AGTA Goes to Washington – An Update

Continuing Efforts in Washington D.C. to Eliminate Colored Gemstone Tariffs

AGTA Press Release

AGTA CEO John W. Ford, Sr., and AGTA Board President and President of Bridges Tsavorite Bruce Bridges continue to meet with key members of Congress in Washington, D.C., regarding tariffs that affect the colored gemstone and broader jewelry industry.

“The focus of our efforts has now shifted as we have consolidated support from key members of Congress, and we are now meeting with senior members of the Trump Administration,” says Ford.

Following up on AGTA’s early May meetings, Ford returned last week to Washington, D.C., for another round of constructive conversations with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle. He also met with the Assistant United States Trade Representative (AUSTR) from the Executive Office of the President. Accompanying Ford to the meeting were Tim Hecht and Franklin C. Phifer, Jr., of Hecht, Latham, Spencer & Associates, AGTA’s trade representatives. The AGTA delegation was led by U.S. Congressman Randy Weber.

Ford reveals that the group “had a lengthy meeting with the AUSTR and members of the U.S. Trade Representatives staff, which effectively laid out the blueprint of how AGTA would move forward meeting with other key members of the Administration seeking tariff changes.” Ford went on to say that “the effect of walking into a meeting in the Executive Office of the President with a leading member of Congress cannot be underestimated.”

Bridges shared that he is encouraged by the meeting, noting that “both he and Ford will be traveling to Washington over the next month to meet with key members of the Administration as AGTA seeks the elimination of tariffs on loose colored gemstones.” He also points out that the distinction between AGTA and the broader U.S. jewelry industry is that “AGTA is a net exporter of loose colored gemstones after supplying the U.S. domestic manufacturing market.”

“The fact that AGTA is a net exporter is central to the argument to the Trump Administration that AGTA deserves a review of the current tariff policy on loose colored gemstones,” says Hecht. “I’m also in communication with D.C.-based representatives working on behalf of De Beers. Although AGTA’s tariff issues are distinctively different from those facing the Diamond industry, we have open lines of communication in the spirit of industry-wide cooperation.”

AGTA will continue to update its membership and the industry at large as its trade representatives address the tariff issues daily. More updates on tariffs will be shared with the AGTA membership at the AGTA membership meeting at AGTA GemFair Las Vegas at JCK Las Vegas 2025 on June 9.

Stay tuned here as we will keep you up-to-date with any new developments.