8429.40.00 - Tamping machines and road rollers

This HTS category, 8429.40.00, specifically covers tamping machines and road rollers. Tamping machines are designed to compact loose materials, such as earth, gravel, or asphalt, through repeated impact or vibration. Road rollers, a type of tamping machine, are self-propelled or towed vehicles equipped with heavy cylindrical drums used for compacting surfaces during road construction and repair. Both types of machinery are essential for creating stable and durable ground surfaces.

Distinguishing this category from its siblings, bulldozers and angledozers (8429.10) are primarily used for pushing large quantities of material. Graders and levelers (8429.20) focus on creating a flat or uniformly sloped surface. Scrapers (8429.30) are designed to excavate and transport soil or other materials over short distances. Mechanical shovels, excavators, and shovel loaders (8429.40) involve the use of a bucket or similar implement for digging and loading. Tamping machines and road rollers, therefore, are differentiated by their core function of compaction rather than pushing, grading, scraping, or excavating.

The subcategories within 8429.40.00 differentiate based on the condition of the machinery. The primary classification covers new tamping machines and road rollers. A further subdivision, 8429.40.00.60, exists for those that are used or have been rebuilt. This distinction is crucial for determining applicable duties and trade regulations.