Quartz countertops: how to source wholesale from verified manufacturers
Jose Cabrera · May 21, 2026
Quartz countertops are one of the highest-margin items in a residential or commercial finish-out. A slab that costs $22 per square foot landed in Miami retails for $65 to $90 installed. That spread is where the opportunity is, and it is also where most contractors leave money on the table by going through a local distributor instead of sourcing direct.
This guide covers how to source wholesale quartz countertops from verified overseas factories: which countries to source from, what landed cost actually looks like with every fee included, and what to verify before you wire a deposit.
Why most contractors overpay for countertop slabs
The typical procurement path for a contractor is: specify a material, call a local slab yard or fabricator, pay the slab yard price. That price already includes:
- The factory margin
- The US importer margin
- The slab yard margin
- Whatever the fabricator marks up on top
By the time the slab reaches a local yard, you are paying for three or four intermediary layers on a product that came off a production line in Almeria, Spain, or Fujian, China at a fraction of the retail price.
Direct sourcing removes those layers. You buy from or near the factory price, pay for ocean freight and customs yourself (or through an intermediary), and land the material at a cost that can be 30 to 50 percent below slab yard pricing on comparable quality.
The catch is that direct sourcing requires more upfront work: verifying the factory, negotiating terms, managing the import documentation, and taking on the logistics. That is why most small-to-mid contractors do not do it. But for any project with 300 square feet or more of countertop surface, the economics justify the effort.
The four main sourcing regions for quartz
Not all quartz is the same, and not all origins are treated the same by US customs. Here is the breakdown by region:
Spain is the premium origin for engineered quartz. Brands like Silestone (Cosentino) and Compac are Spanish, but hundreds of smaller factories in Andalusia produce comparable quality at lower cost. Spanish quartz carries no Section 301 tariff. The standard import duty is 0.0 to 3.7 percent depending on the specific HTS code. Lead times are 5 to 8 weeks from production confirmation. Shipping to Miami runs 18 to 22 days.
China is the volume origin. Chinese factories produce the widest range of colors and finishes at the lowest FOB prices, typically $18 to $28 per square foot for standard engineered quartz. The problem is Section 301. Chinese quartz slabs carry a 25 percent Section 301 tariff on top of the standard 0 percent base import duty. Depending on the specific HTS classification, some Chinese quartz also carries antidumping duties. The net effect is that a $22 FOB price from China can land at $32 to $35 per square foot after duties, narrowing the gap with Spanish material significantly.
Brazil and India are granite-dominant markets. If your specification calls for natural stone (granite, quartzite) rather than engineered quartz, these are the primary sourcing regions. Both have competitive factory pricing and no Section 301 exposure. Indian granite imports do carry a standard import duty, but it is well below Section 301 levels.
Turkey is an emerging source for engineered quartz, producing material at prices between Spanish and Chinese origins. No Section 301 exposure, and Turkish factories have been investing heavily in production quality since 2022.
What a landed cost breakdown actually looks like
The most common mistake in international countertop sourcing is comparing FOB prices without accounting for the full landed cost. Here is a realistic breakdown for a 500-square-foot order of engineered quartz from Spain versus China:
Spain (500 sqft, standard white quartz, 3cm):
- Factory price (FOB Valencia): $14.00/sqft = $7,000
- Ocean freight (Valencia to Miami): $1,800 (flat, 20ft container partial)
- Marine insurance (1.1%): $98
- Import duty (3.7%): $259
- Section 301: $0
- Customs entry + ISF filing: $650
- Drayage + warehouse: $400
- Total landed: $10,207 / 500 sqft = $20.41/sqft
China (500 sqft, comparable white quartz, 3cm):
- Factory price (FOB Fujian): $11.00/sqft = $5,500
- Ocean freight (Fujian to Miami): $2,400 (longer route)
- Marine insurance (1.1%): $88
- Import duty (0%): $0
- Section 301 (25%): $1,375
- Customs entry + ISF filing: $650
- Drayage + warehouse: $400
- Total landed: $10,413 / 500 sqft = $20.83/sqft
On this example, the $3 per square foot FOB advantage from China essentially disappears after Section 301. Spanish material lands at nearly the same cost with shorter lead times, no tariff risk, and typically better QC documentation.
This does not mean China is never the right choice. On very high volumes with single-color orders, or on specialty finishes not available from Spanish factories, Chinese sourcing can still be the better option. But the comparison has to be made on full landed cost, not on FOB price alone.
How to verify a quartz factory before you order
Sending a deposit to an overseas factory you have not verified is the fastest way to lose money in construction materials sourcing. The verification process has four components:
Business registration and export history. Request the factory's business license (营业执照 for Chinese suppliers, or equivalent government registration for other countries) and verify it against the national registry. For Chinese factories, you can cross-reference against CNCA or General Administration of Customs export records. For Spanish factories, the Spanish Mercantile Registry (Registro Mercantil) is publicly searchable.
Production capacity. Ask for a factory visit video, third-party inspection certificate, or a virtual factory tour. Confirm that the factory actually manufactures the material rather than acting as a trader who sources from multiple production lines. The distinction matters for quality consistency.
Sample review before production. Never approve a quartz order without receiving and approving physical samples. The sample should include the specific color, vein pattern, finish (polished, honed, leathered), and thickness tolerance. Review edge consistency and surface void percentage on the sample before signing off.
Export documentation. Request a sample commercial invoice and packing list from a prior shipment. Legitimate factories have these on file. Verify that the certificate of origin accurately reflects the production country and matches the HTS classification your customs broker will file.
How the import process works step by step
Once you have selected and verified a factory, the import process follows a predictable sequence:
1. Purchase agreement and deposit. Typical payment terms are 30 percent deposit on order confirmation, 70 percent balance against shipping documents (bill of lading copy). A letter of credit provides stronger protection but adds cost and processing time. For established factories with verified track records, T/T with 30/70 split is standard.
2. Production and pre-shipment inspection. Production runs 4 to 8 weeks. At completion, conduct or commission a pre-shipment inspection (PSI) to verify slab count, dimensions, finish quality, and packaging. Third-party inspection companies like SGS, Bureau Veritas, or Intertek operate in all major production regions.
3. Freight booking and cargo loading. Your freight forwarder books ocean cargo and coordinates the container loading. Slabs should be loaded in A-frame racks, not flat-stacked, to prevent cracking in transit. Request loading photos or a video.
4. Customs clearance. Your customs broker files the ISF (Importer Security Filing) at least 24 hours before the vessel departs. On arrival in Miami, they file the formal entry and handle duty payment. For Chinese quartz, the customs broker must correctly classify the material under the applicable HTS code to determine Section 301 applicability.
5. Delivery to job site or warehouse. After customs release, a drayage company moves the container from the port to your warehouse or directly to the job site if you have the equipment to unload it safely. Slab handling requires a boom truck or forklift with A-frame attachment.
When direct sourcing makes sense vs. when it does not
Direct international sourcing has a break-even point. Below it, a local slab yard is the better option even at a higher per-square-foot cost, because the cost of managing an import (logistics coordination, customs, insurance, warehousing) is a fixed overhead that does not scale down with small orders.
Direct sourcing makes sense when:
- Total order is 400 square feet or more of the same material
- You have a project or series of projects with predictable countertop volume
- You are willing to plan 10 to 14 weeks ahead of installation
- You have warehouse space or a staging area for full-slab delivery
Local sourcing makes sense when:
- Order is under 200 square feet
- Timeline is under 6 weeks
- You need custom cuts, remnants, or mixed colors
- You cannot take the risk of an 8-week lead time on a tight project schedule
For contractors running 10 or more kitchens per year, or developers with countertop specs across multiple units, direct sourcing almost always pencils out. The economics become clearer the more you standardize your material spec.
Working with an intermediary
Most US contractors and developers do not have existing relationships with overseas factories, do not speak the factory's language, and do not have the import logistics infrastructure in place. An intermediary handles those gaps in exchange for a commission that is typically included in the landed cost structure rather than charged as a separate line item.
A legitimate intermediary does four things: sources from verified factories (not spot-market traders), provides a full landed cost calculation before you commit, manages the logistics chain from factory to port of entry, and resolves issues when they arise (damaged goods, documentation errors, customs holds).
The intermediary model works best when the intermediary is also bound by a non-circumvention agreement that prevents them from connecting you directly to their factory contacts once the relationship is established. Read more about NCNDA protection in international trade.
What to ask for in your first quote request
When you contact a sourcing intermediary or approach a factory directly, include these details in your initial inquiry to get a usable landed cost estimate:
- Material type: engineered quartz, quartzite, granite, marble
- Color and finish preference (or flexibility range)
- Quantity in square feet and slab thickness (2cm or 3cm)
- Delivery destination (city and zip code in the US)
- Target delivery date (or production start date)
- Budget range per square foot landed (optional but speeds up the process)
With that information, a competent intermediary can return a full landed cost estimate within 48 hours, including all duties, freight, and customs fees specific to your origin country and delivery point.
Nexo sources verified quartz countertops from Spain, China, Brazil, India, and Turkey for US contractors and developers. Every quote includes full landed cost with Section 301 calculated where applicable. Request a countertop quote.