Engineered quartz slabs from Egypt for US and European importers
DEXPRO exports Cuarzo del Nilo engineered quartz slabs produced in Egypt on Italian Breton lines. Three Control Union certified shipments have been delivered to Norfolk, Virginia.
Slab specification
| Parameter | Specification |
|---|---|
| Composition | Approx. 90% quartz, 10% resin |
| Raw quartz purity | SiO2 99.6–99.9% |
| Production | Breton lines (Italy), Egypt |
| Slab format | Jumbo, 3270 × 1610 mm (5.26 m²) |
| Thickness | 12 mm · 20 mm · 30 mm |
| Finish | Polished |
| Pricing | By design; marble-look designs such as Calacatta are priced higher |
Buying for Germany or Europe?
EU customs code, duty-free Egyptian origin, EN 14617 test reports and German silica rules are on the quartz slabs for Germany and Europe page.
US trade position
The offer in brief
Since 15 August 2026, quartz slabs from the main supplying countries, including China, India, Vietnam, Turkey, Spain and Italy, pay a US safeguard duty of 25%, rising to 50% once the shared quota is used. Egypt is on the list of excluded developing countries, so Egyptian quartz pays no safeguard duty and uses no quota. DEXPRO offers dedicated, quota-free supply of premium quartz slabs made on Breton lines in Egypt.
US duty on Egyptian slabs today: 0% base rate (HTS 6810.99.0020) plus the 12.5% Section 301 duty that has applied to all goods from Egypt since 24 July 2026. Your customs broker confirms the duty for each entry. See the US market comparison.
Engineered quartz slabs are classified under HS 6810.99. Since 15 August 2026, quartz surface products from China, India, Vietnam, Turkey, Spain, Italy and other non-excluded origins pay a US safeguard duty of 25%, rising to 50% once the quota is used; those from China, India and Turkey also carry antidumping and countervailing duty orders. Egyptian-origin slabs are not. Your customs broker should confirm the current duty for each entry.
Fabrication safety
Engineered quartz has a high crystalline silica content. Cutting and polishing must follow the OSHA respirable crystalline silica standard (29 CFR 1910.1053), and in California the Cal/OSHA rules for engineered stone. A safety data sheet comes with every shipment, and a lower-silica line is available on request.
The US quartz market after the safeguard
Imports supplied 88% of US quartz consumption in 2024, about 21.7 million m². Since 15 August 2026, the US safeguard has added 25% to 50% to the landed cost of most of those origins, while the year-one quota of 13.0 million m² covers only about 60% of 2024 import volume.
| Origin | US safeguard | Added to landed cost | Other trade-remedy duties |
|---|---|---|---|
| Italy, Spain | Covered | +25% in quota · +50% over quota | None |
| Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand | Covered | +25% in quota · +50% over quota | None |
| India, Turkey | Covered | +25% in quota · +50% over quota | Antidumping and countervailing duties |
| China | Covered | +25% in quota · +50% over quota | Antidumping duty up to 326% |
| Egypt · Cuarzo del Nilo | Excluded | None · no quota | None |
Sources: US International Trade Commission, Quartz Surface Products, Investigation TA-201-79, Publication 5738 (May 2026); presidential proclamation and annex of 31 July 2026. The safeguard is added to each origin’s normal duties.
What US buyers pay for
In the Commission’s data, long-vein marble-look designs carry the highest import value of any design, and premium brands’ share of importer shipments rose from 36.5% in 2020 to 50.3% in 2025. Design and presentation set the price. Cuarzo del Nilo is built around exactly that segment.
Why Egypt sits outside the competition
Egypt is one of the few quartz origins that can supply the US without the safeguard, without quota risk and without trade-remedy duties.
| Duty or risk | Cuarzo del Nilo (Egypt) | Italy, Spain | Vietnam, Malaysia, Thailand | India, Turkey | China |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Safeguard, from 15 Aug 2026 | None (excluded) | 25% / 50% | 25% / 50% | 25% / 50% | 25% / 50% |
| Quota exposure | None | Shared quota | Shared quota | Shared quota | Shared quota |
| Antidumping / countervailing duties | None | None | None | Yes | Up to 326% AD |
| Normal duty, HTS 6810.99.0020 | Free | Free | Free | Free | Free |
| Country tariff | 12.5% | Country rate | Country rate | Country rate | Country rate |
- Excluded by name. Egypt is listed among the developing countries excluded from the safeguard in US note 41(c)(iii) of the proclamation annex. Egyptian slabs do not draw on the shared quota.
- Quota-free planning. The quota is released quarterly and is far below current import volume. For covered origins, every shipment risks the 50% rate once the quarter’s quota is used. Cuarzo del Nilo carries no such risk, so buyers can plan regular monthly volumes at a known duty.
- Atlantic route. Slabs are loaded at Alexandria or Damietta and shipped across the Mediterranean and Atlantic to US East Coast ports, with no Red Sea routing.
- Canada. Egyptian-origin slabs shipped directly to Canada can enter duty-free under Canada’s General Preferential Tariff, for which Egypt is an eligible country.
- European Union. With an EUR.1 movement certificate, Egyptian slabs enter Germany, Italy and the whole EU at 0% duty under the EU–Egypt Association Agreement.
- Clean origin. Quartz mined, processed and formed into slabs in Egypt, with full origin documentation from quarry to container.
Egypt’s exclusion applies while its share of US quartz imports stays below the thresholds set in the proclamation. Your customs broker confirms the duty for each entry.
Italian technology, Egyptian quartz: why Cuarzo del Nilo can supply the US at scale
The safeguard opens a gap in US supply. Filling it takes more than an excluded origin. It takes slabs that match the quality US buyers already pay for, in volume, shipment after shipment. Cuarzo del Nilo is built for exactly that.
| Capability | What it means for the buyer |
|---|---|
| Italian Breton technology | Slabs are produced on Breton production lines installed in 2024. Breton of Italy invented the vacuum vibro-compression process for engineered stone, the process used by the leading engineered-stone brands worldwide. |
| Automated from mixing to polishing | One automated line runs from raw-material mixing to the finished surface, with an 18-head polishing line for a uniform polished finish (Ra below 0.1 µm). |
| High-purity Egyptian quartz | About 90% quartz and 10% resin. The raw quartz is SiO₂ 99.6–99.9%, which keeps whites clean and veining sharp. |
| Consistent, tested quality | Colour variation below 1% from batch to batch, flexural strength above 60 MPa, and test reports to EN 14617. |
| The designs US buyers pay for | Long-vein marble looks such as Calacatta and Statuario, and quartzite looks, in jumbo 5.26 m² slabs, 12, 20 and 30 mm. |
| Capacity for regular programmes | Production capacity of about 50,000 m² of slabs per month, so importers can plan monthly volumes, not single trial loads. |
| Low-silica option | A low-silica range with a maximum of 1% crystalline silica, with laboratory reports, for markets with stricter fabrication rules such as California. |
| Proven in the US market | Three Control Union certified shipments delivered to Norfolk, Virginia, and independent inspection before every shipment. |
Quality, scale and a safeguard-free origin together: that is what Cuarzo del Nilo offers US importers and distributors today.
Minimum order and payment terms
Clear terms for importers and distributors, confirmed in each quotation.
| Term | Detail |
|---|---|
| Minimum order | 1,500 m² per order. Colours and designs can be mixed. |
| Trial order — payment | 50% advance payment; 50% against a copy of the full set of clean on-board shipping documents. |
| Long-term contract | Based on a minimum quantity in m² per month. |
| Long-term contract — payment | 20% advance payment covering three months of shipments; 80% by irrevocable letter of credit payable at sight. |
| Incoterms | FOB Egyptian Mediterranean ports. |
Shipments and documents
Control Union certified shipments to Norfolk, Virginia: Ore098, Ore099 and Ore105. Each container ships with a packing list by design and thickness, inspection report, certificate of origin and safety data sheet.
Frequently asked questions
What size are the slabs?
Jumbo slabs of 5.26 m², in 12, 20 and 30 mm thickness.
Are Egyptian quartz slabs subject to the US quartz safeguard or antidumping duties?
The US safeguard on quartz surface products (25%, rising to 50% above the quota, since 15 August 2026) excludes Egypt, and the antidumping and countervailing duty orders cover China, India and Turkey. Egyptian-origin slabs are covered by neither. Confirm current duties with your customs broker.
What is the slab made of?
Approximately 90% quartz and 10% resin. The raw quartz is 99.6–99.9% SiO2.
Do you supply a safety data sheet?
Yes, with every shipment. A lower-silica line is available on request.
Request a quotation
Tell us the designs, thickness, number of containers and destination port. We reply with pricing by design and current availability.
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