Policies & IssuesJul 30, 2025
Tariff on India Will Be 25%, Trump Says Policies & IssuesAug 06, 2025
Tariff on India to Rise to 50%, Trump Says
An additional 25 percent tariff has been added to the previously announced 25 percent.
On Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced an additional 25 percent tariff on India, increasing the rate at which imports from India are taxed to 50 percent.
Washington, D.C.—The tariff on goods imported from India to the United States will increase to 50 percent later this month, the White House announced Wednesday morning.
In an executive order, President Donald Trump said he plans to add an additional 25 percent to the 25 percent tariff on Indian imports announced last week.
The rate set for India, where 90 percent of the world’s diamonds are cut and polished, is one of the highest proposed for a U.S. trading partner.
It is one of a number of so-called reciprocal tariffs poised to impact the jewelry and watch industry.
Switzerland, the center of the mechanical watch-making world, faces a 39 percent tariff, while imports from Thailand are set to be taxed at 19 percent; Botswana, 15 percent; and the European Union, 15 percent, just to name a few.
On Wednesday, Jewelers of America President and CEO David Bonaparte said the proposed tariffs on Indian imports will be “detrimental” to a lot of jewelry businesses.
“We continue to work closely with our legislative team in Washington, D.C., to lobby for an exemption for diamonds and gemstones, as they cannot be sourced in the U.S. We continue to urge Jewelers of America members to use our Legislative Action Center to take action as well.”
The previously announced 25 percent tariff on Indian imports will go into effect Thursday along with the other “reciprocal” tariffs, while the additional 25 percent is slated to take effect on Aug. 27, according to the executive order.
“Obviously, a 50 percent-plus tariff on Indian goods will have a significant impact on the jewelry industry,” Jewelers Vigilance Committee CEO and General Counsel Sara Yood said.
“It's important to remember that these rates keep changing as the president is using them as a negotiating tactic, and just like the China tariff escalation we saw previously this year, we can expect the rates to fluctuate again as negotiations continue.”
Related stories will be right here …
In an executive order, President Donald Trump said he plans to add an additional 25 percent to the 25 percent tariff on Indian imports announced last week.
The rate set for India, where 90 percent of the world’s diamonds are cut and polished, is one of the highest proposed for a U.S. trading partner.
It is one of a number of so-called reciprocal tariffs poised to impact the jewelry and watch industry.
Switzerland, the center of the mechanical watch-making world, faces a 39 percent tariff, while imports from Thailand are set to be taxed at 19 percent; Botswana, 15 percent; and the European Union, 15 percent, just to name a few.
On Wednesday, Jewelers of America President and CEO David Bonaparte said the proposed tariffs on Indian imports will be “detrimental” to a lot of jewelry businesses.
“We continue to work closely with our legislative team in Washington, D.C., to lobby for an exemption for diamonds and gemstones, as they cannot be sourced in the U.S. We continue to urge Jewelers of America members to use our Legislative Action Center to take action as well.”
The previously announced 25 percent tariff on Indian imports will go into effect Thursday along with the other “reciprocal” tariffs, while the additional 25 percent is slated to take effect on Aug. 27, according to the executive order.
“Obviously, a 50 percent-plus tariff on Indian goods will have a significant impact on the jewelry industry,” Jewelers Vigilance Committee CEO and General Counsel Sara Yood said.
“It's important to remember that these rates keep changing as the president is using them as a negotiating tactic, and just like the China tariff escalation we saw previously this year, we can expect the rates to fluctuate again as negotiations continue.”
In Wednesday’s executive order, Trump said the rate hike is because the Indian government has been “directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil.”
When imposing the initial 25 percent tariff last week, Trump stated via Truth Social that India would face an unspecified “penalty” for buying energy and military equipment from Russia “at a time when everyone wants Russia to STOP THE KILLING IN UKRAINE.”
On Monday, Trump warned in another Truth Social post that the tariffs paid by India would be “substantially raised.”
“India is not only buying massive amounts of Russian Oil, they are then, for much of the Oil purchased, selling it on the Open Market for big profits. They don’t care how many people in Ukraine are being killed by the Russian War Machine.”
In a statement about the executive order, a spokesperson for India’s Ministry of External Affairs called Trump’s actions “unfair, unjustified, and unreasonable.”
India has been clear on its position regarding its energy purchases, the statement reads. Its imports are based on market factors with the objective of ensuring the energy security of the country’s 1.4 billion people.
“It is therefore extremely unfortunate that the U.S. should choose to impose additional tariffs on India for actions that several other countries are also taking in their own national interest,” it says, adding that India will take all actions necessary to protect its national interests.
The executive order also instructed members of the Trump administration to determine whether other countries are “directly or indirectly importing Russian Federation oil” and then decide “whether and to what extent I should take action as to that country.”
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