From marble in your bathroom to quartz in your kitchen, the global stone supply chain is cracking — and the consequences are about to surface.

Why Your Dream Kitchen Just Got Pricier

Stone is no longer just a design choice — it’s the heart of the modern home. Marble-clad bathrooms. Quartz countertops in every kitchen. Gemstone accents in lounges and entryways. But a quiet storm is brewing that could send shockwaves through every renovation project in America: tariffs and trade restrictions on imported stone.

From the quarries of Italy to the stone yards of India, global supply chains are tightening — and the fallout may be worse than anyone expected.

A Global Squeeze on Stone

The U.S. government has imposed steep tariffs on imported stone from countries like Italy, Spain, Vietnam, Korea, India, Brazil, and even China, where quartz used to be the most affordable option for the masses. The numbers don’t lie:

• Vietnam: Up to 46% tariff on quartz

• China: Ongoing duties exceeding 300% on engineered quartz

• Brazil, Turkey, and others: 10%+ tariffs across categories

What does that mean for you? Prices are going up — fast.

From Mass Market to Million-Dollar Homes — Everyone Is Affected

Whether you're remodeling a penthouse or upgrading a modest home, the impact is sweeping:

• Quartz countertops, once affordable and mass-produced in China and Vietnam, are now scarce or significantly more expensive.

• High-end marbles from Italy, like Calacatta or Arabescato, may face slower lead times, logistical challenges, and rising costs.

• Exotic quartzites from Brazil — once a designer’s dream — are becoming a sourcing nightmare.

Stone, once considered an upgrade, is fast becoming a luxury that might slip out of reach for many.

Will American Companies Fill the Void — or Exploit It?

Domestic stone suppliers like Vermont Quarries and Cambria may gain market share, but at what cost? Industry insiders recall how U.S. manufacturers raised prices after tariffs on Chinese quartz in 2018–2019.

Will history repeat itself?

According to a 2019 Spectrum News report, many American quartz manufacturers hiked prices, not to stay competitive, but to capitalize on reduced foreign competition.

“Tariffs aren’t saving jobs — they’re enriching monopolies,” said one unnamed importer interviewed at the time.

If the same playbook is used now, expect price hikes across the board, even on domestically sourced products.

---

What the Economists Are Saying

Leading economists are skeptical that these protectionist measures will do any long-term good:

• Douglas Irwin, trade historian at Dartmouth, warns that “Tariffs rarely lead to job growth, but almost always lead to price increases.”

• The Tax Foundation estimates that U.S. tariffs implemented since 2018 could shrink GDP by 0.7%, with little to no gain in manufacturing output.

In other words: you pay more, and get less.

---

The Bottom Line: A New Era of Stone Scarcity?

As stone becomes the aesthetic centerpiece of nearly every space — kitchens, baths, living rooms, home bars, outdoor kitchens — the supply shock couldn’t come at a worse time. For homeowners, designers, and builders, the question isn’t just “what color do I want?” anymore.

It’s: “Will I even be able to get it?”

At Zicana Boutique, we’ve spent decades building global relationships with suppliers and quarry owners. And while the world changes, one thing remains the same: we find a way — to bring you the rarest, finest, and most sought-after surfaces on the planet.

Before the next wave of tariffs hits, we suggest you lock in your slabs. Because the world of stone? It’s changing fast.