9903.45.30 QSP Safeguard: Rate, Scope, and Stacking for Importers

Key Points

• HTS 9903.45.30 imposes a 25 percent additional duty on qualifying quartz surface products (QSP) effective 2026-08-15, authorized by Proclamation 11051 and published at 91 FR 50645.
• The duty steps down on a four-year schedule: 25 percent (2026-08-15 through 2027-08-14), 23 percent (2027-08-15 through 2028-08-14), 21 percent (2028-08-15 through 2029-08-14), and 19 percent (2029-08-15 through 2030-08-14).
• The code applies to goods classifiable under 6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040, and 7020.00.6000 that meet the QSP product definition in U.S. note 41(a) and originate in a non-exempt country.
• A large group of countries is exempt from 9903.45.30 by operation of U.S. note 41(c); goods from any listed exempt country do not take this code regardless of product type.
• For entries on 6810.99.0020 and 6810.99.0040, QSP qualification is the charge-by-default treatment; for 7020.00.6000, importers must affirmatively confirm QSP qualification before applying the code.

On this page

1. What 9903.45.30 is and which program created it
2. Product scope and the QSP definition
3. Underlying HTS subheadings covered
4. Country exemptions under U.S. note 41(c)
5. Rate schedule and effective windows
6. How 9903.45.30 stacks with other duties and appears on an entry
7. Quota and quantity limits under U.S. note 41(d)
8. What importers should do
9. Key references

HTS 9903.45.30 is the Chapter 99 safeguard code that adds a 25 percent duty, as of 2026-08-15, on quartz surface products imported from countries not exempted by U.S. note 41(c). The duty was established under the Section 201 trade remedy program, covers goods entering under three specific Chapter 1-97 subheadings, and steps down annually through 2030-08-14. Importers sourcing engineered stone countertops, slabs, or similar QSP from non-exempt origins must add this code to every covered entry line.

The links in this article go to the primary documents: the proclamations, Federal Register notices, and official tariff schedule pages themselves. Read the source.

What 9903.45.30 is and which program created it

9903.45.30 is a Section 201 safeguard measure targeting quartz surface products. Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974 allows the President to impose temporary import relief when a domestic industry is seriously injured by increased imports. The legal authority for this particular measure is Proclamation 11051, published in the Federal Register at 91 FR 50645. The operative rules governing product scope, country exemptions, and quota quantities appear in U.S. note 41 to Subchapter III of Chapter 99 of the Harmonized Tariff Schedule.

CBP operationalized the measure through quota bulletin QB 26-601 and CSMS message 69509193. As of 2026-08-26, the code is newly effective and importers should pull the latest CBP guidance directly from cbp.gov.

Product scope and the QSP definition

The official heading text of 9903.45.30 covers "quartz surface products, as defined in U.S. note 41(a) to this subchapter, when the product of any country not exempt under U.S. note 41(c) to this subchapter, if entered in an aggregate quantity not exceeding the quantity defined in U.S. note 41(d) to this subchapter."

U.S. note 41(a) imposes a conjunctive two-part test, as stated in Proclamation 11051, paragraph 8. An article qualifies as a QSP only if it meets both conditions:

• Material composition: Silica must be predominant by actual weight, and the product must incorporate a resin binder.
• Exclusion: Quarried stone products are excluded, even if they would otherwise meet the weight test.

This means engineered quartz slabs and countertop surfaces are the primary targets. Natural stone products, even those that are silica-rich, do not qualify as QSP and should not carry this code. Importers must affirmatively establish QSP qualification; classification alone is not sufficient.

Qualification posture by subheading

The facts block draws an important operational distinction between the three covered subheadings:

• 6810.99.0020 and 6810.99.0040: These are dedicated slab lines. QSP qualification is the charge-by-default treatment, meaning CBP will apply 9903.45.30 unless the importer establishes the goods do not meet the QSP definition.
• 7020.00.6000: This is a broad residual glass subheading. QSP qualification is not assumed; importers must confirm the article meets U.S. note 41(a) before claiming or accepting 9903.45.30.

Underlying HTS subheadings covered

9903.45.30 rides alongside, and does not replace, the regular Chapter 1-97 classification line. The three underlying subheadings subject to this code, when the origin and product conditions are met, are:

• 6810.99.0020 (articles of stone or similar materials, slabs and tiles, other)
• 6810.99.0040 (articles of stone or similar materials, other)
• 7020.00.6000 (other articles of glass, other)

Consult the current schedule at hts.usitc.gov to confirm these descriptions and any annotated notes before filing.

Country exemptions under U.S. note 41(c)

U.S. note 41(c) exempts a defined list of countries from 9903.45.30. The exemption is self-executing: goods from an exempt origin simply do not take this Chapter 99 code, regardless of product classification. The exempt countries, drawn directly from the facts block, are:

Canada (CA), Mexico (MX), Australia (AU), Colombia (CO), Costa Rica (CR), Dominican Republic (DO), El Salvador (SV), Guatemala (GT), Honduras (HN), Israel (IL), Nicaragua (NI), Panama (PA), Peru (PE), Singapore (SG), South Korea (KR), Afghanistan (AF), Albania (AL), Algeria (DZ), Angola (AO), Armenia (AM), Azerbaijan (AZ), Belize (BZ), Benin (BJ), Bhutan (BT), Bolivia (BO), Bosnia and Herzegovina (BA), Botswana (BW), Brazil (BR), Burkina Faso (BF), Burma/Myanmar (MM), Burundi (BI), Cambodia (KH), Cameroon (CM), Cabo Verde (CV), Central African Republic (CF), Chad (TD), Comoros (KM), Republic of the Congo (CG), Democratic Republic of the Congo (CD), Cote d'Ivoire (CI), Djibouti (DJ), Dominica (DM), Ecuador (EC), Egypt (EG), Eritrea (ER), Eswatini (SZ), Ethiopia (ET), Fiji (FJ), Gabon (GA), The Gambia (GM), Georgia (GE), Ghana (GH), Grenada (GD), Guinea (GN), Guinea-Bissau (GW), Guyana (GY), Haiti (HT), Indonesia (ID), Iraq (IQ), Jamaica (JM), Jordan (JO), Kazakhstan (KZ), Kenya (KE), Kiribati (KI), Kosovo (XK), Kyrgyzstan (KG), Lebanon (LB), Lesotho (LS), Liberia (LR), Madagascar (MG), Malawi (MW), Maldives (MV), Mali (ML), Mauritania (MR), Mauritius (MU), Moldova (MD), Mongolia (MN), Montenegro (ME), Mozambique (MZ), Namibia (NA), Nepal (NP), Niger (NE), Nigeria (NG), North Macedonia (MK), Pakistan (PK), Papua New Guinea (PG), Paraguay (PY), Philippines (PH), Rwanda (RW), Saint Lucia (LC), Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (VC), Samoa (WS), Sao Tome and Principe (ST), Senegal (SN), Serbia (RS), Sierra Leone (SL), Solomon Islands (SB), Somalia (SO), South Africa (ZA), South Sudan (SS), Sri Lanka (LK), Suriname (SR), Tanzania (TZ), Timor-Leste (TL), Togo (TG), Tonga (TO), Tunisia (TN), Tuvalu (TV), Uganda (UG), Ukraine (UA), Uzbekistan (UZ), Vanuatu (VU), Yemen (YE), Zambia (ZM), Zimbabwe (ZW), Antigua and Barbuda (AG), Aruba (AW), Bahamas (BS), Barbados (BB), British Virgin Islands (VG), Curacao (CW), Montserrat (MS), Saint Kitts and Nevis (KN), Trinidad and Tobago (TT).

Countries not on this list, most notably China and India (which are among the largest QSP exporters to the United States), are subject to the 9903.45.30 duty. Confirm origin status in the current HTSUS or with your broker if your supply chain runs through a country not listed above.

If your goods move through a third country before entering the United States, origin and substantial transformation rules matter greatly. See our article on China origin substantial transformation for relevant background, and our piece on transshipment and CBP enforcement for the compliance risk.

Rate schedule and effective windows

The Section 201 safeguard duty under 9903.45.30 steps down annually over the four-year life of the measure. Every rate below is an additional duty on top of the regular column 1 general rate for the underlying subheading:

• 25 percent: 2026-08-15 through 2027-08-14
• 23 percent: 2027-08-15 through 2028-08-14
• 21 percent: 2028-08-15 through 2029-08-14
• 19 percent: 2029-08-15 through 2030-08-14

The measure is announced to terminate on 2030-08-14. No rate or continuation beyond that date appears in the facts as of 2026-08-26; confirm whether any extension has been proclaimed in the current Federal Register before relying on post-2030-08-14 entry planning.

How 9903.45.30 stacks with other duties and appears on an entry

Like all Chapter 99 safeguard codes, 9903.45.30 is an overlay code. It does not replace the Chapter 1-97 classification; it adds to it. A typical entry line for a covered QSP from a non-exempt country will carry:

• The regular HTS subheading (6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040, or 7020.00.6000) with its standard column 1 general duty rate.
• 9903.45.30 on a separate line, adding the applicable Section 201 rate for the entry date.
• Any other applicable Chapter 99 codes, such as Section 301 duties if the goods also originate in China, which may stack on top.

The total duty burden for a non-exempt QSP is therefore the sum of the regular rate plus the 9903.45.30 rate plus any other applicable Chapter 99 overlays. Use our duty calculator to model your landed cost across rate windows, and review our 2026 tariff code overview for context on other codes that may interact with your entries.

Quota and quantity limits under U.S. note 41(d)

The heading text of 9903.45.30 explicitly limits its application to quantities "not exceeding the quantity defined in U.S. note 41(d)." This means the 25 percent (and subsequent) safeguard rate applies only within the tariff-rate quota (TRQ) in-quota quantity. Goods entering above that aggregate quantity are subject to different treatment. Quota administration for this measure is governed by QB 26-601; monitor CBP's quota bulletin system at cbp.gov for fill rates, as over-quota entries will not take 9903.45.30 at the rates shown above. Confirm the exact in-quota and over-quota volumes in U.S. note 41(d) before scheduling large shipments.

What importers should do

• Classify and qualify carefully: Confirm your goods are correctly classified under 6810.99.0020, 6810.99.0040, or 7020.00.6000, and that they genuinely meet the U.S. note 41(a) conjunctive QSP definition (silica predominant by actual weight plus resin binder; quarried stone excluded). For 7020.00.6000, this qualification step is mandatory before applying the code.
• Verify origin against the U.S. note 41(c) exemption list: If your supplier's country of origin appears in the exempt list, do not apply 9903.45.30. If origin is ambiguous because of third-country processing, resolve it before filing.
• Check quota availability before each shipment: Review QB 26-601 and the CBP quota bulletin system to confirm in-quota space remains before your goods arrive. Over-quota entries are not covered by this code's rates.
• Track the annual rate step-downs: Update your landed cost models each August 15 through 2030 as the rate decreases: 25 percent drops to 23 percent on 2027-08-15, to 21 percent on 2028-08-15, and to 19 percent on 2029-08-15.

Key references

• Proclamation 11051: The presidential proclamation establishing the Section 201 QSP safeguard, including the conjunctive QSP definition at paragraph 8.
• 91 FR 50645: Federal Register publication of Proclamation 11051 and implementing details.
• Harmonized Tariff Schedule (hts.usitc.gov): Current text of 9903.45.30, U.S. note 41, and the three underlying subheadings.
• CBP.gov: QB 26-601 (quota bulletin for this measure) and CSMS 69509193 (operational guidance on entry filing).