Table of Contents
- What Is the 2026 Quartz Tariff
- How Much More Does Quartz Cost Now
- Which Countertop Materials Are Exempt
- What This Means for Your Orlando Countertop Project
- Granite, Quartzite and Porcelain as Alternatives
- Frequently Asked Questions
A new federal tariff on imported quartz countertops took effect August 15, 2026, and it is already changing how Orlando homeowners are shopping for kitchen and bathroom surfaces. NaturaStone is tracking the tariff closely so Orlando clients can make an informed decision between quartz, granite, quartzite and porcelain while pricing is shifting.
What Is the 2026 Quartz Tariff
On July 31, 2026, a presidential proclamation established a four-year safeguard tariff-rate quota on imported quartz surface products, following a May 18, 2026 determination by the United States International Trade Commission that quartz imports were causing serious injury to domestic manufacturers. The measure took effect August 15, 2026 for covered goods entered for consumption on or after that date.
The tariff applies specifically to engineered quartz surface products classified under HTSUS codes 6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040 and 7020.00.6000. It does not apply to natural stone or to sintered surfaces like porcelain.
How Much More Does Quartz Cost Now
The tariff-rate quota works in two tiers. In year one, roughly 140 million square feet of quartz can enter the country at a 25 percent tariff rate. Any volume beyond that quota is taxed at 50 percent. The in-quota rate steps down slightly each year of the four-year measure, moving to 23 percent in year two, 21 percent in year three and 19 percent in year four, with the over-quota rate following a similar gradual decline.
Industry estimates suggest a typical 50-square-foot kitchen could see somewhere between $100 and $320 in added duty cost passing through to the final installed price for quartz sourced within the quota, with roughly double that impact for material that lands over the quota threshold. The exact number depends heavily on where a specific slab was manufactured and how a fabricator’s supply chain is structured, so the most accurate way to know the real difference for a specific kitchen or bathroom is a current quote rather than a general estimate.
Which Countertop Materials Are Exempt
The safeguard measure excludes several major supplying countries outright, including Canada, Mexico, Israel, Jordan, South Korea, Australia, the CAFTA-DR countries, Colombia, Panama, Peru and Singapore. More importantly for most Orlando buyers, the tariff only covers engineered quartz. It does not apply to granite, quartzite or porcelain, all of which NaturaStone fabricates and installs across Orlando.
What This Means for Your Orlando Countertop Project
For homeowners who already had their heart set on a specific quartz color or pattern, the tariff does not remove quartz as an option; it simply makes the timing and sourcing of that slab more relevant to the final price than it used to be. For homeowners still comparing materials, this is a good moment to weigh granite, quartzite and porcelain against quartz on more than just looks, since two of those three are completely unaffected by the new tariff and the third, porcelain, is not classified as quartz at all. NaturaStone can walk through current pricing across all four materials during a consultation, so an Orlando homeowner can see the real numbers side by side before deciding, rather than relying on pricing that may already be a few months out of date.
Granite, Quartzite and Porcelain as Alternatives
NaturaStone fabricates and installs granite countertops, quartzite countertops and porcelain countertops across Orlando, all of which fall outside the scope of the new tariff. Granite and quartzite are natural stone, cut from quarried blocks rather than engineered, while porcelain is a sintered ceramic surface, not a quartz product, and none of the three are affected by the HTSUS codes covered under the safeguard measure. For homeowners who want to avoid any tariff-related price uncertainty entirely, these three materials are currently the more predictable options price-wise, while still covering a wide range of looks from natural veining to marble look patterns.
Full details on the tariff structure, effective dates and country exclusions are published by the Federal Register.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did the quartz countertop tariff take effect?
The tariff took effect August 15, 2026, following a presidential proclamation signed July 31, 2026. The measure is a four-year safeguard tariff-rate quota, meaning the rate is scheduled to step down gradually each year over that period rather than staying fixed. It applies to quartz surface products entered for consumption in the United States on or after the effective date, which means any quartz slab that cleared customs before August 15 was not subject to the new rate. For Orlando homeowners currently comparing quotes, the practical takeaway is that the exact tariff impact on a specific quartz slab depends on when and how that material entered the country, not just on the day a countertop is installed. NaturaStone recommends confirming current pricing directly rather than relying on a quote pulled together before mid-August, since fabricators sourcing from different countries and suppliers may see very different effective cost increases. Because the tariff rate also steps down gradually over its four-year term, the exact percentage applied can even shift slightly from one year to the next, which is another reason a fresh quote matters more right now than usual.
How much more expensive is quartz because of the tariff?
Industry estimates put the added cost at roughly $100 to $320 for a typical 50-square-foot kitchen when the material falls within the tariff-rate quota, and roughly double that for material that falls outside the quota and is taxed at the higher 50 percent rate. This is a general industry estimate, not a guaranteed number, since actual pricing depends on where a specific quartz slab was manufactured, which countries are excluded from the tariff, and how an individual fabricator sources material. Getting a current quote is the only way to know the real price difference for a specific Orlando kitchen or bathroom project right now. Earlier estimates published before the final rate was set suggested a larger cost increase, so it is worth treating any older article or quote referencing a much higher number with some caution, since the actual structure that took effect in August landed lower than some of those early projections.
Are granite and quartzite affected by the tariff?
No. The safeguard tariff applies specifically to engineered quartz surface products under a defined set of HTSUS classification codes, and granite and quartzite are both natural stone rather than engineered quartz, so neither material is covered by the measure. This makes granite and quartzite two of the more price-stable options available in the current market for Orlando homeowners who want to avoid tariff-related uncertainty. Both materials are cut from quarried natural stone blocks, which puts them in a completely different trade classification than manufactured quartz surfaces. NaturaStone fabricates both granite and quartzite for Orlando homeowners, and neither material’s pricing has moved because of this tariff, which makes them a straightforward option for anyone who wants to sidestep the uncertainty entirely while still getting a durable, attractive surface.
Is porcelain considered quartz for tariff purposes?
No. Porcelain is a sintered ceramic surface made from sand, clay and mineral powders fired at high temperature, which is a fundamentally different manufacturing process and material classification than engineered quartz. Because porcelain does not fall under the HTSUS codes covered by the quartz safeguard measure, it is unaffected by the new tariff. This makes porcelain, alongside granite and quartzite, one of the more predictable pricing options for Orlando homeowners weighing countertop materials while the quartz tariff situation is still relatively new. NaturaStone recently expanded its porcelain offering specifically because it gives Orlando clients a marble look, low maintenance surface that carries none of the sourcing uncertainty currently affecting quartz.
Should I still buy quartz countertops right now?
Quartz is still a strong option if a specific color or pattern is important, and the tariff does not remove it as a choice; it simply adds a variable to the final price that was not there before. For homeowners who are flexible on material and mainly want price predictability, granite, quartzite or porcelain currently offer that stability since none of them are affected by the tariff. The best approach for any Orlando kitchen or bathroom project right now is to get an up-to-date quote across a few material options rather than assuming the pricing you saw six months ago still applies today. NaturaStone can provide that side-by-side comparison in a single consultation, which tends to make the decision much clearer than trying to compare separate quotes gathered weeks or months apart.
Will quartz prices keep rising over the next few years?
The safeguard measure is structured to step down gradually over its four-year term, with the in-quota rate moving from 25 percent in year one to 23, 21 and 19 percent in the following years, and the over-quota rate declining on a similar schedule. This suggests the tariff’s price impact should ease somewhat over time rather than staying fixed at the year one level, though broader material costs, labor and import sourcing can all move independently of the tariff schedule itself. For anyone planning a countertop project years out, it is reasonable to expect the tariff-specific pressure on quartz pricing to soften gradually rather than disappear immediately. In the meantime, granite, quartzite and porcelain remain unaffected by this schedule entirely, so homeowners who prioritize price stability over a specific quartz pattern have three solid materials to choose from without watching a tariff calendar.
Not sure which material makes the most sense for your Orlando kitchen or bathroom right now? Contact us today at NaturaStone for a current quote across quartz, granite, quartzite and porcelain.
