Used Rail Scrap (R50 / R65)

Typical applications

• Re-rolling mills (full-length rails)
• Steel mills (cut rails as heavy melting scrap)

Technical specification (indicative)

HS note: Rails that remain usable as rails may be classified under 7302.10 (railway rails) instead of scrap — confirm with the customs broker.

The 6-digit HS subheading is internationally harmonised; confirm the full national tariff line with your customs broker.

Grade definition — Railroad ferrous (27) / (28A–C) / (29)

Rail, Steel No. 1 (27): standard tee rails, original weight 50 lb/yd or heavier, 10 ft and longer, suitable for re-rolling, free of bent, twisted, frog, switch and guard rails. Cropped rail ends (28A–C): 18 in, 2 ft or 3 ft and under. Rail, Steel No. 3 (29): tee, girder and/or guard rails free of manganese, welds and attachments.

Source: ReMA/ISRI Scrap Specifications Circular 2024 — Guidelines for Ferrous Scrap (Association of American Railroads grades). Summarised in our own words; the published standard prevails.

Packaging and container loading

Estimated loading quantities — subject to the material's packing density, the actual container payload and applicable transport weight limits.

Inspection and quality verification

Grade, weight and contamination are checked before loading by visual inspection. Where the contract specifies it, an independent pre-shipment inspection (for example by SGS, Bureau Veritas or Intertek) and laboratory analysis — electrolytic assay for copper, XRF/OES analysis for alloys — can be agreed. Loading photographs and weighbridge tickets are normally part of the shipping documents. The inspection agency, sampling method and acceptance criteria are fixed in the contract.

Import compliance

Imports of metal scrap are regulated in many countries (import licences, pre-shipment inspection certificates, radiation checks). Buyers are responsible for confirming that the grade may be imported at the destination before contracting.