Stones buying guideLast updated October 2026

Granite

The hard-wearing workhorse of kitchens, floors and façades.

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Price level: Mid-range
Best to buy: Mar–May, Sep–Nov
Top sources

Polished granite slab with cream, gold and dark brown crystals

Overview

What is granite?

Granite is an igneous rock that crystallised slowly from magma, locking quartz, feldspar and mica into a hard, granular mosaic. In the trade, "granite" covers almost any hard silicate stone, including gneiss, gabbro and larvikite: Absolute Black is a gabbro and Blue Pearl a larvikite. What unites them is performance.

Granite resists scratching, heat and household acids far better than marble, so it has long been the default for kitchen worktops, high-traffic floors, stairs, exterior cladding, paving and memorials. It's also the backbone of world stone trade by volume.

Colour and pattern range from uniform blacks and greys to dramatic "exotic" slabs with swirling crystals. The exotics are often more fragile and resin-treated, so they deserve the same scrutiny as a premium marble.

Rock type: Igneous (trade granite includes gneiss and gabbro)
Hardness: 6 to 7 Mohs
Water absorption: ≤ 0.40% (ASTM C615 limit)
Heat and acid: Excellent: won't etch
Common thickness: 20 and 30 mm slabs; 30 mm+ paving
Finishes: Polished, honed, leathered, flamed, bush-hammered

Applications

Best used for

Kitchen countertopsHeat, knife and acid resistant. The low-maintenance natural choice.
High-traffic floors and stairsAirports, malls and stations use it because it barely wears.
Exterior cladding and pavingFlamed or bush-hammered finishes give grip and weather well.
Memorials and monumentsHolds lettering and polish outdoors for generations.
Commercial and public spacesConsistent supply in large volumes for big projects.

Think twice for

Heavily resined "exotics" outdoors. Resin can yellow in UV. Check the slab's treatment before specifying it for exteriors.
Light, porous granites near oil. Some whites absorb oil and wine. Seal them, or pick a denser stone.

Know the names

Popular varieties

Absolute Black
India, South Africa
Jet black and uniform. Also sold leathered.
Black Galaxy
India
Black with gold and bronze flecks.
Kashmir White
India
White-grey with small garnet specks.
Baltic Brown
Finland
Brown with round, black-rimmed crystals.
Blue Pearl
Norway
Blue-grey with iridescent feldspar.
Ubatuba
Brazil
Deep green-black with gold flecks.
Rosa Porriño
Spain
Pink-grey, a European paving staple.
G654 Padang Dark
China
Dark grey, the paving and step workhorse.

Origins

Which countries to source from

The producing countries that matter for granite, what each is known for, and a direct link to vendors there.

India Leading source
A top granite exporter: blacks, browns and exotic slabs
- Black Galaxy (Andhra Pradesh)
- Absolute Black
- Tan Brown (Telangana)
- Kashmir White, Steel Grey
Vendors in India
Brazil
Exotic granites, processed in Espírito Santo
- Ubatuba
- Santa Cecilia, Giallo Ornamental
- Blue Bahia
Vendors in Brazil
China
Volume leader for standard paving, tiles and cut-to-size
- G603
- G654 Padang Dark
- G682 Rusty Yellow
Vendors in China
Norway
Iridescent larvikites found nowhere else
- Blue Pearl
- Emerald Pearl
Vendors in Norway
Finland
Classic Nordic rapakivi granites
- Baltic Brown
- Carmen Red
Vendors in Finland
South Africa
Premium dense blacks
- Impala and Rustenburg (Bushveld)
Vendors in South Africa
Spain
Europe's grey-pink paving granite
- Rosa Porriño (Galicia)
Vendors in Spain

Timing

Best time of year to buy

Granite is quarried year-round, so timing depends on origin: India after the monsoon, Brazil in the dry season, China away from New Year.

Jan: slower or pricier
Feb: slower or pricier
Mar: best time to buy
Apr: best time to buy
May: best time to buy
Jun: normal
Jul: slower or pricier
Aug: slower or pricier
Sep: best time to buy
Oct: best time to buy
Nov: best time to buy
Dec: normal

Best time to buy Normal Slower or pricier

In South India the southwest monsoon (June to September) floods pits and slows quarrying and trucking. Diwali adds a holiday week in October or November.
Brazil's rainy season (roughly November to March) makes quarry roads in Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais and Bahia difficult, so exotic block supply is better in the dry months.
Chinese factories close for New Year (late January to February).
July to October is peak container season: book freight early.

Import costs

Tariffs and import duties

Base duties for the main import markets, the extra US surcharge by origin, and the trade remedies to check before you quote a landed price.

HS codes

2516.11 / 2516.12Blocks, crude or sawn
6802.23Simply cut or sawn
6802.93Polished slabs, tiles, countertops

Base import duty (MFN)

United StatesFree to 13.7%Crude blocks free; sawn blocks 2.8%; slabs, tiles and tops 3.7% plus 10% Section 301 surcharge for Indian goods.
European Union0% to 1.7%Blocks and polished granite duty-free; simply sawn 1.7%.
United Kingdom0%
India20% slabsPlus 18% IGST. A minimum import price applies ($50/m² under the 2016 policy): check the current DGFT notice.

Importing into the US? Add the 2026 origin surcharge

Section 301 rates in force since 24 July 2026, stacked on the MFN rate above.

India+10%Section 301 (2026) adds 10% on top of the MFN rate.
Brazil+37.5% & 30137.5% Section 301 (2026) plus the legacy China Section 301 duty (25% on most stone and machinery lines), on top of MFN.
China+12.5% & 30112.5% Section 301 (2026) plus the legacy China Section 301 duty (25% on most stone and machinery lines), on top of MFN.
Norway+12.5%Section 301 (2026) adds 12.5% on top of the MFN rate.
Finland10% min.Section 301 (2026) tops the duty up to at least 10% in total; no surcharge if MFN is already higher.
South Africa+12.5%Section 301 (2026) adds 12.5% on top of the MFN rate.
Spain10% min.Section 301 (2026) tops the duty up to at least 10% in total; no surcharge if MFN is already higher.

China-origin granite has carried the legacy US Section 301 duty since 2019, stacked with the 2026 surcharge.
Prefabricated countertops and vanity tops are still worked granite (6802.93), not furniture.
Indian granite carries a 10% Section 301 duty since July 2026.
China-origin granite now faces a 12.5% Section 301 forced-labor surcharge as of July 2026.

Rates checked October 2026. Indicative rates for planning, not a customs ruling. Duties depend on the exact tariff line, origin, trade agreements and the rules in force on the day of entry. Confirm with a licensed customs broker before you price an order.

Before you order

Buying checklist

1Ask for the variety's water absorption test. Some light and exotic granites are porous and need sealing.
2Inspect slabs under raking light for resin-filled pits, cracks and shade variation.
3Check slab size (for example 3.2 × 1.9 m jumbo) fits your largest island without a seam.
4For paving, specify a flamed or bush-hammered finish and slip-resistance results.
5Order calibrated tiles (±0.5 mm) for thin-set floors.
6Buying black granite? Rub acetone on the back. Dyed "black" leaves colour on the cloth.

Price level: Chinese and Indian commercial granites are among the cheapest natural stones; Brazilian exotics can rival premium marble.

Vendor Network

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Keep reading

Granite

What is granite?

Best used for

Popular varieties

Which countries to source from

Best time of year to buy

Tariffs and import duties

Buying checklist

Ready to source granite?

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