Quick answer: Importing Moroccan tile to a U.S. building project is more than choosing a pattern online. The importer, buyer, forwarder, supplier and U.S. customs broker may each have different responsibilities. Lead time and landed cost depend on the verified workshop, finished quantity, packaging, transport route and current rules. This guide is a practical conversation checklist, not legal or customs advice.
Research-based guide, updated October 2026. Project-specific technical, customs or pricing claims require confirmation by the actual supplier or qualified professional.
Questions and answers
- Can an American architect order tile from a Moroccan workshop?
- What information should appear in a zellige import quotation?
- What is an Incoterm and why does it matter?
- What customs and duty rate will apply?
- How should handmade ceramic tiles be packed?
- How do I confirm the shade before international shipment?
- Can I receive a guaranteed delivery date immediately?
- How does the 50% deposit policy work?
Can an American architect order tile from a Moroccan workshop?
An architect or purchasing firm may investigate sourcing from Morocco, but the project must confirm the actual producer and who is contractually responsible for purchasing, importation and installation. Begin with drawings, intended use, quantities, finish direction, delivery ZIP code and deadline. A quote-based catalog can start the brief, but supply is not confirmed until the workshop accepts the specification in writing.
What information should appear in a zellige import quotation?
Identify the products, quantity, unit, production tolerances, sample approval, currency, prices, packaging, trade terms, payment milestone, estimated manufacturing time and transport responsibility. Confirm whether freight, insurance, customs brokerage, duties, delivery appointment and unloading are included or excluded. An incomplete quote often makes comparisons between suppliers misleading.
What is an Incoterm and why does it matter?
Incoterms are internationally used trade-term definitions describing responsibilities between buyer and seller for certain shipping costs and risk transfers. An offer labeled EXW differs greatly from one with carriage arranged to a U.S. destination. Confirm the current term, named place and contract wording with the forwarder or broker rather than assuming every quote means door-to-door delivery.
What customs and duty rate will apply?
That depends on the actual classification, material, origin, value, shipment details and the rules in effect when imported. A product photograph is not enough to determine the correct tariff treatment. Have the importer of record and licensed customs broker check U.S. Customs and Border Protection guidance and relevant tariff schedules. We do not publish a guessed universal duty percentage.
How should handmade ceramic tiles be packed?
Ask the producer and freight operator to agree on protection against abrasion, edge impacts, water exposure and shifting loads. A shipment plan can include separated cartons, edge protection, adequate stacking strength and pallet instructions when appropriate. Require written handling, quantity and inspection records; breakage claims are difficult if the parties never agreed how the goods should be packed.
How do I confirm the shade before international shipment?
Approve physical samples and specify an acceptable range of shade and surface variation. Ask the workshop to label production batches and confirm whether it can provide pre-shipment photos or inspection. The most important distinction is between a digital color code on Zellige Atelier and a physical workshop-approved sample: only the latter establishes a meaningful delivered color expectation.
Can I receive a guaranteed delivery date immediately?
Not before workshop capacity, production completion, shipping schedule and customs variables are confirmed. Quotes should distinguish estimated manufacturing time from actual transit and destination delivery. For critical project milestones, agree on contingencies with the contractor, broker and freight forwarder. Zellige Atelier cannot promise inventory already waiting in a U.S. warehouse.
How does the 50% deposit policy work?
Our request for a quotation is free. If the buyer approves a written project quote, Zellige Atelier’s stated terms require a 50% advance payment before dispatch; the remaining terms and timing are agreed in that quote. The contract should clarify sourcing and production milestones and what conditions apply if a supplier cannot meet an essential specification.
Sources and further reading
Related questions
Browse all 500 design concepts or submit a free project quotation request. The online catalog shows design references, not confirmed manufacturing inventory.
