Demand for Engineered Stone Countertops to Grow 9.6% Annually Through 2026

According to the new study Engineered Stone Countertops, demand for engineered stone countertops is expected to rise 9.6% per year to 404 million square feet in 2026, solidifying the material’s position as the most popular type of countertop in the country.

The US is a significant net importer of engineered stone countertop products, with a trade deficit of $14.5 billion in 2021. While US-based production of engineered stone continues to expand, a significant amount of the global production capacity for engineered stone remains outside the US. Additionally, only a small amount of US production is exported, primarily to Canada and Western Europe, as demand in the US is strong.

The leading foreign sources of engineered stone slabs in 2021 were Canada, India, Israel, Spain, Turkey, and Vietnam.

Prior to 2019, China was by far the leading source of quartz slab imports to the US, as suppliers were able to provide materials at a price level much lower than domestic producers, as well as being able to supply the market with a wide variety of colors that were not able to be made using the Breton process.

However, in April 2018, steep tariffs in excess of 200% were imposed on quartz imports from China, resulting in Chinese imports plummeting. In 2021, less than 1 million square meters of quartz slabs were imported from China.