AGTA’s John Ford and Bruce Bridges meeting with leaders of Thailand’s gemstone and jewellery industry on September 11, 2026
By David Brough
BANGKOK – American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) leaders plan to meet with senior Thai government officials on Monday, September 14, 2026, to help promote a bilateral US-Thailand trade deal.
The current U.S. import tariff rate on loose colored gemstones from Thailand is 12.5 percent. Thailand is a vital source of loose gemstones for the U.S. market.
AGTA President Bruce Bridges and CEO John Ford were scheduled to meet with Deputy Trade Minister Kirida Bhaopichitr at the Commerce Ministry, after meeting with senior government and industry officials, including Ms Nisabudh Virabutr, Director of the Office of Lifestyle Trade Promotion, of the Department of International Trade Promotion (DITP), Commerce Ministry, at the Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair on September 11.
On the sidelines of the Bangkok Gems & Jewelry Fair, Mr Bridges and Mr Ford met with leading Thai representatives of the gemstone and jewellery industry, including Mr Sumed Prasongpongchai, who heads the state-backed lab Gem and Jewelry Institute of Thailand (Public Organization), and Mr Suttipong Damrongsakul, managing director of Gemopolis, an area of Bangkok where overseas jewellery manufacturers and exporters operate with special tax benefits offered by the Thai government.
Mr Sumed of Thailand’s state-backed lab GIT and Bruce Bridges, President of AGTA
“We want to see stability in trade flows, so it is important that we help Thailand move forward to reach a bilateral trade deal with the U.S.: Thailand is a vital supplier of loose colored gemstones and high-quality gemstone-set jewellery to the U.S. market,” Mr Ford said.
Mr Sumed of GIT and John Ford, CEO of AGTA
If Thailand does not reach a bilateral trade deal with the U.S. soon, it risks losing market share to its competitors in the supply of gemstone-set finished jewellery to the huge U.S. market.
The total effective import duty for Thai finished jewellery entering the United States is between 17.5 percent and 19.5 percent.
