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TRANSCRIPT

00:00 Brought to You by TAB Quartz
00:20 Intro
00:31 New 25% Tariff on Brazilian Goods
04:29 A Word from TAB Quartz
05:38 Brazil in U.S. Natural-Stone Supply Chain
07:05 CalOSHA Hearing on Engineered Stone Rules
08:30 Gary Distelhorst Dead at 84
10:30 Silicosis Fine Costly in Australia
12:42 ISFA Plans Aug. 5 Porcelain Fab Training
14:11 Outro
14:37 Brought to You by TAB Quartz

00:20

Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest in hard surfaces industry news from Radio Stone Update.

00:31

Barely a week after two days of hearings in Washington, a new 25% tariff came down on many Brazilian products, including a large range of natural stone.

The new tariff, taking effect today, exempts quartzite and limited varieties under the Other Stone classification, but major types such as granite, any calcareous, and slate will be subject to the levy.

“Safeguarding American economic interests against unfair trade practices is the bedrock of President (Donald) Trump’s America First policies,” stated U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in announcing the action on July 15. 

Greer noted the motives for the action include claims of lax anti-corruption enforcement, conflicts with U.S. technology companies on digital issues, and illegal deforestation to expand Brazilian farmland. The office of U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) received more than 360 comments concerning the proposal.

“Extensive negotiations with Brazil over the past year have not resolved these issues, but we remain open to continuing negotiations with Brazil to bring about long-needed changes to the problems identified in this investigation,” Greer added.

The new tariff, allowed under Section 301 of U.S. trade law, will be enforced as of 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 22. Goods loaded for transit to the United States will avoid the new 25% tariff if they enter the country before 12:01 a.m. EDT on July 29.

The last set of hearings on July 6-7 included Fabio Cruz, vice president of Brazilian natural-stone association Centrorochas, as well as other stone-industry members. All of them asked for exemptions for all natural stone, noting the products had nothing to do with the trade issues cited for imposing the tariff.

“The decision preserves a significant share of Brazil’s natural stone exports to the United States, particularly quartzites, while maintaining important challenges for segments such as marble, granite, and slate,” commented Cruz on the final USTR action.

“Throughout this investigation, Centrorochas presented the Brazilian industry’s position on a technical basis, strengthened its dialogue with U.S. authorities, trade associations, and companies, and built relationships that will remain strategic for future trade discussions between Brazil and the United States,” he added.

The United States remained the leading destination for Brazilian natural stone exports during the first half of 2026, accounting for 51.2% of the sector’s total export value, according to Centrorochas data. Between January and June, the U.S. imported $364.3 million in Brazilian natural stone, a 14.4% decline compared with the same period in 2025.

Some of that decline came with the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) tariffs imposed by President Trump in April 2025, which reached as high as 50% for Brazilian goods, including natural stone. Quartzite and other varieties in the Other Stone classification received a 25% exemption last fall.

The U.S. Supreme Court struck down nearly all of the IEEPA-based tariffs earlier this year, ruling that a president couldn’t use the law to arbitrarily set new rates.

The Brazil action is one of seven current Section 301 investigations initiated during the Trump administration. One on goods produced by forced labor cites 60 countries, including leading hard-surface trading partners such as Canada, China, the European Union, India, Mexico, Türkiye, and Vietnam.

05:38

As part of the Brazil Section 301 hearing on July 7, Centrorochas advocated for the exclusion of Brazilian natural stone products, emphasizing the unique characteristics of Brazilian materials, their strategic role in the U.S. supply chain, their contribution to investment and job creation in the United States, and the potential impact of the tariffs on construction and housing costs.
 
Centrorochas’ position was reinforced during the hearing by others in the U.S. natural-stone industry, as well as by U.S. importers directly affected by the proposed measures. Their statements consistently highlighted the importance of Brazilian natural stone to the U.S. supply chain.
 
According to Cruz, the conclusion of the investigation marks an important milestone in the association’s institutional efforts over the past year.
 
” The most important outcome of this process was demonstrating that the international competitiveness of our industry depends on sustained institutional engagement,” Cruz said.
 
In 2025, Brazil exported $795 million in natural stone to the United States, totaling approximately 587,000 metric tons. These figures underscore the strategic importance of the U.S. market for the Brazilian industry and highlight the sector’s potential for recovery as the trade environment becomes more stable and predictable.

07:05

Cal/OSHA will hold a special advisory-committee meeting July 31 to help develop emergency rules to prohibit fabrication of silica-rich engineered-stone in California.

The meeting, to be held in Oakland, California, will seek public comments on a variety of issues concerning a ban on working with man-made surfaces containing more than one percent of respirable crystalline silica.

A list of questions posted by Cal/OSHA, California’s workplace-safety enforcement agency, indicate that the meeting will focus on possible timelines on transitioning away from silica-laden surfaces, a phase-out of supply in the state, and the testing and documentation of materials to guarantee compliance.

Cal/OSHA is holding the meeting as part of the process initiated in May, when the California Occupational Safety and Health Board adopted a petition from the Western Occupational and Environmental Medicine Association to stop engineered-stone use due to concerns over workers and silicosis. The board directed Cal/OSHA to develop the emergency rules.

The meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Pacific Time at the Elihu M. Harris State Office Building in Oakland. The session will also be streamed online via Zoom. Check the transcript of this podcast at www.radiostoneupdate.com for the link and other information on the meeting.

Zoom link for Cal/OSHA meeting: https://tkoworks.zoom.us/j/84913374788


08:30

Gary Distelhorst, age 84, the former CEO of the Marble Institute of America (MIA), died July 6 in Avon Lake, Ohio.
Distelhorst led the staff of what later became the Natural Stone Institute from 2002-2012, guiding it through the industry’s unprecedented growth in the early 2000s and its contraction during the Great Recession. During his term, the MIA strengthened its mission of industry education with coast-to-coast regional seminars and reached out for greater international cooperation with foreign stone-industry groups.

Prior to joining the MIA, Distelhorst worked as CEO and executive vice president of the National Association of College Stores (NACS) and its for-profit subsidiary. After leaving the MIA, he served as executive director of the Lorain County Community College Foundation. He also served on the board of the foundation. Distelhorst also was a 47-year member of the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).  

Distelhorst was born on Jan. 21, 1942, in Columbus, Ohio. He graduated in 1965 from The Ohio State University. While attending the university, he joined the Navy ROTC program and received a commission as a U.S. Navy Ensign upon graduation. He served as a ship supply officer off the coast of Vietnam during the late 1960s and later served as Chief Administrative Officer at the Navy Supply Corps in Washington. 

Distelhorst is survived by his wife of 53 years, Helen; a brother, Neil Disterhorst; son Garen and daughters Kristen and Alison, and nine grandchildren. Visitation and services were held in Avon Lake, Ohio. Interment will be at a later date at Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery in Seville, Ohio. Gifts in his memory can be made to the Lorain County Community College Foundation.

10:30

The United States isn’t the only country where regulation enforcement can move slowly. A Sidney, Australia, area fabricator was shut down following an inspection in March 2023. Last week, the owner was fined $135,000 Australian.

Business director and owner Raad Patti pleaded guilty and was fined by the New South Wales (NSW) Industrial Court for failing to comply with the Health and Safety Act after exposing workers to dangerous working conditions.
 
Patti’s Crystal Touch Masonry was visited by SafeWork NSW inspectors who immediately stopped work when they conducted their inspection. The reason: the company was exposing its workers to respirable crystalline silica, which can lead to silicosis.

When entering the business, inspectors found a worker covered with fine dry dust while dry-cutting a slab with a grinder. Not only was the worker covered head-to-toe in the dust, but so were the stairs, shelves and floors, as well as the office area.

A sample from the slab showed it contained 34% silica. In 2024 Australia banned engineered quartz surfaces from being sold in the country and regulates natural stone with a high silica content.

Acting Justice Geoff Bellew fined Patti and the company for knowingly placing an employee in danger. The justice also felt Patti showed no remorse.

Instead, Patti argued that Crystal Touch had struggled to meet financial ends as far back as the Covid-19 pandemic and his average income in 2025 was about $36,000 Australian. Because of low cash-flow, he said he hadn’t been able to repair a dust filtration system.

However, under cross-examination, it was revealed the company bought two motor vehicles that year costing more than $20,000 and Patti’s wife had drawn $45,000 from the company. He also couldn’t recall his employed son’s salary.

Acting SafeWork NSW commissioner Petrina Casey said silica needs to be treated seriously. Since October of last year, businesses are legally required to register all workers engaged in processing of crystalline silica.

12:42

The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) will hold a porcelain-fabrication training session in Millbury, Mass. on Aug. 5.

The training at Discover Surfaces in Millbury will move through the full porcelain fabrication process—from material handling and inspection to cutting, fabrication, installation, and finishing. It will also cover waterjet- and bridge-saw-cutting techniques, feed rates, blade selection, sink cutouts, mitering and seaming, adhesives, and real-world installation applications.

Every participant will gain hands-on experience working through key applications, including:
Porcelain cutting with proper feed rates and tension release techniques;
Sink cutouts, L-shapes, corners, and overhang fabrication;
Miter cutting and seaming methods;
Adhesive application for interior and exterior use (including live demo);
Countertop, sink, and shower installation best practices;
Polishing, finishing, and edge work;
Chip- and scratch-repair techniques; and
Cleaning and long-term maintenance.

The session will be from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The cost is $599 per attendee for ISFA members, and $899 for non-members. Discover Surfaces is 44 miles west of Boston and just off the e-toll Mass Pike (I-90). For more information, go to www.isfanow.com

14:11

Remember, for a complete picture of the volume and value of hard surface imports to this country, go to www.hardsurfacereport.com. For a transcript of today’s podcast, go to www.radiostoneupdate.com. I’m K. Schipper for Radio Stone Update, and we’ll see you here again soon.