Representatives of Antwerp's diamond trade have denied claims connecting a gifted 18-carat gold ring—adorned with 321 diamonds and presented to U.S. President Donald Trump—to subsequent tariff exemptions granted to European diamond imports weeks later.

"The discussion about U.S. import tariffs was entirely separate from (the gifted ring),” the Antwerp World Diamond Centre, which represents the Belgian city's diamond sector, said in a statement on Wednesday.

This response came after two Democratic senators authored a letter demanding explanations from both the trade group and David Gotlib Luxury Cufflinks, which had gifted the piece. The lawmakers warned that the present raised potential legal questions under U.S. federal bribery statutes, which could expose the firms to criminal penalties.

Clarifying the origins of the item, the AWDC explained: "The ring was designed and gifted on the occasion of the official celebration of 250 years of American independence, organized by the U.S. Embassy in Belgium. Without that celebration, there would have been no ring.”

David Gotlib Luxury Cufflinks didn’t immediately comment on the developments.

The trade group noted that after previously securing a 0% tariff rate in September 2025, the sector was subjected to a 10% global tariff lasting 150 days following a U.S. Supreme Court decision that struck down Trump's tariff law.

While the AWDC acknowledged advocating for the reinstatement of the 0% rate once the new measures were announced, it maintained that those efforts were "entirely separate" from the gift.

The item was handed to the U.S. ambassador in Belgium on June 28 by the AWDC president and Gotlib as a gift for Trump in honor of the 250th anniversary of the U.S.

By July 24, European natural diamonds were officially exempted from new Section 301 tariffs by the Trump administration, restoring the sector's prior 0% tariff access.

Denying any favors to special interests, the White House stated that the decision simply upheld an earlier U.S.-European Union trade agreement signed in Scotland last July.

A spokesman said the exemption preserved existing commitments to provide preferential treatment for diamonds. Additionally, an administration official clarified that the ring is considered federal property, meaning the president would have to pay the government market price for it if he intended to keep it.