Harmonized System
Fresh, salted, dried, limed, or otherwise preserved sheep and lamb skins from which the wool has been removed — but which have not been pickled or tanned — are classified here, covering the broadest range of non-pickled preservation states for wool-off ovine raw material. Two 10-digit lines (4102291090 and 4102293000) separate non-vegetable-pretanned from vegetable-pretanned material. Germany, Italy, Turkey, and Japan are the leading US suppliers, a supplier mix that reflects both European tannery re-export flows and Asian leather processing hubs. Importers should confirm the exact preservation method with the exporter, as the boundary between 'limed' and 'pickled' can be commercially ambiguous but is classification-determinative.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
Liming and salting are distinct from pickling. Pickling specifically involves an acid-salt bath (typically sulfuric acid and sodium chloride), while liming uses an alkaline calcium hydroxide solution for dehairing. A skin that has been limed and then salted for preservation — without an acid pickling step — belongs in 4102.29, not 4102.21. Suppliers should provide a processing declaration to avoid misclassification.
Both countries operate as processing and re-export intermediaries: German and Japanese leather traders and tanneries import raw skins from sheep-producing regions, apply initial preservation or pretanning treatments, and re-export the semi-processed material. The country of origin for US customs purposes is the country where the last substantial transformation occurred, which may be Germany or Japan rather than the country of original slaughter.
Subheading 3 of 3 in heading 4102
Trade Directory
List your company under HS 410229 — Sheep & Lamb Skins, Wool Removed, Otherwise Preserved (Not Pickled, Not Tanned), so the companies trading it can find you. Be the first supplier listed.
ImportsExports
Imports
—YoY · free account
Exports
—YoY · free account
Low of 3 reported months · imports
Low · free accountFewer than 6 of the last 12 months reported trade, or the latest month was under $500K; the trend chart is not shown for thin series.
Through August 2026 · imports 3 of 12 months reported, exports 1 of 12 months reported. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.
Imports · August 2026
origin
customs district
destination
entry
rate provision · imports
None recorded for this period.
HS10 import codes under this HS6 parent, each with its own page. Source: U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule.
| Code | Description | Imports for consumption | Average duty rate | Dutiable Share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4102291010 | Hair Sheep/Cabretta Skin No Wool NESOI Othrws Pres | — | -- | -- |
| 4102291090 | Sheep/Lamb Skins No Wool NESOI, Otherwise Preservd | — | -- | -- |