The U.S. International Trade Commission has found that rising imports of quartz surface products have seriously injured U.S. producers and has sent recommended trade remedies to President Donald Trump, who must decide whether to impose them by May 18, 2026.
Cambria Company LLC, a Minnesota-based manufacturer of quartz surface products used in kitchen and bathroom countertops, is among the domestic producers supporting a request for “global safeguard” relief under Section 201 of U.S. trade law.
In early April, the U.S. International Trade Commission (USITC) voted that quartz surface products are being imported in such increased quantities that they are a substantial cause of serious injury to the domestic industry. The agency said it would transmit its injury determination and remedy recommendations to the president by May 18, 2026.
On May 5, 2026, the USITC announced its remedy recommendations. Two commissioners recommended a tariff-rate quota for a four-year period: imports within a set quota would face a 25% tariff in the first year, while imports above the quota would face a 40% tariff in the first year, with both rates decreasing by one percentage point in each subsequent year.
Under the safeguard process, the president can accept, modify, or reject the commission’s recommendations. Industry groups backing the petition, including the Quartz Manufacturing Alliance of America, have urged the administration to adopt strong restrictions, while quartz importers and many countertop fabricators have argued that broad tariffs and quotas could raise costs and disrupt supply chains.
NPR reported that Cambria CEO Marty Davis, a longtime Republican donor, has promoted the safeguard case as a way to curb imported quartz slabs and has pressed for steep tariffs and limits on imports.
