Radio Stone Update
Radio Stone Update
Brazil Natural Stone Facing 50% Tariff on Aug. 1
00:00 Brought to You By TAB Quartz
00:19 Intro
00:30 Brazil Stone Facing 50% U.S. Tariff
03:25 A Word from TAB Quartz
04:34 Mosaic Companies Files Chapter 11
06:07 OSHA Cites Georgia Fabricator on Silica
06:55 Registration Open for ISFA Annual Conference
08:11 Bankert Leaving ISFA
09:34 LX Hausys Previews New Charlotte, N.C., Center
11:10 Outro
11:39 Brought to You By TAB Quartz
Radio Stone Update is presented on the second and fourth Wednesdays every month at 9 a.m. everywhere on Earth with the latest news and insights in hard surfaces. Check our archives at www.radiostoneupdate.com.
00:19
Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest in hard surfaces industry news from Radio Stone Update.
00:30
The Brazilian Center of Natural Stone Exporters – Centrorochas – is expressing serious concern over President Donald Trump’s plan to impose a 50% tariff on Brazilian products being imported to the U.S.
The July 9 tariff announcement came two days before Centrorochas’ inaugural Stone Core event in Vitoria, Brazil. Stone Core focused on Brazilian natural stone and its presence in international trade.
The magazine stonenews.eu, noted that the U.S. tariff poses a direct threat to the relations between the U.S. and Brazil, and would significantly impact Brazil’s natural stone sector, which sells more than 50 percent of its output to the U.S.
In a letter to Brazil’s president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva from Pres. Trump announced the new tariff based on several factors. Among them are the prosecution of former Brazilian President Jair Bonansaro, along with what he described as “hundreds of SECRET and UNLAWFUL Censorship Orders” on U.S. based social-media platforms by the Brazilian Supreme Court.
Last year, the U.S. accounted for 56.3% of Brazil’s total natural stone exports, valued at more than $700 million. More than 82% of that total came from the state of Espirito Santo, which was responsible for $672.4 million in sales to the U.S.
The development also threatens the viability of more than 200 Brazilian companies and an estimated half million direct and indirect jobs across the stone production chain.
Since the announcement of the measure on July 9, it is estimated that approximately 60% of Brazilian natural stone shipments to the U.S. market have been suspended, and by the end of the month approximately 1,200 containers may remain unshipped. That represents a potential loss of up to $40 million in Brazilian exports in July alone.
The severity of the situation hasn’t been lost on the Natural Stone Institute – the NSI. According to the NSI, the tariff is concerning to the U.S. market and its projected impact on the construction industry.
Currently, 85% of natural stone used in the U.S. is imported, and Brazil accounts for 22.6% of that. Additionally, the most-popular natural-stone countertop materials used in this country come from Brazil. And, the tariff is poised to significantly impact more than 12,000 fabrication shops, 5,000 stone distributors and up to 200,000 jobs in the U.S.
The NSI and other U.S. trade associations are planning to formally request a 90-day delay in the implementation of the tariff, which is scheduled for Aug. 1.
The U.S. currently runs a trade surplus concerning all goods from Brazil. Last year’s $7.4 billion in shipments to Brazil is $1.8 billion higher than 2023, according to the United States Trade Representative – the USTR.
Centrorochas is monitoring the situation and working with Brazilian authorities and institutional partners to identify strategies that can mitigate the impact of the tariff. It is anxious to preserve Brazil’s position in the U.S. stone market, while safeguarding the future of the industry.
04:34
Mosaic Companies LLC, a Smyrna, Ga.-based surfaces company, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early July, and operations are expected to end in the near future. The move will involve the sale of subsidiary Walker Zanger, among other actions.
Mosaic filed the Chapter 11 petition at the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., on July 8. The firm lists assets of between $10 million and $50 million, and liabilities of $100 million to $500 million.
Mosaic began in 2019 as a partnership that included Albert Claramonte of south Florida distributor Surfaces Southeast and Boston hedge fund Baupost Group. In 2021 it made major purchases, picking up both luxury stone brand Walker Zanger and Opustone, a south Florida slab and tile distributor.
Earlier this year Mosaic sold off Opustone to Construction Resources, a subsidiary of Home Depot, for reportedly more than $90 million. Following the filing of the bankruptcy petition, thestreet.com reported that Mosaic plans to sell Walker Zanger and Anthology, another tile subsidiary, to Artivo Surfaces for $17.5 million plus assumption of certain liabilities.
The purchase does not include Mosaic’s Perpetu® Quartz brand. The report says other remaining Mosaic assets, including Surfaces Southeast, will either be sold or liquidated.
06:07
A Powder Springs, Ga.-based fabricator of kitchen and bathroom countertops, has been cited and fined by the U. S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration – OSHA – for exposing workers to respirable crystalline silica.
Brazilian Stone Design LLC was fined $33,000 after OSHA cited the company for seven serious violations. They include exposing workers to high airborne concentrations of respirable crystalline silica and failing to require the use of respirators.
Other citations include failure to perform fit testing and training for workers wearing respirators and conducting air monitoring. The company also did not administer an effective hearing conservation program.
06:55
Registration is now open for the International Surface Fabricators Association – ISFA -- 2025 annual conference, which is scheduled for Nov. 4-6 at the Kimpton Hotel Palomar in Phoenix.
This year’s theme is Renewed Connections: Advancing the Path to Success. It’s designed to build on ISFA’s mission to empower surface professionals with the tools, insights and connections they need to grow and thrive.
The conference agenda is focused on driving innovation, professional growth and business excellence. Workshops and panel topics include market trends, technology integration, business optimization and leadership strategies for shop owners and executives.
Also on the schedule is the ISFA Awards Celebration, where the 2025 ISFA Awards will be presented honoring excellence in fabrication, innovation and leadership in the surfacing industry.
Registration is open to both ISFA members and nonmembers, and early bird pricing is available through Aug. 31. For more information or to register, go to www.ISFAnow.org/annual-conference.
08:11
The ISFA also announces that Chief Executive Office Marissa Bankert will step down from her position at the end of this month.
Bankert has played an important role in shaping ISFA’s strategic direction and advancing its mission, according to a release sent out by the organization. Her contributions include helping to rebrand the ISFA, launching a new membership database, and modernizing operation systems, as well as hiring key staff to support the organization’s growth and resource development.
She has also been instrumental in developing an advocacy program for fabricators and the surfacing industry, creating a silica safety training program.
Ted Sherritt, ISFA board of directors’ president, thanked Bankert for her work, and stated that she has been important to the growth and reinvigoration of the ISFA over the past few years.
“Her leadership experience and professionalism have allowed ISFA to become a more effective voice advocating for fabricators within the surfacing industry. Marissa has positioned our association to move to the next phase of growth through the execution of our strategic plan,” Sherritt said.
Bankert said she had appreciated her time with ISFA. “I’ve grown personally and professionally through this role, and I look forward to seeing the organization continue to succeed.”
09:34
And, Alpharetta, Ga.-based LX Hausys America, Inc., hosted an exclusive preview event of its new Charlotte, N.C., showroom and warehouse on July 16.
The event welcomed local designers, fabricators, distributors and trade professionals for a first look at the new 2,000 ft2 space and its range of U.S.-made VIATERA quartz surface products.
The new showroom reflects the company’s ongoing expansion across the United States. Located at 200 Forsyth Hall Dr., Suite A, in southwest Charlotte, the space provides a location where both trade professionals and homeowners can explore LX Hausys’ products in person.
The showroom is connected to a 10,000 ft2 warehouse, which is restocked frequently from the company’s main distribution center in Georgia. The goal is product delivery within three days within a 100-mile radius of Charlotte, reaching markets such as Raleigh and Greensboro, N.C.; and Greenville, S.C.
Stephanie Skelton, territory manager for North Carolina and South Carolina, said Charlotte continues to be one of the fastest-growing areas in the Southeast, and a natural fit for LX Hausys.
“We’re excited for designers and others to experience our brand and our innovative products firsthand to see how we can make their design dreams a reality,” Skelton said.
A formal grand opening is planned for later this year. The new showroom will be open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
11:10
Remember, the July/August issue of Stone Update Magazine will be available next week at www.stonemag.com. For a transcript of today’s broadcast, go to www.radiostoneupdate.com. I’m K. Schipper for Radio Stone Update and we’ll see you here again soon.