March 3, 2026
Jeffrey Matthews, Trade International, USA
The market is strong for all hard surface products and people are buying. This is especially true of engineered quartz. There is a lot going of which I get all the updates in California on the quartz and silica issues. My gut feeling is they will ban this product in California and that will open the doors for a total USA ban. Those states banning quartz and on top of that all the lawsuits will destroy many importers. One distributor already has 44 lawsuits and the cost of defending them is tremendous, let alone if they lose and must pay something.
In my opinion, many quartz companies are switching to an alternative to Silica. This thinking is flawed and over time I believe will prove that no engineered product is safe. One company I hear already has tested this theory and agrees with me. The system of how they make this product and the ingredients probably will not work, nor is it likely to be safe to inhale by anyone.
The growth of natural stone as a landscape stone is growing exponentially. Hundreds of new companies are opening all the time with limestone, sandstone, granite, bluestone pavers, pebbles, boulders, rectangular pieces for stack stone retainer walls, driveways, outdoor kitchens counters and much more.
I am bidding jobs and getting requests for granite for mausoleums and especially columbarium’s; the monument industry is growing.
The housing market is strong, and the commercial market is good. The latter is more volatile in that financing is getting tighter and some companies are slow on processing documentation and getting building permits.
February 27, 2026
Jacques Thibaut, Thibaut, France
Soon after Covid there was a boom in investment in machinery but after 2022 these investments came to a halt. Now we are in the Trump situation. The Ukraine war has also created a lot of uncertainty. But there is still some movement in the market, we see some signs of improvement in the German market. There are always optimistic people who are willing to make investments. In France there is stability in investment in machinery.
Kishen Agarwal, Sri Vishnu Granites, Pvt, Ltd, India
The stone industry is synchronising. The tombstone business is not as it used to be in the past. In some countries the burials system has shifted towards cremation.
2025 was not good for the stone industry. The Ukraine war is one reason, the problems in the Red Sea created issues of logistics for the exporters. The cost of transport also doubled. Customers reduced their purchases and only bought materials for immediate use keeping minimum inventory.
Jorgen Hallinden, Hallinden Granit, Sweden
Am very positive about the stone industry and we see an increased demand for natural stone. Green thinking is very positive for the environment and favours use of natural stone. The Swedish market is good but mostly local stone is used in the country.
Even the global natural stone industry remains quite resilient driven by overall demand in all segments, although Europe, in comparative terms, has been on a slightly downward trajectory.
Overall, natural stone still holds a unique niche position, but the prospects also depend on innovation and responsible practices.
Shashidhar Patil, Tile Italia, India
The natural stone industry in India continues to hold strong long-term value with construction & infrastructure growing steadily. Imports of marble & other natural stones in India are increasing, year after year, although competition too is quite acute. Quality stone, however, has its own segment. Companies that invest in technology, branding, are leading all the way.
