Granite & Marble from China to USA | Stone Import

China is one of the world's largest stone processors. Fujian — Xiamen and Shuitou in particular — cuts and finishes granite and marble quarried in China and imported from around the world, and ships slabs, countertops, vanity tops, pavers, cladding and memorial stone to US fabricators, distributors and contractors.

Natural stone is a straightforward import when it is what the paperwork says it is. The expensive mistakes come from the products next to it: engineered quartz and porcelain or sintered slabs from China carry antidumping and countervailing duties in the hundreds of percent. This guide covers natural stone only, and our Foshan team and licensed customs brokers check that the goods, the description and the HS code line up before anything ships.

Last reviewed: October 2026

Shipping Natural Stone from China to USA

Stone is weight cargo. A 20ft container reaches the road-legal payload — roughly 19–20 tonnes for most US deliveries — long before it is full, so 20ft boxes are the norm. Slabs travel upright on wooden A-frames or in bundles, braced so they cannot shift; countertops and vanity tops are crated; pavers and cobbles ship on pallets or in bulk bags.

Packing quality decides breakage. Slabs need rigid A-frames, ISPM-15 timber, edge protection and tight lashing, because a cracked slab is a total loss. Our Foshan team checks the bracing and photographs loading before the container is sealed.

20ft containers loaded to the weight limit (roughly 19–20 tonnes)
Slabs on A-frames or in bundles; countertops crated; pavers palletized
ISPM-15 wood packaging, braced and lashed
Heavy-container trucking and unloading planned at the US end

What Drives the Cost

Weight, not volume — stone fills a container's payload before its space
Product form: raw slabs, finished countertops or pavers
Breakage risk and the quality of packing
Section 301 status of each HS line on Chinese-origin goods
Inland delivery: heavy-container chassis and permits where needed
Unloading at the yard: forklift, crane or A-frame transfer

HS Codes and Duty Notes

Classification guidance only — duty rates change and depend on your exact product. Our licensed customs brokers verify every code before you commit to an order.

HS Code	Products	Notes
6802.93	Worked granite — slabs, countertops, vanity tops	No antidumping or countervailing order on natural granite from China; Section 301 duties on Chinese goods may apply — verify the 10-digit line.
6802.91	Worked marble, travertine and alabaster	Same position as granite; an accurate description of the stone matters at entry.
6801 / 6802.99 / 6803	Setts, curbs and pavers; other worked stone such as basalt and sandstone; worked slate	Natural-stone lines; Section 301 may apply.
6810.99	Engineered quartz surface products — not natural stone	Subject to AD/CVD orders A-570-084 and C-570-085 on Chinese quartz surface products, with combined rates in the hundreds of percent. Not covered by this guide.
6907	Ceramic and porcelain tile, including large-format slabs — not natural stone	Subject to AD/CVD orders on Chinese ceramic tile. Large-format porcelain and some 'sintered stone' can fall inside the scope.

Regulations and Compliance

Engineered quartz and porcelain are not natural stone

The most expensive mistake in this category is a description problem. Engineered quartz surfaces from China are covered by antidumping and countervailing duty orders with combined rates in the hundreds of percent, and Chinese ceramic and porcelain tile — including some large-format and 'sintered stone' slabs — is under its own AD/CVD orders. CBP actively pursues engineered stone declared as natural. We confirm what the product is from specifications and photos before booking, and we do not ship goods whose description we cannot stand behind.

Section 301

Many stone lines from China carry Section 301 duties. Rates and exclusions change, so we confirm the current position for your exact HS lines at quoting.

Wood packaging (ISPM-15)

A-frames, crates and pallets must be heat-treated or fumigated and stamped to ISPM-15. Non-compliant timber is refused or re-exported at the importer's cost.

Silica and fabrication safety

Cutting and polishing stone releases crystalline silica. Federal OSHA's silica standard applies to stone fabrication, and California has added rules for fabrication shops, particularly for engineered stone. These bind the shops that cut the slabs rather than the import itself, but they shape what US fabricators will buy.

Door-to-Door Import Service

We start with the product list and photos — which stones, finishes, slab dimensions and thickness. That confirms the classification and rules out quartz or porcelain surprises before you pay a deposit. Our Foshan team then checks A-frames and bracing at loading and photographs every container.

From Xiamen to a Southern California fabricator, plan on roughly 3–5 weeks door to door; East Coast and inland destinations take longer. Customs entry is filed by our licensed customs brokers, and we arrange heavy-container trucking and unloading at your yard.

Ocean Freight Customs Ground Transport Warehousing

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I import granite from China?

Yes. Natural granite and marble from China are not under antidumping or countervailing orders; Section 301 duties may apply depending on the HS line. The risk sits in the neighboring products — engineered quartz and porcelain or sintered slabs from China carry very high AD/CVD duties — so the description and specifications must be accurate.

Why are quartz countertops from China so expensive to import?

Because Chinese quartz surface products are covered by antidumping and countervailing duty orders with combined rates in the hundreds of percent. That makes most Chinese quartz uneconomic, and CBP actively pursues quartz declared as natural stone or routed through third countries.

How much stone fits in a 20ft container?

A 20ft container is usually limited by weight, not space — roughly 19–20 tonnes of payload for road-legal US delivery. The number of slabs depends on size and thickness, so we plan from your supplier's packing list and weights before booking.

Can you deliver slabs directly to my fabrication shop?

Yes. We arrange trucking suited to heavy containers and coordinate unloading — forklift, crane or A-frame transfer — at your yard.

Natural Stone is just one example. AGF ships whatever your business moves — on this lane and beyond. If your commodity isn't covered by one of our guides, tell us what you ship and we'll build the logistics around it.