Trump to Put 50% Tariff on Canadian Goods
The higher tax is set to go into effect in August and will apply to loose polished diamonds as well as precious and base metals jewelry.

The new tariffs, which will not go into effect until mid-August, come amid talks to update the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA).
The president issued three separate proclamations Monday imposing the tax on imports in three categories: dairy, alcoholic beverages, and motor vehicles.
Attached to the president’s proclamation on motor vehicles is an annex containing a long list of products that will be subject to the tariff starting next month.
Among them are: loose polished diamonds (HTS Code 7102.39.00); semi-manufactured .995 silver, including silver plated with gold or platinum (HTS Code 7106.92.10); silver jewelry or parts valued at more than $18 per dozen pieces or parts (HTS Code 7113.11.50); gold necklaces and neck chains, excluding rope and mixed-link chains (HTS Code 7113.19.29); precious metal jewelry that is not silver, including plated jewelry (HTS Code 7113.19.50); and base metal jewelry (HTS Code 7117.19.90).
Notably, the annex does not include rough diamonds, so any diamonds exported from Canada for cutting in another country, like India, ultimately would be considered a product of the country where they are cut and polished and taxed accordingly.
In a member alert sent Tuesday, the Jewelers Vigilance Committee noted that the new tariffs apply to the above-listed products even if they would qualify for duty-free treatment under the USMCA and will be applied on top of any other tariff levied on Canadian goods.
The White House said in a fact sheet that the 50 percent tariffs are set to go into effect 30 days after signing, which would be Aug. 19.
Up-to-date information on current tariff rates is available via the JVC’s Tariff Tracker.
The Canadian tariffs are being enacted under section 338 of the Tariff Act of 1930, also known as the Hawley-Smoot Tariff.
The statute allows the president to impose tariffs when a country “disadvantages U.S. exporters relative to the exports of another country to offset the disadvantage or burden on U.S. commerce.”
It is one of two tariffs acts the Trump administration has turned to following the Supreme Court’s February ruling striking down the import taxes he enacted under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act last year.
Immediately following the Supreme Court’s ruling, the Trump administration imposed a temporary 10 percent across-the-board tariff utilizing section 122 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Those tariffs are set to expire this coming Friday, July 24.
Earlier this month, the Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) filed a notice that tariffs on Brazil would increase to 25 percent, effective today, under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Rough gemstones exported from Brazil for cutting in other countries are exempt from the new tariff, but polished gemstones and finished jewelry are not.
Tariffs on 60 countries ranging from 10 to 12.5 percent also are set to go into effect following a USTR investigation that determined the countries do not do enough to prevent goods made using forced labor from being imported into their countries.
The Trump administration also is imposing these tariffs under section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974; an implementation date has yet to be announced.
There is another section 301 investigation into what the Trump administration alleges is “overproduction” by 16 countries, including India, China, Thailand, the European Union and Switzerland, though a trade attorney told the Los Angeles Times that any tariffs that result from that investigation likely won’t take effect until after the midterm elections.
“President Trump has stated that tariffs are here to stay,” Jewelers of America President and CEO David Bonaparte said Tuesday.
“Jewelers of America continues to appeal to the administration to consider exemptions for specific HS codes related to diamonds, gemstones, and pearls.”
The Latest

One is the driver who allegedly crashed a car into a Sacramento jewelry store in April, striking a 71-year-old employee who later died.

In a new column, Peter Smith posits that people actually enjoy putting together IKEA furniture, and the same is true for engagement rings.

9lakha Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey, was the target of a smash-and-grab robbery on Aug. 8.

Retailers are seeking new ways to attract customers, increase traffic, and create revenue – Estate buying events are a popular solution.

The jeweler has partnered with Jenner’s 818 Tequila brand to gift lab-grown diamond studs to a bride-to-be and their bridal party.


The exhibition will feature more than 100 drawings of stained-glass lampshades, windows, and more, many created by women and émigrés.

Marquise-cut diamonds in drop charms are the center of the new collection, reflecting the movement of a dancer in modular styles.

Colored gemstones, artisan finishes, mixed metals, and meaningful details are shaping demand in bridal jewelry.

The inaugural Fort Lauderdale Jewelry, Antique, & Object Show will be held from Jan. 28 through Feb. 1, 2027.

The family-owned jeweler will open a new showroom in Bel Air, Maryland, this fall.

Amanda Ileana Hernandez is married to Carlos Hernandez, one of two men in prison for the 2024 murder of Michigan jeweler Hussein Murray.

The reimagined jewel, our Piece of the Week, trades the diamonds in the original 1998 design for blue, pink, yellow, and green sapphires.

Sponsored by American Gem Trade Association

In the United States, second-quarter sales were flat amid soft consumer sentiment and lower in-store traffic.

The 22-karat gold egg, sold at Batemans Auctioneers in the U.K., was part of a 1980s treasure hunt ad campaign for Cadbury Creme Eggs.

Lucara Diamond Corp., which recovered the “Motswedi” diamond from the Karowe mine, sold the stone for an undisclosed amount.

The expanded collections now feature hand-cut gemstones like topaz, tanzanite, chrysoprase, chalcedony, smoky quartz, and fire opal.

The lab-grown diamond jewelry brand’s newest boutique is in Westfield Valley Fair in Santa Clara, California.

The gemstone supplier and manufacturer acquired the remarkable 104-gram Zambian emerald at Gemfields’ auction in May.

Two suspects offered to trade the woman a “winning” lottery ticket for her jewelry.

Finsch has been in business rescue since May, and owner Petra Diamonds said it sees no viable path forward for the mine.

Michel Patrick DeSalles was sentenced after pleading guilty to the 2017 murder of Omid Gholian, who owned a jewelry store in Manhattan.

Longtime industry executive Beth Miller has taken on the role.

The brooch was owned by Virginia Fortune Ryan Ogilvy, who served as a lady of the bedchamber to Queen Elizabeth II for nearly 50 years.

Jamie Cygielman will take on the role on Aug. 24.

Moore, Polly’s husband, is remembered as a family man with an easygoing spirit and a love for sports and the outdoors.

Duvall O’Steen and Jen Cullen Williams share the best ways to display, present, and explain colored gemstones to younger customers.























