U.S. importers sometimes assume that a product sold as “sintered stone” is automatically outside the antidumping and countervailing duty orders covering certain quartz surface products from China. That assumption is too broad. The product name, marketing category and tariff code do not decide the issue by themselves.
Are sintered stone slabs subject to U.S. antidumping duties?
Not automatically. The United States does not have a blanket rule that every sintered stone slab is subject to the quartz surface product orders—or that every slab bearing the name “sintered stone” is excluded.
For China-origin merchandise, the relevant orders are A-570-084 for antidumping duty and C-570-085 for countervailing duty. Their written scope describes quartz surface products made from a mixture that includes predominantly silica together with a resin binder. It also states that silica must be greater by actual weight than any other single material.
Funtek confirms that the slab body of the full-body/full-color sintered stone products discussed here contains no resin binder. They are produced as fired mineral slabs rather than resin-bound quartz composites. That is an important technical distinction, but it is not a Funtek-specific ruling from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
What do orders A-570-084 and C-570-085 cover?
The original 2019 U.S. Department of Commerce orders cover certain quartz surface products from China. Their scope is broader than one countertop size or one commercial name. Covered forms can include slabs, countertops, backsplashes, vanity tops, tabletops, flooring, wall facing and other surfaces, whether finished or unfinished.
Three parts of the official written scope are especially relevant to a sintered stone review:
- The product is made from a mixture that includes predominantly silica, such as quartz, quartz powder or cristobalite.
- The mixture also contains a resin binder, such as unsaturated polyester.
- Silica is greater by actual weight than any other single material.
Pigments, cement and other additives do not automatically remove otherwise covered merchandise from the scope. The orders specifically exclude quarried natural stone and define a narrow crushed-glass exclusion, but they do not contain a general exclusion for everything marketed as sintered stone or porcelain slab.
The orders remained in place after the U.S. five-year sunset review; Commerce continued them in January 2025 after the USITC determinations. Importers therefore need a current product-specific review rather than treating the 2019 cases as historical only. See the USITC sunset-review notice.
Why does the absence of a resin binder matter?
It matters because resin binder is an express element of the written scope description. Conventional engineered quartz commonly binds silica-rich particles with an organic polymer resin. A fired mineral slab follows a different route: mineral raw materials are compacted and fired at high temperature to form a dense body.
For the Funtek products addressed in this article, the confirmed statement is narrow and specific:
- the finished slab body contains no polyester resin binder;
- the finished slab body contains no epoxy resin binder;
- the finished slab body contains no acrylic resin binder; and
- no other organic polymer is used as the binder throughout the slab body.
This statement should not be expanded beyond the exact product family covered by the supplier declaration. It should also distinguish the slab body from anything added after firing. A separate adhesive used for mesh backing, a temporary processing aid, packaging material or a post-production surface treatment is not the same thing as a resin binder dispersed throughout the body. Any such material should still be disclosed accurately when it exists.
If your review also needs to distinguish total silica chemistry from crystalline silica phases and cutting-dust exposure, use the separate guide to silica in sintered stone. For the broader material comparison, see sintered stone versus quartz countertops.
Does “resin-free” prove the slab is outside the orders?
It is strong technical evidence, but importers should avoid turning a material claim into an automatic legal conclusion.
Commerce determines the scope of U.S. AD/CVD orders. CBP administers entries based on Commerce’s scope and instructions. The decisive review is based on the exact merchandise and the written order, not only a label on a brochure.
A useful importer conclusion is therefore:
- “No resin binder in the slab body” is directly relevant to an element of the written quartz surface product scope.
- The statement should be supported by product-specific manufacturer records.
- The exact factory, exporter, SKU, imported condition and composition should match the shipment documents.
- If uncertainty remains, a formal Commerce scope ruling is the more authoritative route for an AD/CVD scope question.
HTS classification and AD/CVD scope are different questions
An HTS code answers how merchandise is classified in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States. An AD/CVD scope analysis asks whether the merchandise fits the written description of a trade-remedy order. These decisions come from different legal frameworks.
That means a ceramic classification does not automatically settle the AD/CVD question. Likewise, an HTS number listed in an AD/CVD order does not replace the written scope. The 2019 quartz surface product orders state that their HTSUS numbers are provided for convenience and customs purposes, while the written description of the scope is dispositive.
| Question | HTS classification | AD/CVD scope |
|---|---|---|
| What does it decide? | The tariff classification of the imported merchandise | Whether the merchandise is covered by a trade-remedy order |
| Primary U.S. authority | U.S. Customs and Border Protection | U.S. Department of Commerce |
| Core evidence | Construction, form, dimensions, processing, use and tariff language | Exact merchandise, composition, manufacturing facts and written order |
| Formal prospective route | CBP binding classification ruling | Commerce scope ruling |
Funtek’s separate guide to the sintered stone HS code explains why large fired slabs may require a fact-specific comparison of headings such as 6907 and 6914. Complete that classification analysis, but do not use it as the only evidence for an AD/CVD conclusion.
What evidence should an importer request?
A broker cannot test a product’s material construction from its marketing name. Build a product-specific file that allows the same merchandise to be traced from factory declaration to commercial invoice and entry.
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Exact product identity
Record the commercial name, internal product code, dimensions, thickness, finish, body type and imported condition. Clarify whether the shipment contains raw slabs, cut-to-size panels, countertops, tabletops or slabs attached to other goods.
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Complete manufacturer and exporter identity
Obtain the manufacturer’s Chinese legal name, English legal name used on commercial documents, complete factory address and identifying registration details. Record the exporter separately when it is not the factory.
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Finished-product composition
Ask for a signed statement that accounts for the finished slab by weight and distinguishes silica-bearing minerals, clay or kaolin, feldspar, pigments, glass, cement, inorganic fillers, organic binders, backing, mesh adhesive and surface treatment.
The statement should say whether percentages describe the raw batch or the finished fired slab. It should also explain whether “silica” means total silicon dioxide chemistry or crystalline silica phases.
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Resin and binder declaration
A useful declaration should answer more than “resin-free.” It should identify polyester, epoxy, acrylic and any other organic polymer separately, state the percentage by weight, and explain where and why each material is used.
For the Funtek full-body/full-color slab body covered here, the declared organic resin-binder content is zero. Shipment documents should identify the exact product family to which that declaration applies.
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Technical and production records
Include the current SDS, TDS, relevant ceramic test report, manufacturing-process statement, firing information, product photographs and representative sample where appropriate. These documents should come from, or be traceable to, the actual manufacturer.
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Prior U.S. entry and ruling records
Where available and lawful to share, provide redacted entry summaries, prior classifications, laboratory notices, detention or reclassification records, and written broker advice. A prior entry can be useful evidence, but it does not replace a binding ruling and should not be presented as a guarantee for a different shipment.
A live solid-color slab example
Pure Black is a current Funtek solid-color sintered stone slab offered in multiple formats and thicknesses. Its vertical product image is shown in full so buyers can inspect the complete slab presentation rather than a cropped texture.
The product card is commercial context, not customs evidence. An importer should still request the exact SKU-level composition, manufacturer declaration and shipping documents for the goods being entered.
Live solid-color product example
Pure Black Sintered Stone Slab
A matte, solid-black surface for islands, counters, feature walls and framing details. Current live variants include multiple slab formats and 6, 9, 12 and 15 mm thickness options.
Confirm the selected SKU, body construction, finish, factory declaration and shipment documents before customs review.
View ProductCBP classification ruling or Commerce scope ruling?
Choose the route that matches the unresolved question.
Request a CBP binding ruling for tariff classification
A CBP binding ruling can address the prospective HTS classification of a specific product. The request should include complete facts, interested parties, product description, technical documents and, when useful, a sample. CBP states that these requests concern prospective shipments. See the CBP binding-ruling requirements.
Request a Commerce scope ruling for AD/CVD coverage
If the unresolved issue is whether the exact product is covered by A-570-084 and C-570-085, Commerce’s scope-ruling process is the relevant formal route. The application requires a complete product description and supporting evidence. Missing composition, manufacturer or production information can prevent a reliable determination. Commerce publishes scope descriptions and final scope-ruling information.
Can a supplier quote the final antidumping duty rate?
Not responsibly before scope and entry facts are confirmed.
If merchandise is outside the written scope, the case-specific AD/CVD cash deposits do not apply to that merchandise. If it is subject merchandise, the applicable cash-deposit treatment can depend on the producer/exporter combination, entry date, administrative review history and current Commerce instructions to CBP.
Do not estimate an import project by adding an old headline dumping margin to the ordinary tariff rate. Ask the U.S. customs broker to verify:
- whether the exact merchandise is subject;
- the manufacturer and exporter used on the entry;
- the applicable case numbers;
- current cash-deposit instructions;
- ordinary duty and any separate trade remedies; and
- the importer’s bonding and entry requirements.
The bottom line
Sintered stone slabs are not automatically subject to the U.S. quartz surface product antidumping and countervailing duty orders, but the name “sintered stone” is not an automatic exclusion either.
For the Funtek full-body/full-color products discussed here, the slab body contains no resin binder. That fact is materially different from a resin-bound quartz composite and directly relevant to the written scope language. The importer should support it with exact product, factory, composition and manufacturing documents and should obtain a formal ruling when the commercial risk justifies one.
Use Funtek’s sintered stone sourcing process and global slab shipping guidance to define the exact slab, factory documents and shipment condition before asking a U.S. customs broker for a classification and landed-cost estimate.
Information status: U.S. order status and official guidance checked July 27, 2026. This article is general product and import information, not legal advice or a product-specific scope ruling. Importers remain responsible for reasonable-care entry decisions with their customs broker or trade counsel.
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