White House Orders 4-Year TRQ on Quartz

Aug. 3, 2026
By: Austin J. Eighan

On July 31, President Trump issued a proclamation that imposes a four-year tariff-rate quota (TRQ) on imports of certain quartz surface products (QSP) beginning August 15. The action follows an investigation by the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), which found that increased imports of QSP “are a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry.” Based on the ITC’s findings, the President determined that the safeguard measure would help U.S. producers adjust “to import competition and provide greater economic and social benefits than costs.”

The proclamation’s annex describes the QSP targeted by the action as “slabs and other surfaces created from a mixture of materials that includes predominately silica (e.g., quartz, quartz powder, cristobalite, glass powder) as well as a resin binder (e.g., an unsaturated polyester) … where the silica content is greater than any other single material, by actual weight.” This includes a variety of products, such as countertops, backsplashes, vanity tops, bar tops, work tops, tabletops, flooring, wall facing, shower surrounds, fireplace surrounds, mantels, and tiles. In-scope QSP is classifiable under HTSUS Subheadings 6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040, and 7020.00.6000.

The proclamation establishes a four-year TRQ under which a specified volume of imports may enter at one duty rate during a set period, while imports that exceed that volume face a higher duty rate. The TRQ applies to imports from most countries, with annual increases in quota volumes and staged reductions in duty rates both within and above the quota. It excludes QSP originating from Australia, Canada, Colombia, Israel, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Singapore, South Korea, the CAFTA-DR countries, certain Caribbean Basin beneficiaries, and other developing countries that meet defined import-share thresholds. While imports from excluded countries will not count toward the TRQ, the President authorized the U.S. Trade Representative to revise exclusions, counter circumvention, and respond to shifts in import volumes, including surges from previously excluded countries.

If your company would like assistance evaluating the impact of this safeguard measure, calculating potential duty exposure, or adapting sourcing and compliance strategies, please reach out to one of our attorneys at Barnes, Richardson & Colburn.