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SITCSection 5
U.S. imports of propellent powders (SITC 59311) totaled $37.9M in July 2026, traded with 14 countries.
Importers of Propellent Powders paid $670K in duties in July 2026 — an effective duty rate of 9.7% on $6.9M in dutiable value, based on actual customs collections rather than the published tariff schedule. Propellent Powders imports of $37.9M in July 2026 ran 113% above the year-to-date monthly average of $17.8M.
Last updated: July 2026 dataClassified as energetic materials, propellent powders — including single-base (nitrocellulose), double-base (nitrocellulose/nitroglycerin), and triple-base formulations — are subject to strict import licensing and end-use controls administered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and, for certain military-specification grades, the State Department's Directorate of Defense Trade Controls under ITAR. Commercial importers must hold the appropriate federal explosives license or permit, and shipments require DOT hazardous-materials classification and packaging compliance throughout the supply chain. The distinction between propellent powders and other prepared explosives is commercially significant because it determines which regulatory pathway governs the import.
AI-written summary of the official U.S. Census Bureau trade figures on this page — verify before relying on it.
54 shipments/mo
Basic heading 104 of 465 in section 5
Basic heading 59311 · $37.9M of $28.9B
Importers of propellent powders must hold a valid federal explosives license or permit issued by ATF under the Safe Explosives Act. Certain military-grade or dual-use propellants may additionally require an import license from the State Department under ITAR or from the Commerce Department under the EAR, depending on the specific formulation and end-use.
Propellent powders are energetic compositions designed to generate propulsive gas at a controlled burn rate — used in firearms ammunition, rocket motors, and airbag inflators — rather than to detonate. The defining characteristic is deflagration (rapid burning) rather than detonation. Compositions designed to detonate classify under the prepared explosives heading rather than here.
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Imports · July 2026
origin
Canada and Australia together supply 88% of it.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
destination
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$37.9MYoY · Pro
Exports
$28.7MYoY · Pro
12-mo low · imports
YoY · ProThrough July 2026. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.