A quartz countertop tariff could double your kitchen renovation cost — and kill 13 jobs for every one it creates

Americans are already facing a difficult housing market in which buying a home or making renovations has become more expensive. Even something as basic as replacing a kitchen countertop now carries a higher price tag than it did a few years ago. A proposed tariff on quartz surface products would make matters worse. The US International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled last month that imported quartz surfaces are harming domestic quartz manufacturers. The ultimate decision about whether to impose quartz tariffs now rests with President Trump. If he decides to implement them, the effects will extend far beyond the manufacturers the policy is intended to protect. The ripple effect begins with a simple mechanism: tariffs are taxes on imports, and importers pass those costs forward. They would raise the cost of importing quartz slabs, which are used in construction and remodeling. Importers and fabricators would face higher input costs, which they typically pass along the supply chain. Builders, contractors, and remodelers would then pay more for materials, and those higher costs would ultimately be reflected in the prices paid by homeowners and buyers of new homes. In a prior estimate, I found that this would increase the cost of a typical quartz countertop from $504 to $1,036 per kitchen. Higher prices change household decisions. Some households might postpone renovations, hoping that prices will drop. Others will scale back upgrades or opt for different materials. And some will simply decide not to pursue the project at all. Those household choices reverberate far beyond individual projects. Imported slabs move first through distributors and fabricators, where they are cut, finished, and prepared for installation. From there, installers, contractors, and remodelers carry out the work in homes and new construction projects. Each step depends on steady demand for affordable quartz products. When fewer renovations and installations are undertaken, demand falls across the ent