Friday, August 8, 2026 from Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA)

FROM: Rick Church, Executive Director
Robin W. Grover, CTDA Legal Counsel

Friday night, President Trump signed a Presidential Proclamation putting into effect a four-year safeguard tariff-rate quota (TRQ) on imports of certain quartz surface products (QSP).

This implements a protective “safeguard” measure under Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 to address a surge in foreign imports that the International Trade Commission found is causing serious economic injury to the domestic U.S. quartz industry. Consequently, the Administration is putting in place a four-year restriction on imports of certain types of QSP with the goal of providing US QSP suppliers with time to adjust to import competition. The concept is that the “new” tariff rates will decline each of four years until they are eliminated while the numerical quota to which the 25/50 percent tariff rate applies will increase during each of those four years the TRQ is in effect.

Key Details of the QSP Tariff Rate Quota (“TRQ”) . . .

The trade restrictions take effect on August 15, 2026, run through the Year 2030 and operate on a two-tier tariff structure; the lower rate applies to the first sector which are “within quota”; the higher tariff rate covers import shipments of QSP that are “over quota”:

• Covered Products: The President’s tariff rate quota action applies only to products categorized under three subheadings of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States (HTSUS): Subheadings 6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040, and 7020.00.6000. The two HTS 6810 subheadings cover QSP in certain agglomerated quartz slabs of the type used for countertops; the one HTS 7020 subheading covers: Other articles of glass;
• A two-tier tariff rate: The current Most Favored Nation (“MFN”) tariff rate on the two Heading 6810 subheadings is duty-free. Under the new tariff regime, US importers will pay a 25 percent ad valorem tariff on goods brought in under a specific volume limit for the first tier which is considered within quota. Once that volume threshold is breached, an over-quota tariff rate of 50 percent is triggered;
• The new tariff rate: During the first twelve months after their implementation, imports within the quota limit are subject to a flat 25% tariff. QSP imports exceeding the quota limit are assessed at a 50% flat tariff;
• The Quota Volume Limits: In Year 1, the quota limit is 140 million square feet, split evenly into quarterly limits of 35 million square feet every 90 days;
• Country Exclusions: Otherwise, the QSP covered from certain countries is excluded from application of the quotas and TRQs. These include Australia; Colombia, Israel, Jordan, Korea, Panama, Peru, Singapore. Also excluded from the new quotas are QSP from the multiple island countries of the Caribbean Basin Economic Recovery, and the member countries of the Dominican Republic/Central America Free Trade Agreement. Also, QSP imported from approximately 60 mostly poorer less developed countries are excluded from the Tariff Rate Quotas if they satisfy certain US “import share” requirements.

Should you have any questions concerning the new QSP tariff rate quotas, please contact CTDA Executive Director Rick Church.