Radio Stone Update
Radio Stone Update
Partial Tariff Reprieve for Brazil; Caesarstone Tariff Impact
00:00 Brought to You by Quantra Quartz
00:23 Intro
00:33 Brazil Gets Partial Tariff Relief
03:17 A Word from Quantra
04:30 Caesarstone Sees U.S. Tariff Effect
06:37 Weber New ISFA CEO
07:31 Sign-Up Open for October ParkFest
08:31 Fabricator's Choice 25th Next Month
10:00 Neolith Gets NYC Cladding OK
11:46 Cosentino Opens 3 U.S. City Centers
13:25 Xiamen Show Accepting Exhibitor Reg
14:34 Outro
15:02 Brought to You by Quantra 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.
0:23
Hi, I’m K. Schipper with the latest in hard surfaces industry news from Radio Stone Update.
0:33
While some Brazilian natural stone received relief from high U.S. tariffs late last month, efforts continue to get favorable rates for a larger selection of stone.
Meeting Aug. 1 in Washington, representatives of the Brazilian stone industry -- joined by officials from two U.S. trade organizations -- made their concern clear over a 40% tariff on their products.
Leaders of the Brazilian Natural Stone Association (Centrorochas), the Natural Stone Institute (NSI), and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) signed a letter calling for additional exemptions for Brazilian materials.
After announcing a new 40% tariff on goods from Brazil in addition to a proposed 10% levy, President Donald Trump signed an executive order in late July with a long list of tariff exemptions that represent an estimated 40% of all Brazilian exports to the United States.
Included in that list is Monumental or building nesoi, an export category that includes quartzite, the main stone product exported from Brazil. Quartzite represents approximately half of Brazil’s stone exports to this country.
Although grateful for the exemption of that category, the letter emphasizes the need to expand the exemption list, since it does not include materials such as marble, granite and slate, which are also widely used by the U.S. building industry.
Estimates indicate the cost of new homes in the U.S. could rise by $10,900 if those stones aren’t excluded from the tariff. The new tariff schedule became effective Aug. 5.
The letter, jointly signed by the three entities, reinforces the request for including those other Brazilian materials in the list of exemptions. Fabio Cruz, vice president of Centrocochas, said that there are no viable U.S. domestic substitutes for his country’s marble, granite and slate.
Jim Hieb, CEO of NSI, noted more than 15,000 natural stone companies and more than 200,000 employees in the United States will be hurt if no further adjustments are made.
According to the NAHB, approximately 7% of all building materials now used in single- and multi-family residential construction originates outside the U.S.
That $10,900 increase in the cost of a new home comes on top of a 41.6% increase in the cost of construction materials in the five years since the pandemic. By comparison, the total inflation rate over that period is 21.9%.
4:30
Tariffs also made the list of items covered during Caesarstone Ltd.’s second-quarter earnings report earlier this month. The Israel-based surfaces manufacturer uses several companies worldwide to produce its product, and will be seeing varied results due to new U.S. tariffs.
Said Caesarstone CFO Nahum Trost, “Based on our mix of sources, we estimate the tariff impact in the range of 15% to 25% on products sold in the United States.” He added, “The U.S, represents approximately half of our total revenues based on our current inventory levels. We expect the impact of these tariffs to be more pronounced as we move through the year.”
Trost added that the company is “evaluating pricing actions in the U.S. to balance market competitiveness with margin protection.”
The earnings report also covered Caesarstone’s situation in personal-injury claims involving respirable crystalline silica and worker silicosis. As of June 30, the company faced lawsuits from 423 individuals, with 233 filed in the United States.
CFO Trost reported that Caesarstone won a California jury trial on a claim in the second quarter. However, the company also recorded a $44.9 million provision in the second quarter, plus $25.6 million in insurance receivables, to deal with possible losses concerning claims.
As for full second-quarter financial performance, Caesarstone posted a net loss of $18.5 million, which is double the amount suffered at the same time last year. The company recorded quarterly sales of $49.6 million in the United States, a year-over-year decline of 17%.
Trost did point out the company’s partnership with Lowe’s as a positive in the U.S. market, as sales grew by double-digits from 2024 at the big-box stores.
6:37
The International Surface Fabricators Association (ISFA) appoints Laurie Weber as its new chief executive officer. Weber brings more than 25 years of experience in workforce development, strategic planning and operational leadership.
She has worked across nonprofit, trade and credentialling organizations, developing nationally recognized certification programs and leading teams through transformation and growth. She’s best known for building systems that support both organizational excellence and individual potential.
Says Weber, “ISFA has a strong reputation for connection, quality and craft and I’m honored to join this incredible community and lead the organization into its next phase.”
Weber succeeds Marissa Bankert, who left the organization at the end of July.
7:31
Park Industries® officially opened registration for ParkFest 2025, scheduled to take place at the company’s St. Cloud, Minn., headquarters on Oct. 1–2.
The event is designed for stone professionals from across North America, with live machine demos, education sessions, shop tours, and a behind-the-scenes look at Park’s world-class manufacturing facility.
Highlights include an all-new product launch; three $10,000 giveaways; breakout sessions on key topics; a pavilion with more than 20 industry vendor-sponsors; and, a made-in-Minnesota celebration.
Molly Hauer, Park director of marketing, says, “Attendees will get hands-on learning, see the latest technology in action, and connect with peers and industry leaders.”
Registration is free. Go to www.parkindustries.com/parkfest
8:31
Minnesota will be a busy place for industry members early this fall. Cottage Grove, Minn.-based Fabricator’s Choice will observe its silver anniversary on Sept. 11 and 12 with the Fab Choice EXPERIENCE.
Fabricator’s Choice will hold one-day sessions of the event on back-to-back days and will bring all attendees together for an evening celebratory dinner.
One of the most technologically advanced stone surface manufacturing facilities, the event will showcase its PhotoTop 5.0 templating-through-complete-countertop system, which features digitally integrated Burkhardt-Loffler manufacturing machines.
Representatives of brands such as Action Flow, Burkhardt-Loffler, Mapascan by Mapstone, Measure Square, and Stone Profits will be on hand to demonstrate how operational resources can improve bottom line performance. Additionally, PhotoTop 5.0 users will be on hand to discuss the digitally integrated template system.
Hosting partner Burkhardt-Loffler will have executives on hand from Germany during the event.
Each one-day event will include a morning continental breakfast, on-site lunch, and a Sept. 11 dinner for all attendees. Special room rates are available, and transportation will be provided. Space is limited. For more information, go to https://events.fabchoice.com
10:00
Carlstadt, N.J.-based Neolith received approval from the New York City Office of Technical Certification and Research (OTCR) for use of its sintered stone as outdoor wall cladding.
The technical letter from the OTCR confirms the sintered material as a non-combustible surface approved for use as exterior wall cladding under the 2022 New York City Construction Code. Neolith becomes an alternative material that meets or exceeds the code’s requirements for quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistance, durability and overall safety.
The OTCR’s role is essential in New York, where materials and assemblies that fall outside standard code requirements must undergo rigorous technical evaluation to ensure they provide equivalent or superior performance.
The Acceptance Letter states that Neolith satisfies the non-combustibility requirement for exterior cladding, making it an ideal choice for projects where enhanced fire safety and code compliance are paramount.
This is only Neolith’s most-recent fire safety certification. In 2017, Neolith panels installed with the Neolith Strongfix ventilated façade system passed the National Fire Protection Association®’s 285 test for limiting vertical and horizontal flame propagation.
More recently, Neolith panels have been incorporated into additional ventilated face-wall assemblies that achieved NFPA 285 compliance. The panels have been validated across a range of rainscreen configurations, whether installed over concrete, structural insulated sheathing or metal-stud substrates, among others.
11:46
Cosentino® will open three of its namesake City showrooms in Dallas, Honolulu and Richmond, Va., this summer.
The new showrooms are designed to serve as a source of inspiration for local architects, designers and homeowners, offering a unique space with immersive touchpoints, cutting-edge technology and access to the latest products.
Each new City showroom offers local flair combined with Cosentino’s rich Mediterranean history to showcase the company’s latest in Dekton®, Silestone® and Sensa® innovations.
• The Dallas location is in the heart of the Dallas Design District and offers 6,200 ft2 of display space, and includes a warehouse;
• The Honolulu City showroom will be found at Vibrant Waterfront Plaza and will total 2,900 ft2 of space, and;
• The Richmond, Va., facility totals 4,490 ft2 in a 121-year-old building in the Scott’s Addition District.
The Spanish surfacing company is investing $4.76 million in the three projects, which bring the total of Cosentino City showrooms in the United States to 12, and 41 worldwide.
Next to open will be the first Cosentino Studio, which will be located in Naples, Fla. The Cosentino Studio is a new commercial model that will complement the City showroom concept with a full product showroom, diverse application displays and a work area for client meetings in a smaller footprint and located in Naples’ downtown design area.
The Cosentino Studio is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2026.
13:25
The 26th China Xiamen International Stone Fair has opened booth reservations for next year’s show, on March 16-19.
The Xiamen Stone Fair is an important meeting point for architects, designers, developers, contractors and distributors from all over the world. The 2025 show drew more than 153,000 attendees from more than 120 countries.
The largest sector of attendees was those involved in purchasing equipment and materials, closely followed by those in production, processing or manufacturing. Another 19 percent came from the design community. Additionally, the show provides access to more than 200 media and associations worldwide.
With demands for mega-projects and luxury developments skyrocketing throughout China, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Oceana, Xiamen offers a location to touch all those markets with products and equipment. For more information, go to www.stonefair.org.cn
14:34
Remember, for the latest information on U.S. hard surfaces imports, go to Hard Surface Report at www.hardsurfacereport.com. For a transcript of this broadcast, go to www.radiostoneupdate.com.
I’m K. Schipper for Radio Stone Update, and we’ll see you here again soon.