Railway and Tramway Rails of Iron or Steel

Rails weighing more than 30 kg per meter are generally standard heavy mainline freight or high-speed passenger rails, while those at or below 30 kg/m are lighter industrial, mining, or tramway profiles. The US schedule uses this threshold to separate multiple lines within the non-alloy new rail category, so importers must obtain the rail's linear weight (kg/m) from the mill certificate or product specification to select the correct 10-digit line.

Used rails entered for re-rolling (e.g., 7302101065) retain their classification as rails rather than being reclassified as iron or steel scrap under Chapter 72, provided they are identifiable as rails and are intended for re-rolling into new products rather than melting. Documentation supporting this classification typically includes a commercial invoice describing the goods as used rails for re-rolling, evidence of the buyer's re-rolling capability, and physical inspection confirming the rail profile is intact. CBP may scrutinize this distinction closely given the duty and quota implications.