Direct Answer: Imported engineered quartz entered on or after August 15, 2026 carries an added 25 percent inside the quota and 50 percent above it. Granite, marble, and quartzite are outside the measure.
You picked a white engineered quartz for your kitchen island back in June. Now your fabricator says the price moved, and nobody can tell you why in plain English.
Here is the short version. A presidential proclamation signed July 31, 2026 put a four year safeguard tariff rate quota on imported quartz surface products, and it applies to goods entered on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on August 15, 2026.
If you are remodeling in Carmel, Pebble Beach, or anywhere across the Monterey Peninsula, this only matters for one specific category of material. Granite, marble, quartzite, and soapstone are not in scope. This article covers what changed, who it skips, and the one question to ask before you approve a quote.
What the Quartz Countertop Tariff 2026 Actually Changed
The action was taken under sections 201 and 203 of the Trade Act of 1974, following a determination by the U.S. International Trade Commission. It was published in the Federal Register on August 5, 2026.
The mechanics, in order:
- Signed July 31, 2026. Effective for merchandise entered on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time, August 15, 2026.
- Year one rates: imports inside the quarterly quota pay an added 25 percent. Imports above the quota pay 50 percent.
- Those rates stack on top of duties already owed, so they are not a replacement for existing tariffs.
- The measure runs four years, with the quota administered in quarterly periods.
- Material admitted into a U.S. foreign trade zone on or after that August 15 moment must be admitted as privileged foreign status under 19 CFR 146.41, which means the tariff follows it when it is entered for consumption.
That last point matters more than it sounds. Warehousing a container in a trade zone does not sidestep the duty.
Customs set the quota opening date as Monday, August 17, 2026, with entries filed before 8:30 a.m. eastern on the opening date grouped together for processing. For a homeowner in Carmel-by-the-Sea, the practical takeaway is simpler: the tariff attaches to a customs date, not to the day you signed your order.
Natural Stone Is Outside the Scope Entirely
This is the part most homeowners get wrong when they read a headline. The measure targets engineered quartz surface products. Quarried natural stone is not covered.
Materials the safeguard leaves alone:
- Granite
- Marble, including Italian marbles
- Quartzite
- Soapstone
So the Taj Mahal quartzite or Calacatta marble you are weighing is priced by the same things it always was: the block, the yield, the finish, and how far it traveled. If you want the long version of why two slabs with the same name land at very different numbers, that is covered in quartzite countertop pricing and why identical names cost different amounts.
Country of origin also decides a lot. Imports from Canada, Mexico, Korea, Israel, Australia, and several other listed countries are excluded from the measure. Engineered quartz coming from a country not on that list is in scope.
Plenty of material moving through the Port of Oakland and into Central Coast warehouses is natural stone from Italy, Brazil, Turkey, and Israel. None of that is touched by this proclamation. The engineered quartz line is the one to check, and the check takes one phone call.
Which Materials the Safeguard Touches
A quick reference for a kitchen or bath project currently in material selection.
| Material | In scope for the safeguard? | What to ask your supplier |
|---|---|---|
| Engineered quartz slab, non-exempt country of origin | Yes | What is the customs entry date, and was it inside or above the quarterly quota? |
| Engineered quartz from Canada, Mexico, Korea, Israel, Australia or another listed excluded country | No | Confirm country of origin in writing on the quote |
| Granite, marble, quartzite, soapstone | No | Standard pricing questions: lot, yield, finish, slab count |
| Travertine, limestone, onyx | No | Standard pricing questions |
| Porcelain slab and porcelain tile | Different category from quartz surface products | Ask the supplier to confirm the tariff classification for the specific line |
Ask for the Entry Date, Not the Order Date
This is the single most useful thing in this article. Two identical engineered quartz slabs can carry very different landed costs depending on when the container cleared customs.
The quota runs on published quarterly periods:
- Quarter 1: August 15, 2026 to November 14, 2026
- Quarter 2: November 15, 2026 to February 13, 2027
- Quarter 3: February 14, 2027 to May 15, 2027
- Quarter 4: May 16, 2027 to August 14, 2027
Within each quarter, material entered inside the quota is at the lower added rate. Once that quarter’s quota fills, entries above it move to the higher rate. So the same slab name can price differently depending on where it landed in the queue.
What to ask before you lock a quote on imported engineered quartz:
- Is this material already in U.S. inventory and cleared, or is it on the water?
- What was the entry date?
- What is the country of origin on the entry paperwork?
Callers ask us a version of this question constantly, usually phrased as “do you actually have it in stock right now.” With this measure in place, stock status and customs status are two different facts, and it helps to know the difference. What live inventory at a slab supplier actually means breaks down how to read a yard’s stock claim.
The Safeguard Measure at a Glance
The dates, the rates, and the materials that fall outside the measure, in one view.
Should This Change What You Pick for a Carmel Kitchen?
Not by itself. A tariff is a cost input, not a design decision, and swapping materials to chase a number usually creates a different problem.
Engineered quartz earns its place for a reason. It is consistent slab to slab, it does not need sealing, and it behaves predictably on a large island. Those things are still true on August 16.
But if the tariff is pushing you to look harder at natural stone, look at it on its own terms:
- Natural stone can be restored. Modern sealers and cleaners resist etching and staining better than most people assume, and damage that does happen can usually be refinished. Engineered products do not repair the same way.
- Every slab is different. You are choosing a specific piece, not a product code, which is why viewing the actual slab matters.
- Fabrication matters more with some materials than others. California’s rules around engineered stone fabrication are worth understanding before you commit, and what the California engineered stone ruling means for your countertop choice walks through it.
One more practical note for Monterey Peninsula projects. Special order and import lead times commonly run in the range of 90 to 120 days, so a tariff question on a container that has not shipped yet is really a timeline question in disguise. In-stock material at a Sand City or Palo Alto warehouse answers both at once.
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 Quartz Tariff
I ordered my quartz slabs in July. Do I pay the tariff?
It depends on the entry date, not your order date. The measure applies to merchandise entered on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on August 15, 2026. If the material was already in U.S. inventory and cleared customs before that, the safeguard does not apply to it. Ask your supplier to confirm the entry date in writing.
Does this raise the price of granite, marble, or quartzite?
No. Quarried natural stone including granite, marble, quartzite, and soapstone is outside the scope of this measure. Those materials still move on the usual factors: block quality, yield, finish, and freight.
Which countries are excluded?
Imports from Canada, Mexico, Korea, Israel, Australia and several other listed countries are excluded. The full list is in the proclamation annex. If a quartz line matters to your project, ask for the country of origin on the entry paperwork rather than the brand’s marketing country.
Are porcelain slabs affected?
The measure names quartz surface products as described in the proclamation. Porcelain is a separate product category, but classification questions belong with your supplier and customs broker, not with a blog post. Ask them to confirm the classification for the specific porcelain line you are considering.
How long does this last?
It is a four year safeguard measure with quarterly quota periods. Year one carries the 25 percent in-quota and 50 percent over-quota rates. Rates in later years are set in the proclamation annex, so quotes on long-lead imported quartz should be dated and re-confirmed before approval.
Want to See the Material Before You Decide?
Slab decisions get easier when you are standing in front of the actual piece instead of a catalog image. The Carmel Rancho showroom serves Carmel-by-the-Sea, Monterey, Pacific Grove, and the wider Central Coast, and the Palo Alto location covers the Bay Area side. If you want to walk the racks or ask about a specific material’s origin and entry status, the team can be reached at (650) 800-7840 or info@carmelimports.com.
