AGTA at CIBJO: Bruce Bridges and John Ford on Tariffs, Trade Policy, and FTC Diamond Rules

American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) President Bruce Bridges and CEO John W. Ford, Sr. deliver a special address at the CIBJO 100th Anniversary Congress in Vicenza, Italy. Bridges and Ford outline AGTA's ongoing efforts to protect the colored gemstone, pearl, and jewelry industries from shifting U.S. tariff policies. They detail AGTA's full-time presence in Washington, D.C., direct bilateral trade negotiations with the United States Trade Representative (USTR), Bridges' historic appointment to the USTR Trade Advisory Committee on Africa, and the transition from IEEPA to Section 301 tariffs. The presentation concludes with an official AGTA policy statement regarding the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Jewelry Guides, urging the FTC to restore the word "natural" to the definition of a diamond ahead of the 2028 review. TIMESTAMPS 0:00 Introduction 0:24 Bruce Bridges: Navigating U.S. Tariffs and Colored Gem Supply Chains 4:35 John Ford: AGTA's All-of-Government Strategy in Washington, D.C. 8:00 Bruce Bridges: The Scope of Congressional Advocacy and Outreach 10:24 John Ford: Direct USTR Negotiations and Source Country Alliances 14:41 Bruce Bridges: Appointment to the USTR Trade Advisory Committee on Africa 17:58 The Regulatory Shift: Section 122 to Section 301 Tariffs 19:45 Official AGTA Statement: Calling on the FTC to Restore "Natural" Diamond Definitions FOOTAGE CREDIT Footage courtesy of CIBJO -- The World Jewellery Confederation. Subscribe to the CIBJO YouTube channel: @cibjocommunications9276 Watch the full panel discussion and Q&A session here:    • CIBJO Congress session   The impact of geo...   CONNECT WITH AGTA Website: https://agta.org Instagram:   / agta_gems   LinkedIn:  / americangemtradeassociationagta   Facebook:   / americangemtradeassociation   #AGTA #CIBJO #GemstoneIndustry #TradePolicy #Tariffs #NaturalDiamonds #ColoredGemstones #FineJewelry #JewelryTrade