Chinese jewelry tariffs start next month

Jewelry made in China will get hit with an extra 10% tariff starting Sept. 1, 2019 — a move that could hurt Shopify stores that sell products on the list.

Donald Trump announced a lengthy list of tariffs earlier this year, but backed off some of them, including toys, clothing and electronics, until Dec. 15 to help prevent hurting holiday sales.

List 4A’s rundown of items that will face the higher tariffs runs 122 pages and includes a variety of jewelry that features gemstones, diamonds synthetic gemstones, gold and other precious metals.

Some watches and watch bands ended up on the list that’s being pushed to Dec. 15, but most wristwatches will still be subject to the September tariffs.

It remains to be seen if ecommerce sellers will respond by upping prices, eating the cost or switching to other suppliers.

That said, sellers featuring jewelry made outside of China may benefit if some prices in the market creep up.