Analysis
HTS 7302.40.00 covers fish-plates and sole plates under heading 7302 (railway or tramway track construction material of iron or steel, the following: rails…).
There is no general-rate duty on this line, which puts it with roughly 77% of the 250 tariff lines in chapter 73 that are also free. Duty-free at the general rate does not rule out additional duties under Chapter 99, such as Section 301 or Section 232 measures, which depend on the country of origin.
Census statistics map these goods to NAICS 332999 (All Other Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing), an industry of 3,501 US establishments employing 66,282 people, the industry a domestic producer of these goods reports under.
All 5 neighbouring lines carry the same duty-free rate, so a borderline choice between them changes the statistics reported, not the duty paid.
Goods from countries without normal trade relations pay the column 2 rate of 2% instead of nothing, so origin decides between free entry and a 2% duty.
Every edition we compared, from Jan 2023 to Oct 2026 (Rev. 22), shows the same general rate of Free.
Neighbouring lines
| Line | Description | General rate |
|---|---|---|
| 7302.10.10 | Of iron or nonalloy steel | Free |
| 7302.10.50 | Rails: of alloy steel | Free |
| 7302.30.00 | Switch blades, crossing frogs, point rods and other crossing pieces | Free |
| 7302.90.10 | Sleepers (cross-ties) | Free |
| 7302.90.90 | Other: other | Free |