U.S. Hard-Surface Imports Up in 2024

WASHINGTON – Hard-surface imports for the United States almost reached $5 billion in 2024, led by strong gains in quartz-surfaces and the catch-all Other Stone sector.

An analysis of import data by Hard-Surface Report shows last year’s final tally of natural stone, quartz surfaces, and porcelain at $4.98 billion in customs value, up 7% from 2023.

The biggest percentae gain in 2024 came with the Other Stone sector (which includes quartzite), with 2024’s $553.3 million topping the previous year by 19.7%. Brazil led all countries in shipments, with its $368.5 million marking a stunning 41% rise from 2023 totals.

Quartz surfaces easily outpaced all other sectors in value, with $1.6 billion – a 13.9% year-over-year gain — coming across U.S. ports-of-entry last year. India topped all other countries, with $467.6 million in surfaces surpassing the country’s 2023 total of $333.4 million.

Porcelain, the second-biggest hard-surface sector, came in at $1.2 billion last year, showing a modest 1.8% year-over-year decline. Granite, the only other sector to finish beneath 2023 shipments, dipped by only 0.4% to finish at $598.8 million last year.

The 2024 U.S. hard-surface-import total of $4.98 billion is the third-largest in history, behind $5.55 billion in 2022 and $5.21 billion in 2021.

A full report on 2024 hard-surface imports will be included in the next issue of Stone Update Magazine late next month.