2026 U.S. Quartz Tariff: What It Means for Sintered Stone Buyers

What changed under the 2026 U.S. quartz tariff?

The July 31, 2026 proclamation introduced a four-year safeguard on certain imported quartz surface products, often shortened to QSP. It took effect on August 15, 2026. The relevant date is entry for consumption, or withdrawal from warehouse for consumption, rather than when the buyer places an order.

The measure uses a tariff-rate quota: covered imports pay a lower additional rate within the available quantity and a higher rate above it. Even the lower rate is an additional duty.

How much is the additional duty?

These are the rates set out in Annex, Note 41(e) for products and origins subject to the measure. They do not represent the total tax bill: applicable antidumping, countervailing and other duties continue separately.

What does the quota mean for an import budget?

The quota is shared across applicable imports, rather than reserved separately for each buyer. The first quarter, August 15–November 14, 2026, has a quota quantity of 3,251,606 square metres. Unused quantities can carry forward under the Annex’s rules. A supplier’s quotation cannot establish whether quota will still be available when your goods enter.

For a simple year-one example, assume covered quartz goods have a customs value of $10,000. At 25%, this safeguard adds $2,500; at 50%, it adds $5,000. Freight, other duties and other charges are excluded from this calculation. It shows why a buyer needs the applicable quota tier before treating a duty estimate as final.

Your broker can check the CBP quota instructions for entry procedures and the current quota position. The quantities and carry-forward rules are in Note 41(d).

Why does the resin binder matter for sintered stone?

The official definition has two material conditions: silica must weigh more than any other individual material, and the mixture must include a resin binder. Silica alone is therefore insufficient to establish that a slab meets this definition.

Funtek sintered stone is made by pressing and firing mineral materials at high temperatures. Its slab body contains no resin binder. Comparing that composition with the written scope is the basis for saying the body does not meet the definition. The Annex does not list “sintered stone” as a named exemption.

You can read more about sintered stone composition and see Funtek’s production process. For a purchase, the useful evidence is the composition report corresponding to the model you select.

Appearance and application do not settle the question. The scope includes qualifying slabs, countertops, vanity tops, tiles and other surfaces. Cutting or polishing qualifying quartz, including finishing in a third country, does not by itself take it outside the scope. Quarried granite, marble, soapstone and quartzite are expressly excluded.

How do origin and other duties affect your shipment?

Product composition and country exclusions answer different questions. First establish whether the goods meet the product definition; then check whether their origin is excluded. Canada and Mexico, several free-trade-agreement partners and listed developing countries are excluded under Note 41(c). China is not on that list. That does not automatically bring a resin-free slab into the product definition.

For an actual order, ask your U.S. customs broker to confirm classification, origin and the applicable charges using the product documents. Our HS code guide explains the classification question. The antidumping duties guide covers those separate trade remedies.

Get the composition report for your selected product

Funtek can provide the corresponding product composition report. Send us the slab model or product link so we can identify the report you need.

For a quotation as well, include size, thickness, quantity and destination. Contact Funtek with these details.

Read the official White House Annex

The five-page document below contains the full product definition, origin exclusions, quota quantities and duty schedule. You can also open it separately to review it with your broker.