President Donald Trump approved a four-year program on July 31 that will impose tariffs of up to 50% on the majority of quartz-surface imports.
The White House provided the image.
On August 15, a tariff rate/quota system that establishes a quarterly target amount of square feet for imports will take effect.
The annual target level for 2026–2027 is roughly 140 million feet, divided every ninety days starting on August 15 and ending at a level of 35 million feet. A 25% duty is applied to goods that arrive in the US before the objective, followed by a 50% charge over the target.
Before the program’s August 2030 finish, the tariff percentages will decline and the goal level will rise annually.
Some countries will be exempt from the new tariffs because they have free-trade agreements (FTAs) with the U.S., including Canada, South Korea, and Mexico. More than 100 developing countries will also be exempt.
The new quartz tariffs will be added on top of other tariffs already in place. These include the recent 10%–12.5% tariffs related to forced-labor enforcement, as well as other tariffs imposed over the past eight years on quartz products from countries such as China, India, and Turkey.
The new tariffs will cover all quartz-surface products, including slabs, pre-cut pieces, and quartz products already assembled into furniture.
To avoid the new tariffs, qualifying imports must enter U.S. ports before 12:01 a.m. on August 15.
The new tariff policy comes from a petition filed by the Quartz Manufacturing Alliance of America (QMAA) last September. The group asked the U.S. government to take action because quartz imports increased significantly between 2020 and 2024.
QMAA originally asked for a 50% tariff on all quartz products, regardless of the country of origin. It also proposed a limit on total annual imports.
However, importers, overseas manufacturers, and some foreign countries argued for a different system. They proposed allowing a certain amount of imports with lower or no additional tariffs, and applying higher tariffs only when imports exceeded that level.
In the end, both the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) and a panel appointed by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) recommended a tariff-rate quota system instead of a strict import limit.
The new system will work roughly like this:
- 2027–2028: about 159 million ft² per year, with tariff rates of 23% / 49%
- 2028–2029: about 164 million ft² per year, with tariff rates of 21% / 48%
- Final year: about 169 million ft² per year, with tariff rates of 19% / 47%
In simple terms, there will be a lower tariff rate for imports within the allowed level, and a higher tariff rate for imports above that level.
The annual import target will also be divided into four quarters. If imports are below the target in one quarter, the unused amount can be carried over to the next quarter.
Countries that are exempt from the new tariffs will also have limits on how quickly their exports to the U.S. can grow. If imports from an exempt country increase too much, the U.S. could remove its exemption.
The USTR can also negotiate separate agreements with other countries to give them tariff exemptions. These agreements could require those countries to increase U.S. quartz exports or even start producing quartz slabs in the U.S.
The new tariff mainly covers slabs and other surfaces made from a mixture of silica materials, such as quartz, quartz powder, cristobalite, or glass powder, together with a resin binder.
The rule also says that silica must be the largest single material in the product by weight.
Looking at the top 10 quartz-importing countries in May, only Canada was exempt because of its FTA with the U.S., while the Philippines was exempt as a developing country.
The other eight countries — India, Vietnam, Thailand, Spain, Malaysia, Turkey, Indonesia, and Czechia — will be subject to the new tariffs.
In May, imports from all exempt countries totaled about 507,517 ft², which was only 2.9% of the total 17.3 million ft² of quartz-surface imports.
In short
The biggest impact will be on major quartz suppliers such as Vietnam, India, Thailand, Malaysia, Turkey, Indonesia, Spain, and Czechia.
The U.S. is not putting a simple flat tariff on all imports. Instead, it is using a quota + different tariff rates system. The amount of quartz that can enter under the lower tariff will increase gradually each year, while imports above that level will face a much higher tariff.