Five Days to Act: The New 25%–50% Safeguard Tariff on Quartz Surface Products Takes Effect August 15

If your business imports quartz countertops, backsplashes, vanity tops, flooring, tiles, or any other engineered quartz surface, you have five days to get your paperwork in order. On July 31, 2026, President Trump signed a proclamation imposing a four-year Section 201 safeguard measure on quartz surface products (QSP). The tariffs take effect at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on Saturday, August 15, 2026 — and they apply to every shipment entered for consumption on or after that moment, regardless of when goods were ordered or shipped.

What Is a Section 201 Safeguard?

Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows the President to impose temporary import restrictions when the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC) finds that a domestic industry is being seriously injured by surging imports. It is a different legal instrument from the Section 301 and IEEPA tariffs many importers have been navigating in recent years — and its exclusions follow different rules. The Quartz Manufacturing Alliance of America filed the petition; the ITC found injury; and the White House set the remedy, landing on rates slightly higher than what the ITC itself had recommended.

How the Tariff-Rate Quota Works

The measure is structured as a tariff-rate quota (TRQ) — meaning there is a set volume of imports that can enter at a lower (in-quota) duty rate each quarter. Once that quarterly cap is exhausted, a much higher (over-quota) rate kicks in automatically. Here is how the rates phase in over the four-year life of the measure:

• Year 1 (Aug 15, 2026 – Aug 14, 2027): 25% in-quota / 50% over-quota
• Year 2: 23% in-quota / 49% over-quota
• Year 3: 21% in-quota / 48% over-quota
• Year 4: 19% in-quota / 47% over-quota

The Year 1 annual quota is approximately 13 million square meters (roughly 140 million square feet), split into quarterly allocations of about 3.25 million square meters each. This is a single shared global quota — every country subject to the measure draws from the same pool. Unused quota from one quarter carries forward, but quota fills up on a first-come, first-served basis.

Critical Point: These Duties Stack on Top of Existing Tariffs

The new safeguard duties are cumulative. They are added on top of standard HTSUS duties and any existing antidumping (AD) or countervailing duties (CVD) already applicable to your goods. For importers sourcing from countries already subject to AD/CVD orders on quartz products — notably China — the total duty burden can be substantial. Review your landed cost calculations immediately.

Which Products Are Covered?

The TRQ covers QSP defined as slabs and surfaces made from a mixture that is predominantly silica (quartz, quartz powder, cristobalite, glass powder) bound with resin (typically an unsaturated polyester). Covered HTSUS subheadings are:

• 6810.99.0020
• 6810.99.0040
• 7020.00.6000

Specific finished products covered include countertops, backsplashes, vanity tops, bar tops, worktops, tabletops, flooring, wall facing, shower surrounds, fireplace surrounds, mantels, and tiles.

Who Is Exempt?

Not every country is subject to the TRQ. Importers sourcing from the following are excluded from the safeguard duties:

• Canada and Mexico (USMCA partners)
• Australia, South Korea, Israel, Jordan, Panama, Peru, Singapore, Colombia
• CAFTA-DR beneficiary countries (Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua)
• CBERA (Caribbean Basin) beneficiary countries
• Qualifying developing countries under the GSP framework

If your supplier is based in one of these countries and goods genuinely originate there, you may not owe the safeguard duty. Origin documentation will be essential — CBP will scrutinize country-of-origin claims on QSP entries closely.

Foreign Trade Zones Provide No Shelter

One misconception worth addressing: storing goods in a U.S. Foreign Trade Zone (FTZ) will not defer or avoid the safeguard. Any QSP admitted into an FTZ on or after August 15, 2026 must be admitted under privileged foreign status and will be subject to the applicable TRQ duties and restrictions upon entry for consumption. Plan accordingly.

Practical Next Steps for Importers

1. Classify your products now. Confirm whether your goods fall under HTSUS 6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040, or 7020.00.6000. Misclassification cuts both ways — you don't want to pay duties you don't owe, or miss ones you do.
2. Check your country of origin. If you're sourcing from an excluded country, gather your origin documentation before August 15. Substantial transformation rules apply; processing in an excluded country doesn't automatically confer origin if the underlying material came from a subject country.
3. Recalculate your landed costs. A 25%–50% additional duty on QSP changes margins significantly. Update your cost models before committing to new orders or contracts.
4. Talk to your customs broker before shipments arrive. Entries filed on or after August 15 need to correctly report the new Chapter 99 TRQ subheading. Your broker needs to know which shipments are affected.
5. Watch quota fill rates. The quota is metered quarterly and fills first-come, first-served. Once it fills, the 50% over-quota rate applies automatically. CBP will publish quota status — monitor it, especially in the first weeks after implementation.