U.S. Tariffs on Brazil Natural Stone Could Return
WASHINGTON – Brazilian natural stone – with some exemptions – could face an additional 25% tariff later this year.
The office of the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) announced yesterday that most exports from Brazil would come under a new Section 301 tariff now under consideration.
The possible tariff includes some exemptions, including the customs category including quartzite. Granite, marble, and slate would be among the varieties susceptible to the new tariff.
The USTR will hold a public hearing here on the proposed tariff on July 6.
The USTR proposed the tariff due to an investigation prompted by President Donald Trump last July.
The USTR claimed several areas concerning U.S.-Brazil trade are “actionable” to impose a Section 301 tariff, including:
- Digital trade and electronic payment services;
- Unfair preferential tariffs;
- Anti-corruption enforcement;
- Intellectual property protection;
- Ethanol market access; and
- Illegal deforestation.
The USTR proposal also includes 77 pages of Harmonized Tariff Schedule (HTS) codes for goods to be exempt from the proposed tariff. The sole hard-surface listing is for 6802.99.00 – the Other Stone category that includes quartzite.
The remainder of Brazil-sourced natural stone, such as granite, marble, and slate, would be subject to the proposed tariff.
Brazil is among the top natural-stone trading partners with the United States, with its 596,645 metric tons shipped in 2025 accounting for 24.3% of all imported natural-stone volume, according to data analysis from Hard-Surface Report. The $915.5 million in customs value made up nearly 41% of all natural-stone value in 2025.
The USTR will accept written comments online through June 22. To make a comment, go to https://comments.ustr.gov/s and use the docket number USTR-2026-0331, Request for Comments Concerning Proposed Action Pursuant to the Section 301 Investigation of Brazil’s Acts, Policies, and Practices Related to Digital Trade and Electronic Payment Services; Unfair, Preferential Tariffs; Anti-Corruption Enforcement; Intellectual Property Protection; Ethanol Market Access; and Illegal Deforestation.
Brazilian natural stone came under tariffs of up to 50% last year under rates set by the president under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). Quartzite and the Other Stone category received a reprieve from the highest rate, but all the IEEPA tariffs were dropped after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled in February that the president exceeded his authority to implement the tariffs.
