India has approached the World Trade Organization (WTO) seeking consultations with the US over Washington's safeguard tariff measures on quartz surface products. According to reports from The Times of India, The Economic Times, PTI, Business Standard, and Business Standard, New Delhi submitted its communication on August 14 stating it has a 'substantial interest' in the matter. India proposed that the consultations be conducted virtually at a time mutually convenient to both sides, requesting consultations under the WTO agreement on safeguards. The WTO confirmed in its communication that India would like to propose for virtual consultations as per mutual convenience of both sides, with the communication being circulated at the request of the Indian delegation. Under WTO rules, the US has to enter into consultation within 30 days of receiving the request. If the dispute isn't resolved within 60 days, India can request the establishment of a panel. As reported by Business Standard, India's move is not yet a formal WTO dispute, giving New Delhi an opportunity to question the US findings on increased imports and injury to domestic producers.
US President Donald Trump issued a proclamation on July 31 introducing a tariff-rate quota of up to 50% on quartz surface product imports from several countries. As reported by The Times of India, The Economic Times, PTI, Business Standard, and Business Standard, the measure took effect on August 15, 2026 and is set to remain in force for four years. Under a tariff-rate quota system, imports up to a specified quantity face one tariff rate, while shipments above that threshold attract a higher duty. In the case of quartz surface products, tariffs on imports exceeding the quota can rise to as much as 50%. The US began collecting tariffs Saturday on some imported quartz slabs used for countertops, backsplashes and bathroom tiles. The levies range from 19% to 50% over four years, depending on when the imports enter the US and whether they exceed predetermined thresholds. The US International Trade Commission determined that imports of these products had risen sufficiently to become a substantial cause of serious injury to US producers of similar or directly competing products. These quartz surface products are engineered/artificial stone slabs made mainly from silica (quartz, quartz powder, glass powder) mixed with a resin binder. According to Business Standard, for covered glass products, the effective tariff will rise to 30-55%, with anti-dumping and countervailing duties potentially imposed in addition to these tariffs.
India exported approximately $233.3 million worth of quartz surface products to the US in FY2026, according to the latest Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) report. The US accounted for 72.5% of India's quartz surface-product exports during the year, making the industry largely dependent on the US market. As reported by The Times of India, The Economic Times, PTI, Business Standard, and Business Standard, Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Delhi-based think tank Global Trade Research Initiative, said the safeguard creates a 'major new market-access barrier' for India's export-oriented quartz industry. "With no guaranteed quota and more than 70% of Indian exports concentrated in the US market, the commercial impact could be disproportionate," he said. This represents the fourth instance in which India has sought such consultations with Washington, following previous cases involving steel and aluminium, automobiles and auto components, and copper imports. The quartz surface product dispute adds to a growing list of trade issues between India and the US, even as the two countries continue efforts to negotiate a broader trade agreement. According to Business Standard, Indian exports of these products to the US had already declined 35% in FY2026, though the new safeguard was not responsible for that fall.
WTO rules provide an exemption from safeguard measures for developing countries whose individual share of relevant imports is below 3%, provided that the combined share of all such developing countries does not cross 9% of total imports. As reported by The Times of India, The Economic Times, PTI, Business Standard, and Business Standard, this framework applies to the current situation with India's quartz surface product exports to the US. The US safeguard will remain in force for four years, from August 15, 2026, through August 14, 2030. During the first year, a global quota of 13.006 million square metres will apply, with the permitted volume divided into four quarterly allocations. India has not been assigned a specific quota and will therefore have to compete with other countries covered by the measure for access to the US market. Imports falling within the quota will attract an additional 25% duty, while shipments exceeding the quota will face a 50% tariff. Canada, Mexico, Australia, South Korea, Singapore and several other US free-trade partners, along with certain small developing-country suppliers, have been excluded from the safeguard, while India and China remain subject to the measure. According to Business Standard, the US safeguard is scheduled to remain in place for four years, with the quota divided into four quarterly allocations during the first year.
Indian production of quartz surfaces is primarily concentrated in Gujarat, Rajasthan and Telangana, with additional manufacturing capacity in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. Among the major Indian exporters are Pokarna Engineered Stone (marketing under Quantra brand), Marudhar Quartz Surfaces, KalingaStone-linked companies, ARO Granite Industries, Pacific Quartz Surfaces, Camrola Quartz, Esprit Stones, Mahi Granites, Keros Stone and Quartzkraft, according to the GTRI report. "Indian manufacturers have designed their slab sizes, patterns, certifications and distribution networks for the large US countertop and home-renovation market, making it difficult to shift quickly to other markets," GTRI notes. A large portion of Indian exports already attract antidumping and countervailing duties in the US, with Pokarna, Marudhar and 44 other Indian companies having a zero antidumping rate, while suppliers without review generally face a 1.02% rate. Countervailing duties range between 1.57% and 2.34%, with an 'all others' rate of 2.17%. The newly imposed safeguard duties will come on top of these existing company-specific duties, creating additional challenges for Indian exporters. As reported by Business Standard, GTRI's Srivastava noted that Indian manufacturers are especially vulnerable because they have developed slab sizes, designs, certifications and distribution networks specifically for the large US countertop market, making finding alternative markets quickly difficult.
