Why Your Imported Quartz Slab Quote Changed After August 15

You picked a slab in June. Your fabricator sent an estimate in July. Now the slab line on that estimate is a different number, and nobody walked you through why.

On August 15, 2026, a new safeguard duty on imported quartz surface products took effect. If your kitchen or bath spec is an imported quartz slab, your material cost can carry an added 25 to 50 percent duty. If your spec is quartzite, marble, granite, soapstone, or porcelain, this measure does not touch it.

This matters on the Monterey Peninsula right now because so many Carmel and Pebble Beach remodels were specced last spring and are only hitting material purchase this fall. Below: what changed, what it leaves alone, and how to read your own estimate.

What Actually Changed on August 15, 2026

The President signed a proclamation on July 31, 2026 establishing a four year tariff rate quota on quartz surface products. It applies to covered goods entered, or withdrawn from warehouse for consumption, on or after 12:01 a.m. Eastern time on August 15, 2026.

Here is the structure, straight from the published terms:

• Year one: 25 percent additional duty on covered imports within the annual quota, and 50 percent on imports above it
• The year one quota is approximately 13.0 million square meters, assessed quarterly
• Rates step down in years two through four: 23/49, then 21/48, then 19/47
• In quota goods enter under heading 9903.45.30; over quota goods under 9903.45.31
• Covered products are imported under HTSUS subheadings 6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040, and 7020.00.6000

The measure applies to quartz surface products from all origins not on the exclusion list. A public company in the category described the same terms in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission dated August 15, 2026.

The quarterly quota piece is the part most homeowners miss. A container landing early in a quarter and one landing late in the same quarter can be dutied at different rates, which is why two suppliers can quote the same product differently in the same week.

The Materials This Tariff Leaves Alone

What is covered is narrower than the word countertop suggests. The measure applies to slabs made from a mixture that is predominantly silica bound with resin, plus fabricated pieces of that same material.

Natural stone is classified under different tariff headings entirely. Granite, marble, quartzite, limestone, travertine, onyx, and soapstone sit outside the scope of this safeguard. So does porcelain.

That distinction trips people up because of one word. Quartzite is a natural stone, quarried and cut from the ground. It is not quartz, and the two are not interchangeable on a customs entry or in a kitchen.

If you are now weighing a natural stone alternative, know that naming alone will not tell you the price. Two quartzite slabs with the same name can cost very different amounts based on block, thickness, and movement. Visitors to our chat ask this constantly, usually some version of how Naica compares to Taj Mahal, or Statuario to Bianco Carrara.

How the 2026 Quartz Tariff Price Increase Shows Up on Your Estimate

The duty is paid at import, not at your kitchen. So it lands in the material line of your estimate, not the fabrication or installation line.

That means a few practical things for a project in Carmel, Monterey, or Salinas:

• A quote written before August 15 on an imported quartz slab may no longer hold
• Material already landed and sitting in a warehouse before that date was entered under the old terms
• New containers arriving through the Port of Oakland this fall are the ones carrying the duty
• Your fabricator’s labor, template, and install pricing are unaffected by this measure

This is also why the “is it in stock right now” question changed meaning overnight. Roughly a third of calls into our showrooms are someone asking whether a specific material, size, and finish is on the floor today. On quartz, that question is now partly a pricing question too.

If you are unclear on which company controls which line of your budget, this breakdown of supplier, fabricator, and installer roles sorts it out. The short version: the slab supplier owns material and delivery, the fabricator owns cutting, edges, and install.

Covered or Not Covered: A Quick Reference

Use this to figure out whether the August 15 safeguard touches the material on your plans.

The Four Year Rate Schedule at a Glance

The duty is not permanent and it does not stay flat. Here is how the published rates step down each August.

What to Do If Your Spec Is Already Quartz

You have three honest paths, and none of them require panic.

Keep the spec and confirm the number. Ask your supplier in writing how the specific slab is classified, when it was entered, and whether the duty applies to the material you are buying. Date of entry is the fact that decides it.

Price a natural stone alternative side by side. Quartzite, marble, granite, and soapstone are not touched by this measure. A Carmel homeowner who wanted a clean white look in June may find that a honed marble or a dolomite reads the same in the room.

Look at large format porcelain. It sits outside the scope, it handles outdoor use well on Peninsula patios, and it is already common in Pebble Beach and Pacific Grove projects. One thing to go in eyes open about: porcelain is less forgiving at the edges during fabrication, so your fabricator choice matters more than it does with stone.

Whatever you pick, get your slab count right before you commit. Yield, seams, and slab size move a material budget further than any single line item. And fabricators on the Central Coast often hold a minimum length requirement, frequently around 130 inches, which can quietly rule out a slab you already fell in love with.

Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 Quartz Tariff