Antwerp's Polished Trade Rebounds after Tariff Anxiety
October 20, 25
(IDEX Online) - Antwerp's polished diamond exports rebounded in September to a 2025 high, after tariff anxiety crushed foreign sales in August.
Gross exports for September were $795m, according to new figures published by AWDC (Antwerp World Diamond Centre).
That's more than three times the previous month, with August exports at just $229m, and higher than the previous 2025 peak of $783m in February.
Figure for both months were still down on those of 2024: September $937m and August $288m.
Polished imports also increased, up from $310m in August 2025 to $828m in September, but were still below 2024 levels.
The US imposed a 15 per cent tariff on diamonds entering Belgium and all other European Union countries, as of 1 September.
It later agreed an exemption, zero-rating diamonds polished in the EU. Stones polished elsewhere are still subject to tariffs.
Antwerp's rough exports also rebounded in September, up from $155m in August to $366m, but rough imports remained largely stable.