Shipping Granite & Quartz Slabs from India to the USA [2026]

Reviewed September 2026. Tariff lines, duty layers and packing rules are as published by the sources named in each section on that date.

Overview

This guide is for US importers, fabricators and distributors buying polished granite slabs and engineered quartz slabs from India: what the two products are for customs purposes, which duties each one carries in September 2026, how slabs are packed and why a 20-foot container is the normal box, which Indian ports they load at, what documents the entry needs, and how the door delivery to a fabricator works. India to the USA is among the lanes Airlift books most, and granite and quartz slabs are among the commodities it books most on that lane, moving as full-container loads through Airlift's own offices at both ends.

The two products are treated very differently at the US border. Natural granite is quarried stone and carries only its Column 1 rate plus the Section 301 line that applies to all Indian goods. Engineered quartz is a manufactured product, and quartz surface products from India have been under antidumping and countervailing duty orders since June 2020 and, since 15 August 2026, under a Section 201 safeguard tariff-rate quota that applies to all origins not on the exclusion list. The sections below take each layer in turn. For the general stone page (marble, limestone, sandstone, EU and Middle East requirements) see the stone and mineral commodities guide; for the lane itself see shipping from India to the USA.

3.7%

Column 1 duty on worked granite, HTS 6802.93

10%

Section 301 forced-labour tier for India, from 24 Jul 2026

25% / 50%

Section 201 quartz safeguard, in-quota / over-quota, from 15 Aug 2026

80,000 lb

US federal gross vehicle limit that caps a stone container on the road

What Ships: Granite, Quartz, Cut-to-Size

The form the stone leaves the factory in decides the tariff line, the packing and the weight per container.

Polished granite slabs

Quarried granite sawn into slabs and polished on one face, sold by the square metre and shipped standing on edge in bundles or on A-frames. Classified under HTS 6802.93.00 (the 6802.93.00.10 statistical line is for slabs not cut to size with one face surface-worked).

Engineered quartz slabs

Slabs made from crushed quartz and other silica bound with polyester resin. Typically sold as rectangular slabs of about 45 to 60 square feet, 1, 2 or 3 cm thick. Classified under HTS 6810.99.00 and, from India, subject to AD/CVD orders and the Section 201 safeguard.

Cut-to-size countertops and vanity tops

Granite cut to a customer's dimensions falls under HTS 6802.93.00.20 or .25 by thickness; quartz countertops, vanity tops and backsplashes stay inside the quartz surface products scope whether cut, edged or attached to a sink.

Sawn blocks and rough slabs

Granite merely sawn into rectangular blocks or slabs, not surface-worked, classifies earlier under HTS 2516.12.00 at 2.8%, and crude or roughly trimmed blocks under 2516.11.00 free of duty. These usually need flat-rack equipment and are covered on the general stone guide.

HTS Classification and Column 1 Rates

Rates are the Column 1 General rates in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule of the United States as published by the USITC, checked September 2026. India has no free trade agreement with the United States, so the Special column does not apply. Every rate below is charged before the Chapter 99 layers in the next section.

Natural granite (chapters 25 and 68)

How far the stone has been worked before export decides the line.

HTS line	Description	Column 1 rate	Notes
2516.11.00.00	Granite, crude or roughly trimmed	Free	Quarry blocks, not sawn
2516.12.00	Granite merely cut, by sawing or otherwise, into blocks or slabs of a rectangular shape	2.8%	Gang-sawn slabs with no surface working; statistical suffix by thickness (7.5 cm or more, or other)
6802.23.00.00	Granite, simply cut or sawn, with a flat or even surface	3.7%	Reported in tonnes
6802.93.00.10	Granite articles for monumental or building purposes, not cut to size, with only one face surface-worked more than simply cut or sawn	3.7%	The usual line for polished granite slabs sold by the square metre
6802.93.00.20 / .25	Granite, cut to size, maximum thickness 1.5 cm or less (.20) or over 1.5 cm up to 7.5 cm (.25)	3.7%	Cut-to-size countertops, vanity tops, treads
6802.93.00.35 / .60 / .90	Granite cut to size over 7.5 cm thick: monuments, bases and markers (.35) or other (.60); other worked granite (.90)	3.7%	Memorials, thick cut pieces and other finished articles

Engineered quartz and other agglomerated stone (heading 6810)

Engineered quartz is an article of artificial stone, not of natural stone, so it never classifies in heading 6802.

HTS line	Description	Column 1 rate	Notes
6810.99.00.20	Agglomerated quartz slabs of the type used for countertops, in slabs of rectangular shape, length 3 m or more and width 1.25 m or more	Free	Jumbo slabs; reported in square metres. Named in the Section 201 proclamation
6810.99.00.40	Agglomerated quartz slabs of the type used for countertops, other	Free	Standard-size slabs. Named in the Section 201 proclamation; cut pieces and countertops that leave the slab lines still fall in the AD/CVD and safeguard scope
6810.19.12.00	Tiles, flagstones and similar articles of stone agglomerated with binders other than cement	4.9%	Quartz or terrazzo tiles; also listed in the AD/CVD scope as a line subject merchandise may enter under
6810.19.14.00	Other tiles, flagstones and similar articles of cement, concrete or artificial stone	9%

These codes are indicative starting points, not a classification. Look up the exact ten-digit line for your product in the HTS Code Finder — classification is the importer of record’s legal responsibility.

Column 1 is only the first layer. Estimate the stack for your line and entry date with the tariff simulator, which applies the Section 301 line to Indian goods but does not add antidumping, countervailing or quota duties; those are covered in the next section. Census import values for these headings are on the HTS 6802 and HTS 6810 import-data pages.

Classification guide

Quarry block, not sawn: 2516.11 (Free). Sawn into rectangular slabs but not polished: 2516.12 (2.8%).
Granite slab with a flat sawn surface: 6802.23 (3.7%). Polished or otherwise surface-worked, not cut to size: 6802.93.00.10 (3.7%). Cut to size: 6802.93.00.20 or .25 by thickness.
Engineered quartz slab or countertop: 6810.99.00.20 (slabs 3 m by 1.25 m or larger) or 6810.99.00.40 (other), Column 1 Free, plus the Chapter 99 layers.
Natural quartzite is quarried stone and classifies in 6802.99 (6.5%), outside the quartz surface products orders; do not confuse it with engineered quartz.
India's export declaration uses the 8-digit ITC-HS code; the US entry uses the 10-digit HTSUS line. The first six digits match, the rest do not.

Classification is the importer's responsibility: The lines above are the ones granite and quartz slabs normally fall in. Statistical suffixes within one subheading can be treated differently by the Chapter 99 measures, and a description on the invoice such as 'stone slabs' is not a classification. Confirm the ten-digit line with your broker before the first entry.

Where to check the primary sources

USITC Harmonized Tariff Schedule

hts.usitc.gov
Current HTSUS text, statistical suffixes and Column 1 rates for headings 2516, 6802 and 6810, and the Chapter 99 headings 9903.05.44, 9903.45.30 and 9903.45.31.

CBP antidumping and countervailing duties

cbp.gov: AD/CVD
How CBP collects AD/CVD cash deposits at entry and the case-rate look-up for A-533-889 and C-533-890.

Commerce ACCESS

access.trade.gov
The public record of the quartz surface products investigations, administrative reviews and scope rulings.

Duty Layers on Indian Granite and Quartz, September 2026

What a US entry of Indian stone carries on top of the Column 1 rate, by product.

Duty layer	Natural granite (6802.93)	Engineered quartz (6810.99)	Basis
Column 1 general rate	3.7%	Free	HTSUS, USITC
Section 301 forced-labour action, India tier	10% under 9903.05.44	10% under 9903.05.44	In force from 24 July 2026 for about 60 economies; India in the 10% tier unless a general exemption in 9903.05.85–9903.05.92 applies (in-transit goods, Section 232 goods, aircraft, pharmaceuticals, donations, informational materials and the US note 52 lists)
Antidumping and countervailing duties, A-533-889 / C-533-890	Not covered: the scope excludes quarried stone such as granite, marble, soapstone and quartzite	Cash deposit at entry at the exporter's rate; orders in force since 22 June 2020, continued 18 December 2025	Federal Register, Commerce orders and continuation notice
Section 201 safeguard, quartz surface products	Not covered	25% in quota (9903.45.30) or 50% over quota (9903.45.31) in year one, cumulative with the Column 1 rate and any AD/CVD	Proclamation of 31 July 2026, effective 15 August 2026; India is not an excluded origin
IEEPA reciprocal tariff and Section 122 surcharge	Ended: IEEPA duties to entries up to 24 February 2026, the 10% Section 122 surcharge to entries from 24 February to 23 July 2026	Same	Tariff updates tracker
Merchandise processing fee and harbor maintenance fee	MPF 0.3464% of value (FY2026 minimum $33.58, maximum $651.50); HMF 0.125% on ocean arrivals	Same	CBP fee schedule, FY2026

Worked arithmetic: A $30,000 entry of polished granite slabs from India on 6802.93.00 pays $1,110 at 3.7% plus $3,000 under the Section 301 line, plus $103.92 MPF and $37.50 HMF: $4,251.42 in duty and fees, an applicable rate of 13.7% before fees. The same value of engineered quartz on 6810.99.00 pays $0 at Column 1, $3,000 under Section 301, the exporter's AD and CVD cash deposits, and 25% or 50% under the Section 201 quota heading, plus the same fees. The tariff simulator (measures dated 9 September 2026) returns the first two layers only.

AD/CVD and the Section 201 Quota on Quartz from India

The orders. Commerce published antidumping duty orders (case A-533-889) and countervailing duty orders (case C-533-890) on certain quartz surface products from India on 22 June 2020. The scope covers slabs and other surfaces made from a mixture that is predominantly silica (quartz, quartz powder, cristobalite, glass powder) with a resin binder, whether polished or unpolished, cut or uncut, fabricated or not, and including countertops, backsplashes, vanity tops, tiles and pieces attached to sinks or cabinets. The scope does not cover quarried stone surface products such as granite, marble, soapstone or quartzite, and it specifically excludes crushed-glass surface products that meet a four-part test. After the first five-year sunset review, Commerce and the ITC found that revoking the orders would likely lead to continued dumping, subsidies and injury, and the orders were continued with effect from 18 December 2025; the next sunset review is due in 2030.

How the cash deposit works. At entry CBP collects an AD cash deposit and a CVD cash deposit at the rate assigned to the exporter or producer on the entry, on top of the normal duty. The rates in the original orders were low single digits: for India the all-others AD margin was 3.19%, deposited at 1.02% after the export-subsidy offset, and the all-others CVD rate was 2.17%, with company-specific rates for Antique Marbonite and Pokarna Engineered Stone. Rates then move with each annual administrative review, which covers entries from 1 June to 31 May: a reviewed company's deposit becomes the rate in the final results of its latest review, a company never reviewed keeps the all-others rate, and if the exporter is not a reviewed firm but the manufacturer is, the manufacturer's rate applies. The preliminary results of the 2024–2025 review, published 14 September 2026, found 4.91% for Cuarzo/Beyyond Rocks and for the companies not selected, and 0.00% for Pokarna Engineered Stone; those become deposit rates only when the final results publish. The entry is not final at deposit: it is liquidated at the rate the review sets for that period, which can be higher or lower than what was deposited, so AD/CVD entries stay open for years and the importer of record carries the difference.

What that means for a buyer. Ask the supplier which legal entity will appear as exporter and producer on the invoice and look up that entity's current deposit rate before you price the order; the same slab from two Indian plants can deposit at different rates. Before liquidation, the importer must file the certificate under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) stating whether the exporter has reimbursed the AD/CVD; if it is not filed, Commerce may presume that the exporter reimbursed the duty and deduct that amount in the margin calculation (19 CFR 351.402(f)(3)). A slab that is finished, cut or packaged in a third country stays in scope if it was made in India.

The Section 201 safeguard. Separately from the AD/CVD orders, a presidential proclamation of 31 July 2026 imposed a four-year safeguard on quartz surface products from all origins not on its exclusion list, effective for entries on or after 12:01 a.m. eastern time on 15 August 2026. It runs as a tariff-rate quota under new US note 41 to subchapter III of chapter 99: goods entered within the quarterly quantity go under heading 9903.45.30, goods above it under 9903.45.31. The year-one rates are 25% in quota and 50% over quota, stepping to 23%/49%, 21%/48% and 19%/47% in years two to four. The year-one quantity is 13,006,426 square metres, released as 3,251,606 square metres in each quarter (15 August to 14 November, 15 November to 13 February, 14 February to 15 May, 16 May to 14 August), with unused quantity carried into the next quarter; it rises to 14,771,583, 15,236,099 and 15,700,614 square metres in the following years. The note states that the safeguard duty is cumulative with the chapter 68 rate and that all antidumping, countervailing or other duties continue to be imposed. Canada, Mexico, Australia, Colombia, the CAFTA-DR countries, Israel, Panama, Peru, Singapore, South Korea, a list of developing countries (which includes Brazil, Indonesia, Cambodia, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) and the CBERA beneficiaries are exempt; India is not on any of those lists, so Indian quartz pays the quota rate.

Planning around the quota. Because the quota is aggregate across all covered origins and fills in quarterly tranches, the rate your container pays depends on how much has been entered nationally by the time your entry is filed, not on your own volume. Ask the broker to check the quota fill before the vessel arrives, and model the landed cost at 50% rather than 25% if the entry will fall late in a quarter. CBP's filing guidance reports the Section 301 heading first, then Section 232, then the Section 201 duty and the Section 201 quota headings, so a quartz entry now carries several Chapter 99 lines that must be sequenced correctly; the tariff updates tracker carries the safeguard and the Section 301 action with their sources and effective dates, and Airlift's customs clearance team coordinates the entry through its licensed broker network.

Packing, Weight and the 20-Foot Rule

Stone is dense, brittle at the edges and expensive to re-handle. The container is chosen by weight, the packing by breakage risk, and the wood by the US plant-health rule.

Weight limits the box, not volume

The Challenge: Granite has a density of 2.6 to 2.8 tonnes per cubic metre, so a 3 cm slab weighs roughly 80 kg per square metre before its frame. A 20-foot container has a structural payload near 28 tonnes, but the road at the US end is the real ceiling: the federal limit on the Interstate system is 80,000 lb gross vehicle weight, 20,000 lb on a single axle and 34,000 lb on a tandem, inclusive of all tolerances (23 CFR 658.17).

The Solution: Plan a stone container around what the truck can legally carry, not what the container can hold. On a standard drayage move that leaves roughly 19 to 20 tonnes of cargo, bundles and frames included, which is why slabs move in 20-foot containers and a 40-foot box is only used for lighter cut pieces. Tri-axle chassis and state overweight permits allow more in some states at extra cost; tell us the delivery address and the gross weight per bundle and we quote the equipment and any permit with the freight. Overloading is discovered at the destination scale, where the cure is a transload at your expense.

Breakage at the edges and corners

The Challenge: Polished faces scratch and the corners of a 3 m slab chip or crack if a bundle shifts against the container wall or the slabs rub against each other during a month or more at sea.

The Solution: Slabs stand on edge, face to face, in strapped bundles or on wooden A-frames, with foam or plastic separators between faces and edge protectors under the straps. Following the GDV Container Handbook practice for granite and marble slabs on A-frames, the frames are shored with squared lumber against the container walls so they cannot shift or tip, strapping is tensioned around each slab and frame half, and lashings are only lightly pretensioned because the slabs are fragile; friction with the floor carries most of the longitudinal force. Whether one or two frames go in one container depends on the mass of the cargo. Bundles are numbered and the packing list states each bundle's slab count, dimensions and gross weight so the receiver can plan the forklift or crane lift.

Wood packaging at the US border

The Challenge: The A-frames, crates, pallets and dunnage are regulated wood packaging material. The stone itself is not a plant-health article and needs no fumigation, but the wood is inspected.

The Solution: Under 7 CFR 319.40-3(b) every piece of wood packaging entering the United States must have been treated (heat treatment or methyl bromide fumigation under 7 CFR part 305) and must carry the IPPC mark, legibly and permanently, preferably on two opposite sides: the IPPC symbol, the ISO country code (IN), the treatment provider's registration number and HT or MB. No separate certificate is required for the mark, but non-compliant wood is subject to immediate re-export with the cargo still on it, so the exporter should photograph the marks on every frame before stuffing. Steel A-frames are not wood packaging and fall outside the rule.

Unloading at the fabricator

The Challenge: A slab bundle is a two-to-three tonne lift that must come out of a box container through the doors, and most fabrication shops have no loading dock.

The Solution: Confirm before booking that the receiver has a forklift with a slab boom or clamp rated for the heaviest bundle, hard standing for a tractor and chassis, and staff who unload stone. Where they do not, the container is delivered to a stone warehouse or a transload yard and the bundles are trucked in on a flatbed. Airlift arranges the drayage and the delivery appointment through its own US offices; give us the receiver's unloading equipment when you ask for the quote.

Indian Load Ports, US Gateways and Transit

Airlift loads granite mainly through Chennai, Ennore (Kamarajar) and Kattupalli for the South Indian processing units, and engineered quartz mainly through Mundra and Nhava Sheva (JNPT), with export documentation handled by its own Chennai, Gandhidham and Navi Mumbai offices. On the US side the containers arrive at New York/New Jersey, Norfolk, Savannah, Houston, Charleston, Los Angeles/Long Beach and Oakland, with door delivery to the fabricator or distributor from the nearest one. Transit ranges below are the published port-to-port planning ranges from the port-pair pages; they are not guaranteed durations.

Port-to-port planning ranges, September 2026

Indian load port	Typical stone cargo	US gateways with a pair page	Planning range, port to port
Chennai (INMAA)	Polished granite slabs, cut-to-size, monuments	New York, Norfolk, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland	31–48 days to New York; 36–54 to Norfolk; 36–50 to Los Angeles; 32–38 to Long Beach; 41–60 to Oakland
Ennore / Kamarajar (INENR) and Kattupalli	Polished granite slabs from the same South Indian processing belt as Chennai	New York, Norfolk, Houston, Savannah via the same services as Chennai	No pair page yet; ask for the current sailing
Mundra (INMUN)	Engineered quartz slabs, granite from the north and west	New York, Norfolk, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland	33–51 days to New York; 35–52 to Norfolk; 35–50 to Los Angeles; 34–41 to Long Beach; 40–55 to Oakland
Nhava Sheva / JNPT (INNSA)	Engineered quartz slabs, granite and marble from the west	New York, Norfolk, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Oakland	32–49 days to New York; 36–48 to Norfolk; 36–50 to Los Angeles; 32–38 to Long Beach; 41–54 to Oakland

Pair pages: Chennai to New York, Chennai to Norfolk, Mundra to New York, Mundra to Norfolk, Nhava Sheva to New York, Nhava Sheva to Los Angeles. Live sailings and carrier services: Chennai to New York, Mundra to New York and Nhava Sheva to Norfolk on Sealanes. Port profiles: INMAA, INENR, INMUN, INNSA. Search published ocean rates for these pairs (availability varies) on the rate search, or use the enquiry form below.

Documents for a Slab Shipment

What the US entry, the ISF and the AD/CVD filing need from the Indian shipper.

Document	What it must show for stone	Who prepares it
Commercial invoice	Stone type and finish (polished granite, engineered quartz), thickness, quantity in square metres or square feet and in slabs, unit price and currency, Incoterm, and for quartz the producer and exporter legal names exactly as they appear in the AD/CVD case records	Exporter
Packing list	Bundle or crate numbers, slabs per bundle, slab length, width and thickness, net and gross weight per bundle, container and seal number; this is what the drayage, the scale and the receiver's forklift are planned from	Exporter
Bill of lading	Container, seal, piece count as bundles or crates, gross weight, and the verified gross mass declared before loading	Airlift (house bill) and the carrier (master bill)
Importer Security Filing (ISF)	Filed 24 hours before the container is loaded in India; needs the manufacturer, seller, buyer, ship-to, HTS code, container stuffing location and consolidator	Importer or Airlift on the importer's behalf
Certificate of origin	Non-preferential certificate from an Indian chamber; there is no US–India free trade agreement, so it does not lower the duty, but origin decides the Section 301 tier, the AD/CVD orders and the safeguard	Exporter
IPPC mark on all wood packaging	Symbol, IN country code, treatment provider number and HT or MB on every A-frame, crate and pallet; photographed before stuffing. No fumigation certificate is required for the stone itself	Exporter and its packing supplier
AD/CVD reimbursement certificate (quartz only)	Importer's statement under 19 CFR 351.402(f)(2) on whether the exporter reimbursed the antidumping or countervailing duties, filed before liquidation	Importer of record
Cargo insurance certificate	Cover for breakage and chipping as well as loss, for the full invoice value plus freight, on the leg the buyer is responsible for under the Incoterm	Importer, or Airlift on request

Insurance and Incoterms: Under FOB terms the risk passes to the buyer when the goods are on board in India, and under FCA when they are handed to the carrier, so the ocean leg and the US delivery are the buyer's to insure; under CIF the seller only has to buy the minimum cover Incoterms 2020 requires (Institute Cargo Clauses C), which responds to major casualties, not to chipped edges. Stone claims are almost always partial damage rather than total loss, which is why an all-risk policy that covers breakage, with the packing list and photographs of the bundles taken at stuffing and at unloading, is the difference between a paid claim and a dispute. Airlift can arrange cover with the freight; see the cargo insurance service page.

FAQs

What is the HS code for granite slabs?

Polished granite slabs that are not cut to size fall in HTS 6802.93.00, statistical line 6802.93.00.10, at a Column 1 rate of 3.7%. Slabs that are only sawn flat and not otherwise surface-worked are 6802.23.00.00, also 3.7%, and slabs merely sawn from the block with no surface working go back to 2516.12.00 at 2.8%. Cut-to-size pieces are 6802.93.00.20 or .25 by thickness. India's export declaration uses the 8-digit ITC-HS code, which shares the first six digits. Find the ten-digit line for your product in the HTS code finder.

What is the HS code for engineered quartz slabs?

Engineered quartz is an article of artificial stone in heading 6810, not natural stone in 6802. The HTSUS has a statistical breakout for agglomerated quartz slabs of the type used for countertops: 6810.99.00.20 for rectangular slabs at least 3 m long and 1.25 m wide, and 6810.99.00.40 for other slabs; both are Column 1 Free. Those two lines and 7020.00.6000 are the ones named in the Section 201 proclamation, and the AD/CVD scope lists the earlier 6810.99.0010 line plus lines such as 6810.19.1200 and 6810.11.0070 that subject merchandise may also enter under. The written scope, not the HTS number, decides whether a product is covered.

What duty does granite from India pay in 2026?

The Column 1 rate of 3.7% plus the 10% Section 301 forced-labour line for Indian goods (HTS 9903.05.44, in force since 24 July 2026), an applicable rate of 13.7%, plus the merchandise processing fee at 0.3464% and the harbor maintenance fee at 0.125% on ocean arrivals. Natural granite is outside the quartz surface products AD/CVD orders and outside the Section 201 safeguard. The IEEPA tariffs and the Section 122 surcharge no longer apply to entries after 23 July 2026; if you entered granite between 24 February and 23 July 2026 the Section 122 refund calculator shows what was paid. Run your own value and date through the tariff simulator.

Do quartz slabs from India pay antidumping and countervailing duty?

Yes. Commerce's antidumping order A-533-889 and countervailing duty order C-533-890 on certain quartz surface products from India have been in force since 22 June 2020 and were continued on 18 December 2025 after the first sunset review. CBP collects an AD cash deposit and a CVD cash deposit at entry at the rate assigned to the exporter or producer on the invoice; the original all-others deposit rates were 1.02% AD and 2.17% CVD, and company rates change with each annual administrative review. The entry is later liquidated at the rate the review sets, so the final amount can differ from the deposit. Look up the exporter's current rate before you price the order.

What is the Section 201 safeguard on quartz surface products and does it apply to India?

A four-year safeguard tariff-rate quota on quartz surface products from all non-exempt origins, effective for entries on or after 15 August 2026. Year one is 25% on entries within the quarterly quota under HTS 9903.45.30 and 50% above it under 9903.45.31, cumulative with the Column 1 rate and with any AD/CVD, stepping down to 19% and 47% by year four. The year-one quantity is 13,006,426 square metres released in four quarterly tranches of 3,251,606 square metres, with unused quantity carried forward. Canada, Mexico, Australia, Colombia, the CAFTA-DR countries, Israel, Panama, Peru, Singapore, South Korea, the listed developing countries and CBERA beneficiaries are exempt; India is not, so Indian quartz pays the quota rate.

Does the tariff simulator include the AD/CVD deposits and the quartz quota?

No. The simulator returns the Column 1 rate, the Section 301 line for Indian goods and the MPF and HMF, and its assumptions state that antidumping, countervailing and quota provisions are not included. For engineered quartz, add the exporter's AD and CVD cash deposit rates and the 25% or 50% Section 201 rate to the simulator's figure. For natural granite the simulator's figure is the full stack.

How much granite fits in a 20-foot container?

By weight, not by volume. Granite is 2.6 to 2.8 tonnes per cubic metre, so a 3 cm slab weighs about 80 kg per square metre and a 2 cm slab about 55 kg; a bundle of seven 3 cm slabs of 5 square metres each is roughly 2.8 tonnes before the frame. The container's structural payload is near 28 tonnes, but US road rules (80,000 lb gross vehicle weight and 20,000 lb single / 34,000 lb tandem axle limits on the Interstate system) cap a standard drayage move at roughly 19 to 20 tonnes of cargo, or about 240 square metres of 3 cm slab including frames. That is why slabs ship in 20-foot containers; a 40-foot box reaches the same road limit less than half full. The container load calculator checks your bundle weights against both limits.

How are slabs packed for sea freight?

Standing on edge, face to face, in strapped bundles or on wooden or steel A-frames, with separators between the polished faces and edge protectors under the straps. The frames are shored with squared lumber against the container walls so they cannot shift or tip, strapping is tensioned around each slab and frame half, and lashings are only lightly pretensioned because the slabs are fragile (GDV Container Handbook, granite and marble slabs on A-frames). Whether one or two frames go in a container depends on the mass. Cut-to-size pieces and tiles go in wooden crates. Every bundle is numbered and its slab count, dimensions and gross weight appear on the packing list.

Do granite or quartz shipments need fumigation?

The stone does not. The wooden A-frames, crates, pallets and dunnage do: under 7 CFR 319.40-3 all wood packaging material entering the United States must be heat treated or fumigated with methyl bromide under 7 CFR part 305 and marked with the IPPC mark showing the IN country code, the treatment provider's number and HT or MB. The mark is the certificate; no separate fumigation certificate is needed. Unmarked or illegible wood is refused and re-exported with the cargo, so the exporter should photograph the marks on every frame at stuffing.

Which Indian ports do granite and quartz ship from?

Airlift loads South Indian granite mainly at Chennai, Ennore (Kamarajar) and Kattupalli, and engineered quartz mainly at Mundra and Nhava Sheva (JNPT), with the export documentation handled by Airlift's own Chennai, Gandhidham and Navi Mumbai offices. Published port-to-port planning ranges to New York are 31–48 days from Chennai, 33–51 from Mundra and 32–49 from Nhava Sheva; see the India to USA lane page for the full table and the Sealanes port pages for current sailings.

How long does a slab container take from India to a US fabricator?

Port to port, the published planning ranges run from about 31 days (Chennai to New York, low end) to about 60 days (Chennai to Oakland, high end) depending on the pair and the service. Add the origin side (stuffing at the factory, trucking to the port, the container cut-off, typically three to seven days before sailing) and the destination side (customs release, the AD/CVD and quota filing for quartz, chassis and drayage, and the delivery appointment). Ask for the current sailing when you book, because services on this lane change, and plan the fabricator's schedule from the arrival date plus the release and delivery days rather than from the port-to-port range.

Should I insure slab shipments, and what should the policy cover?

Yes, and it should cover breakage and chipping, not only total loss. Under FOB terms risk passes to you when the goods are on board in India, and under FCA when they are handed to the carrier, so the ocean leg and the US delivery are yours to insure; under CIF the seller's cover is the Incoterms minimum (Institute Cargo Clauses C), which does not cover chipping or partial breakage. The Incoterms guide sets out who carries the risk on each term. Insure the invoice value plus freight, keep the packing list and photographs of every bundle at stuffing and at unloading, and note damage on the delivery receipt before the driver leaves. Airlift arranges cargo insurance with the freight on request.

Can Airlift deliver the container to my fabrication shop?

Yes, where the shop can receive it. Door delivery is a chassis move from the port or rail ramp with a live unload, so the receiver needs hard standing for a tractor and chassis, a forklift with a slab boom or clamp rated for the heaviest bundle, and staff used to unloading stone; the truck's free time is limited and waiting time is charged. Where the shop cannot receive a container, we deliver to a stone warehouse or transload yard and the bundles go in on a flatbed. Airlift's own offices in New Jersey and Los Angeles arrange the drayage and the appointment; give us the receiver's equipment and hours with the enquiry.

U.S. import duty on Granite & Engineered Quartz Slabs by origin

Calculated total duty for the highest-value tariff lines in this category, by origin country, from our tariff engine and U.S. Census import values. Each page shows the duty components, the entry-date history and the landed-cost arithmetic.

25 more in this group. Rates are the engine's calculated total for a commercial entry today; see each page for the components and entry-date history. Browse all import duty pages or price your own shipment.

Get a quote to ship granite or quartz slabs from India

This guide is already in the notes. Add the slab type (natural granite or engineered quartz), the thickness, the number of bundles or crates and their gross weights, the load port, the US delivery city and the ready date; we reply with the ocean freight, the destination charges, the door delivery and the services included.