Quartz tariff decision could raise renovation costs, analyst warns
A CEI analyst says proposed quartz tariffs could lift countertop prices and put more downstream jobs at risk than they protect.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
3 min read
President Trump is weighing tariffs on imported quartz surfaces after the U.S. International Trade Commission found last month that imports are hurting domestic quartz manufacturers. The decision matters for homeowners, builders and remodeling firms because quartz slabs are widely used in kitchen renovations and new construction.
Steve Swedberg, a finance and monetary policy analyst at the Competitive Enterprise Institute, wrote in Fortune that the tariffs would act as an import tax that buyers in the supply chain would likely pass along. He said that would raise costs first for importers and fabricators, then for builders, contractors and remodelers, and finally for homeowners.
Swedberg estimated that a typical quartz countertop could rise in cost from $504 to $1,036 per kitchen if the tariff is imposed. He argued that the increase would land in a housing market where buying and renovating homes has already become more expensive.
Jobs debate centers on downstream firms
The trade case also carries a jobs dispute. According to Swedberg, plaintiffs in the ITC proceedings in April projected that the tariff would add about 500 jobs. Respondents estimated that more than 6,400 jobs tied to fabrication, installation and related construction work could be at risk.
Swedberg said that ratio works out to roughly 13 jobs threatened for every job gained. He argued that the employment effects would not stop at quartz producers because imported slabs move through distributors, fabricators, installers, contractors and remodelers before they reach a finished kitchen.
If prices rise, Swedberg wrote, some households could delay renovation projects, choose cheaper materials or cancel the work. He said lower demand would mean fewer orders for fabricators and fewer installation jobs for contractors and remodelers.
Broader trade-policy fight
Swedberg tied the quartz case to a wider criticism of U.S. tariff policy. He wrote that earlier U.S. tariff episodes have produced benefits for protected industries while causing larger losses among businesses that use the tariffed goods.
He also cited an International Monetary Fund analysis of 151 countries that found tariffs lead to net job losses. Swedberg used that finding to argue that targeted trade barriers can reduce hours and employment in other industries even when they help a narrow group of producers.
The ITC ruling does not by itself impose the tariff. Swedberg said the final choice now rests with Trump, and he urged policymakers to weigh consumers and downstream workers as well as the companies seeking protection.
Swedberg also called for Congress to reclaim more authority over tariffs, arguing that presidents have too much discretion to impose import taxes. Fortune noted that his piece was commentary and reflected his views, not necessarily those of the publication.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.