check your compliance requirements or read our customs clearance guide.
Typical lead time: 25–35 days via LCL sea freight from China.
Our customs clearance guide explains each step in detail. For Bengaluru-bound cargo, we clear at BLR airport (6–12 hours for green channel air freight) or ICD Whitefield (2–4 days for sea freight).
Sports footwear with rubber or plastic soles (HS 6404) attracts BCD 20%, SWS 2%, and IGST 18% — total effective duty approximately 41% on CIF value. Leather footwear (HS 6403) attracts the same BCD of 20%. Duty-free footwear for specific uses may qualify under project import notifications.
Sneakers with rubber/PVC soles and textile uppers: HS 64041190. Leather uppers: HS 64031190. The upper material (not sole) determines the primary HS chapter. Misclassifying leather vs synthetic can trigger examination and valuation disputes.
Anti-dumping duty has been levied on certain Chinese-origin footwear categories in the past. Check current DGTR notifications for active ADD orders on your specific HS subheading before booking. Sea Air's compliance team verifies ADD status for each order.
Footwear must display: brand name, size (EU/UK/US or Indian standard), material composition (upper, lining, sole), country of origin, and importer name/address. For retail sale, MRP label in Indian rupees is required. Non-compliant labelling causes customs delays.
Sample imports (up to ₹10,000 CIF per consignment) may qualify for duty concessions if the goods are mutilated to prevent resale. Commercial samples above this threshold attract full duty. Declare clearly as 'trade samples' on the invoice.
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