Indian jewellery exporters are leveraging digital marketing to enhance online sales in the US to mitigate potential tariff impacts. Taking advantage of the de minimis exemption, they aim to boost ecommerce transactions by promoting direct-to-consumer sales and simplifying cross-border logistics with partners like DHL.

Indian jewellery exporters are using digital marketing to push online sales among potential buyers in the US, as they look for ways to minimize the impact of reciprocal tariffs, which the Trump administration has threatened to bring into effect from April 2.

The US allows jewellery worth up to $800 to enter the country free of tariffs and with minimal customs inspection and processing. Most of these imports, shipped by postal and express delivery services, are retail products purchased online.

In early February, the Trump administration announced it would immediately eliminate the “de minimis exemption” for low-value shipments arriving from China. The announcement led to a backlog of packages at the US ports of entry. When the Customs and Border Protection (CBP) realised that it was not prepared to deal with the huge volume of packages, the Trump administration backed off and instead announced it would create a process for eventually eliminating the exemption for China.

“As global trade shifts from multilateral to bilateral frameworks, the de minimis principle-allowing small-value, direct to consumer (D2C) parcels to enter duty-free-offers Indian exporters, especially in gems and jewellery, a significant advantage,” Kirit Bhansali, Chairman GJEPC said. “This simplified process provides direct access to consumers worldwide without duties. It is estimated that 70-80% of ecommerce exports fall under US$ 200, making gems and jewellery an ideal fit due to their low weight, which reduces logistics costs.

According to GJEPC’s forecast, the US jewellery ecommerce market is expected to reach $6,608.1 million in 2025. The expected compound annual growth rate for the next four years (CAGR for 2025-2029) is 3.9%, resulting in a projected market volume of $7,714.9 million by 2029.

Trade sources said that many mid- and small-sized Indian jewellery retailers are selling their products in the US through different e-commerce sites.