Economic Indicators Industry Forecasts Industry Statistics

U.S. Countertop Materials Imports: March 2026

Wednesday, June 3, 2026 from Stone World

By Jason Kamery

Photo Credit: Tryaging / iStock / Getty Images Plus / via Getty Images

U.S. countertop material imports totaled $275.5 million in March 2026, a 23.6% decline from March 2025 and a sharp acceleration from January’s 14.5% drop. Natural stone categories pulled in $174.5 million, down 21.2% year over year, while engineered quartz fell harder at 27.5% to $101.1 million. Every major category posted a decline. Granite was hit hardest, dropping 42.3% to $31.4 million as Brazilian shipments collapsed 72%. Marble proved most resilient, slipping just 9.7% to $75.9 million.

The country mix shifted significantly. Italy moved into first place at $46.6 million, the only top-five exporter to grow year over year with a 9.7% increase driven by strong marble and quartzite shipments. India and Brazil, the longtime market leaders, both fell roughly 48% to $40.3 million and $33.7 million respectively. India is now the largest granite source after years of Brazilian dominance, though that crown comes in a shrinking category. On the engineered quartz side, India’s volume collapsed 62% to $18.7 million while Vietnam became the new category leader at $21 million. Thailand grew 6%, Malaysia jumped 58% and 78% of all engineered quartz imports continue to arrive as jumbo countertop slabs.

Natural Stone vs. Engineered Quartz

The Countertop Import Market

Natural stone holds nearly two-thirds — engineered quartz keeps losing ground

Engineered quartz held 38.7% market share in March 2025; that’s slipped to 36.7% in March 2026 as it declined 27.5% in absolute terms versus 21.2% for natural stone. Both categories shrank — engineered quartz shrank harder.

All Material Categories

Import value by stone type — March 2026

Year-Over-Year Comparison

Category Change: Mar 2025 → Mar 2026

Every major category lost ground — granite collapsed hardest

Country Change: Mar 2025 → Mar 2026

Top source countries — teal is Mar 2025, brown is Mar 2026

Material Deep Dive

Engineered Quartz: Source Countries

$101.1M in March — down 27.5% from a year ago

India’s engineered quartz collapsed from $49.7M to $18.7M (−62%) and Vietnam fell 27%. Thailand edged up 6%, and Malaysia jumped 58% to $8.4M. The Indian retreat continues to define this category.

Natural Quartzite: Source Countries

$30.1M in February — down 22.3% from a year ago

Quartzite reversed course from January’s surge. Brazilian quartzite fell $34.3M → $23.4M (−32%) while Italy nearly doubled to $6.6M. Brazil still dominates the category, but the post-tariff buying spree appears to have cooled.

Marble: Source Countries

$75.9M in March — down 9.7% YoY

Granite: Source Countries

$31.4M in March — down 42.3% YoY

Granite’s decline accelerated. Brazil collapsed 72% to $5.1M, India fell 29%, China dropped 22%, Italy slipped 21%. India is now the largest granite source after years of Brazilian dominance — but it’s a hollow crown in a shrinking category.

Source Countries

What Each Country Actually Ships

Top 12 countries by material type — March 2026

Market Concentration

Top 5 countries hold 63% of the market

Country Rankings — Full Breakdown

March 2026 countertop material imports by category with YoY change

Engineered Quartz Detail

Jumbo Slabs vs. Other Sizes

HTS 6810.99.00.20 (≥3m × 1.25m) vs. 6810.99.00.40 (other)

78% of engineered quartz arrives as standard jumbo slabs ($78.9M), confirming these imports are destined for countertop fabrication.

Engineered Quartz: Jumbo Slab Sources

Top countries for full-size countertop slabs (≥3m × 1.25m)

Data sourced from the U.S. International Trade Commission DataWeb (dataweb.usitc.gov); dashboard visualizations were generated with the assistance of AI.