New Quartz Safeguard Tariffs Hit August 15 — And IEEPA Refunds Are Still Unclaimed

Two significant trade developments are demanding importer attention this week. The first is a hard deadline: a brand-new Section 201 safeguard tariff on quartz surface products kicks in on August 15, 2026 — this Saturday. The second is a growing pile of money many importers have yet to claim: billions in IEEPA tariff refunds are still sitting in the pipeline, and the window for some categories is narrowing. If either issue touches your supply chain, action taken today beats action taken next week.

Section 201 Quartz Tariffs: What's Happening and Who's Affected

On July 31, 2026, President Trump issued a proclamation imposing a Section 201 safeguard measure on imports of quartz surface products (QSP), effective at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on August 15, 2026. The measure operates as a four-year tariff-rate quota (TRQ) — meaning a set volume of covered merchandise can enter at a lower in-quota rate, but once that quarterly allotment is exhausted, additional entries face a substantially higher over-quota rate of up to 50%.

Products covered include countertops, backsplashes, vanity tops, bar tops, worktops, tabletops, flooring, wall facing, shower surrounds, fireplace surrounds, mantels, and tiles — essentially any slab or surface product created from a mixture of materials predominantly composed of silica (quartz, quartz powder, cristobalite, or glass powder) bound with resin. The relevant HTSUS subheadings are 6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040, and 7020.00.6000.

Major sourcing countries — including China, India, Malaysia, Spain, Italy, Turkey, and Vietnam — are all subject to this measure. Country of origin, not country of shipment, governs, so importers who source from third-country fabricators need to pay careful attention to origin determinations.

The Section 201 duty is cumulative: it stacks on top of every other applicable duty, including Section 301 China tariffs, Forced Labor duties, and any applicable antidumping or countervailing duties (AD/CVD). Importers carrying QSP with existing AD/CVD exposure need to calculate total landed cost from scratch — the numbers may look very different than they did a month ago.

One important nuance for companies using Foreign Trade Zones: merchandise admitted to a U.S. FTZ on or after August 15 must be admitted under privileged foreign status. FTZ admission does not defer or avoid the safeguard duty. Plan accordingly.

IEEPA Refunds: $1.6 Billion Stuck, Phase 3 Still Unresolved

On a separate front, the IEEPA tariff refund saga continues to move — but not as cleanly as many importers had hoped. The Supreme Court ruled that IEEPA did not authorize the President to impose tariffs, and refunds have been flowing through CBP's CAPE (Consolidated Administration and Processing of Entries) system since Phase 1 launched on April 20, 2026. As of the most recent court filings, CBP has certified approximately $100 billion in refunds transmitted to Treasury — but significant complications remain.

The Liberty Justice Center has flagged an urgent administrative snag: CBP reports that 19,726 refunds totaling $1.6 billion are approved but cannot be transmitted because ACH banking information is either missing or incorrect in the ACE portal. If you submitted entries and have not received refunds after six weeks, check your ACH information immediately. CBP is attempting to notify affected importers, but delays in updating that information mean real money sitting idle.

The larger unresolved question is Phase 3, which covers finally liquidated entries — those outside CBP's ordinary 90-day reliquidation window. Right now, CBP is processing Phase 3 refunds only for importers who filed individual lawsuits with the Court of International Trade. The August 6 class-certification hearing sought to establish an administrative class so that smaller importers who did not file suit could access refunds without bearing the cost of individual litigation. A resolution is expected by end of August. Importers with finally liquidated entries who have not yet filed a CIT action should consult counsel promptly — the administrative path remains uncertain.

What Importers Should Do Right Now

The convergence of a new safeguard tariff and a complex refund process is exactly the kind of environment where proactive customs compliance pays off. Here's a practical checklist:

• Quartz importers: Identify all entries under HTSUS 6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040, and 7020.00.6000. Calculate your total duty exposure including Section 301, AD/CVD, and the new Section 201 rate. If shipments are already in transit, determine whether they enter before or after August 15 and plan entry timing accordingly.
• All importers with IEEPA exposure: Log into ACE and confirm your ACH banking information is current. If you haven't received refunds on entries submitted more than six weeks ago, that's the first place to look.
• Finally liquidated entry holders: If your entries are outside the 90-day window and you have not filed a CIT action, speak to a trade attorney before the August class-certification outcome clarifies the administrative path.
• Supply chain planners: The quartz TRQ resets quarterly, but carryover runs only one quarter forward. Understanding the quota calendar (quarters run August 15–November 14, November 15–February 13, February 14–May 15, May 16–August 14) will matter for sourcing decisions over the next four years.

Trade policy in 2026 continues to move at a pace that makes reactive compliance expensive. The companies that come out ahead are the ones with a customs broker who is tracking these developments and helping them stay a step ahead of the next effective date.

GLCHB Is Here to Help

At Guy Lichtenstein CHB Corp (GLCHB), we work with importers nationwide to navigate exactly these kinds of rapidly shifting tariff environments. Whether you need a duty exposure analysis on quartz entries, help verifying your IEEPA/CAPE filing status, or a full customs compliance review ahead of the August 15 deadline, our team is ready to move quickly.

Reach out today — before Saturday's deadline passes. Contact GLCHB or call us directly to speak with a licensed customs broker about your specific situation. National clearance capability, Miami expertise, and decades of experience working the Port of Miami and beyond.