Abu dhabi: The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC), the umbrella organisation for the Antwerp diamond sector, announced on Friday that it had successfully secured a zero percent US import duty on cut natural diamonds. This development marks the end of a 10 percent tariff that had been in effect for the past six months.

According to Emirates News Agency, the AWDC had previously negotiated a zero tariff with US trade authorities in September 2025 as part of the trade agreement between the European Commission and the United States. The exemption is based on the premise that “no diamonds are mined or cut in the United States, and therefore no local economy needs protection against European imports.”

In February of this year, US President Donald Trump had introduced a new general import surcharge of 10 percent. Despite this, the exemption for cut natural diamonds in Europe from these US import tariffs now strengthens Antwerp’s position as a European cutting centre. AWDC Chief Executive Karen Rentmeesters highlighted that the Antwerp diamond sector exported £2.1 billion worth of cut diamonds to the United States in 2024.