U.S. exports of Railway and Tramway Maintenance and Service Vehicles (SITC 79181) totaled $9.4M in August 2026.
Importers of Railway and Tramway Maintenance and Service Vehicles paid $71K in duties in August 2026, an average duty rate of 4.86% — duty actually collected as a share of the imports that cleared customs, not the published tariff schedule. Railway and Tramway Maintenance and Service Vehicles imports of $1.5M in August 2026 ran 55% below the year-to-date monthly average of $3.3M.
Last updated: August 2026 dataTrack geometry cars, ballast tampers, rail grinders, crane cars, and mobile workshops — whether self-propelled or locomotive-hauled — are grouped in this heading, reflecting their shared role in infrastructure maintenance rather than revenue service. The explicit inclusion of both self-propelled and non-self-propelled units is a key classification feature that distinguishes this heading from the passenger coach and freight wagon headings. These specialized assets are procured by rail infrastructure managers and contractors, and their high unit values make accurate classification and duty planning especially consequential.
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4 import shipments a month
Yes. The maintenance and service vehicle heading explicitly covers self-propelled units, and the decisive factor is the vehicle's function (infrastructure maintenance or service) rather than its propulsion. A self-propelled workshop, crane, or tamper is classified here regardless of propulsion, while a self-propelled passenger or freight vehicle falls under the appropriate revenue-service heading.
Standard import documentation applies: commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, and a detailed technical description identifying the vehicle as a maintenance or service unit. For high-value capital equipment, importers may also need a CBP ruling or broker opinion confirming the heading, particularly if the vehicle has dual-use characteristics that could place it in an adjacent classification.
Basic heading 79181 · $9.4M of $76.2B
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Exports · August 2026
destination
Canada and Australia together take 88% of it.
customs district
Census does not publish district detail for this classification system.
origin
Census does not publish state detail for this classification system.
entry
Census does not publish port detail for this classification system.
ImportsExports
Imports
$1.5MYoY · free account
Exports
$9.4MYoY · free account
12-mo low · imports
Low · free accountOver the twelve months to August 2026, the U.S. imported $30.6M of Railway and Tramway Maintenance and Service Vehicles.
Through August 2026 · exports 10 of 12 months reported. Source: U.S. Census Bureau.