A wave of anxiety has gripped India's diamond polishing hub of Surat, as hefty U.S. tariffs threaten to undermine the country's gem and jewellery exports, putting at risk the livelihoods of thousands of workers.

The United States, which takes more than 30% of the South Asian nation's gem and jewellery exports, set a 27% reciprocal tariff on it on Thursday, at a time when demand is softening in other key markets such as China, the Middle East, and Europe.

"Tariffs will hit hard the demand for diamonds in the United States and job losses look inevitable, at least in the short term," said Dinesh Navadiya, chairman of the Surat-based Indian Diamond Institute.

Surat, the second-largest city in Gujarat, the western home state of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, processes and polishes more than 80% of the world's rough diamonds, and India accounts for nine in every 10 diamonds processed globally.

Business has ground to a halt in its teeming diamond market, where more than 10,000 traders and brokers gather each day, as the industry tries to figure out how matters will evolve in the coming months.

Conditions are worse than during the 2008 financial crisis, when the industry was plagued by fears of a prolonged recession, said Mansukh Mangukiya, a diamond trader for five decades.

A slowdown in the industry will hit all manufacturers, but smaller players will suffer most, said Sevanti Shah, chairman of Venus Jewels, adding, "Many smaller manufacturers will have no choice but to shut down."

The United States accounted for nearly $10 billion, or 30.4%, of India's annual gems and jewellery exports, totalling $32 billion in the fiscal year 2023/24.

Courtesy: Reuters