US Sets Four-Year Safeguard on Quartz Countertops, 50% Tariff Outside QuotaA · FULL TRANSLATION
- The US will apply safeguard measures to quartz surface products from 15 August 2026, for four years.
- In year one, roughly 3.25 million square metres per quarter enter at 25%; above that the rate is 50%.
- Covered goods span three US tariff lines for countertops, flooring and tiles made from quartz or glass powder.
- Nine economies including Australia, Canada, South Korea and Mexico are exempt, along with CAFTA-DR and CBERA beneficiaries.
- The measure came from a USITC recommendation, with follow-up negotiations handled by USTR.
The line that matters for Taiwan: it is not on the exemption list. Washington's safeguard on quartz surface products exempts nine economies plus CAFTA-DR and CBERA beneficiaries; everyone else faces 25% inside the quota and 50% outside it from 15 August, for four years.
The quota structure is the part to study. It splits the market rather than simply taxing it: roughly 3.25 million square metres a quarter clear at the lower rate on a first-come basis, so shipment timing starts to matter as much as price. Customs and logistics scheduling becomes a margin decision.
Taiwanese stone and building-material exporters should check three things now — whether their goods fall under the three listed tariff lines, whether US contracts allocate the duty, and whether production can be routed through an exempt base. The third takes the longest, so start before the first invoice lands.
Watch the quota allocation rules and whether exempt Korean and Mexican capacity absorbs orders that previously came from elsewhere. Refer to the original report for detail.
The United States will impose safeguard measures on quartz surface products for imports entering from 12:01 a.m. Eastern Time on 15 August 2026, running for four years.
Coverage spans US tariff lines 6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040 and 7020.00.6000 — countertops, flooring and tiles made from quartz or glass powder. The measure takes the form of a tariff-rate quota: in year one, roughly 3.25 million square metres per quarter enter at 25%, while volumes above the quota face 50%.
Exemptions cover Australia, Canada, Colombia, Israel, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Singapore and South Korea, plus beneficiary countries under CAFTA-DR and CBERA.
The action follows a recommendation by the US International Trade Commission, with subsequent negotiations led by the Office of the US Trade Representative. Refer to the original JETRO report and US notices for full detail.