• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years

1

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup

2

Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock

3

Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
RetailJewelry

Pandora CEO says producing jewelry in America ‘simply won’t work’: ‘I can’t find that amount of talent that actually has this craft experience in the U.S.’

Sasha Rogelberg
By
Sasha Rogelberg
Sasha Rogelberg
Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
Sasha Rogelberg
By
Sasha Rogelberg
Sasha Rogelberg
Reporter
Down Arrow Button Icon
May 7, 2025, 1:07 PM ET
Alexander Lacik stands over a display case and has a group of people around him, listening to him speak.
Pandora CEO Alexander Lacik said the company will not move production to the U.S. amid tariffs.Maika Elan/Bloomberg—Getty Images
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.
  • Despite reciprocal tariffs on Thailand, where Copenhagen-based Pandora produces most of its jewelry, CEO Alexander Lacik said the company will not set up shop in the U.S. Pandora employs nearly 15,000 workers in Thailand and is unable to build a workforce of enough specialized employees in the U.S., Lacik told media outlets on Wednesday.

Tariffs are an “unwelcome aspect” of business for Danish jewelry-maker Pandora, but CEO Alexander Lacik concedes the new challenges won’t mean the company will move production to the U.S.

Recommended Video

Moving to the U.S. “simply won’t work” because Pandora relies so heavily on a specialized and less expensive foreign workforce, Lacik told Bloomberg TV on Wednesday. About 95% of Pandora’s jewelry is produced in Thailand, where the company employs nearly 15,000 workers. With a value proposition of remaining affordable, Pandora has to take into consideration the impact of an increase in labor expenses and finding new skilled employees associated with moving its supply chain. Pandora says it employs about 8,000 workers in the U.S. 

“I employ up to 15,000 craftspeople in Thailand,” Lasik said in a Wednesday CNBC interview. “I can’t find that amount of talent that actually has this craft experience in the U.S. So it’s actually not so much a matter of cost to begin with, it’s about having skilled people who can actually craft the jewelry.”

With so much of its production happening in Thailand, as well as Vietnam, India, and China, Pandora has been hit by President Donald Trump’s reciprocal “Liberation Day” tariffs announced on  April 2. Those levies range from 36% on Thailand to 46% on Vietnam. The jewelry company—the largest maker in the world by volume—last month said the impact of the taxes would be worth 1.2 billion kroner ($182 million) annually, costing 700 million kroner ($68 million) in 2025. 

Trump later announced a 90-day tariff pause and lowered tariffs to 10% on all countries except China. 

Pandora has already raised prices twice in the past 12 months as a result of the rising value of silver, which has more than doubled over the past half decade. The company increased its price tags by 5% in October 2024 and 4% this April, according to its earnings report.

While it did not factor additional tariffs (beyond the 10%) into its guidance, citing uncertainty, Pandora trimmed its fiscal 2025 profitability guidance, citing the sinking U.S. dollar. The company now expects a 24% margin on earnings before interest and tax, down from its previous aim of 24.5%. Its organic growth guidance of 7-8% remains the same.

Uncertainty driving business decisions

Despite its exposure, Pandora will be able to manage tariffs at the 10% level, Lasik said, and has already taken steps to mitigate the impact of the taxes. The company sources much of its point-of-sales material—such as store furniture and boxes—from China and it is finding new countries from which to source those supplies, Pandora told Fortune. While the company provides its stores in Canada and Latin America with jewelry shipped to its Baltimore distribution center, it is now working to rejig its deliveries directly to those countries without having to pass through the U.S.

The danger to the business, and to consumers, would be if the reciprocal tariffs rise to or above what Trump initially introduced last month. Beyond steeper costs, new tariffs would also create further uncertainty, making it difficult for Pandora to make meaningful supply-chain adjustments to help it both dodge tariffs and save on labor costs.

“The more worrying thing in all this, is that it’s not predictable,” Lacik told CNBC. “I think this plagues most people like myself that sit on the business side of things.”

Pandora isn’t the only jewelry company contending with tariffs. Most other competitors source labor from parts of Asia, meaning everyone in the industry is experiencing the same challenges. While the taxes essentially level the playing field, it’s bad news for consumers, who will feel the impact of tariffs on the rising cost of jewelry.

“You could have an argument, if these tariffs remain, then it’s going to be more expensive for everybody that plays somehow,” Lacik said. “And therefore we should expect that the consumer pricing will see some change to it.”

The Fortune 500 Innovation Forum will convene Fortune 500 executives, U.S. policy officials, top founders, and thought leaders to help define what’s next for the American economy, Nov. 16-17 in Detroit. Apply here.
About the Author
Sasha Rogelberg
By Sasha RogelbergReporter
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Sasha Rogelberg is a reporter and former editorial fellow on the news desk at Fortune, covering retail and the intersection of business and popular culture.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Retail

Amazon Prime Day isn’t a midsummer shopping event anymore. Here’s what changed in 2026
RetailAmazon
Amazon Prime Day isn’t a midsummer shopping event anymore. Here’s what changed in 2026
By Vidhi Choudhary and Retail BrewJune 23, 2026
10 hours ago
Olympic rings at the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on February 03, 2026 in Tesero, Italy.
North AmericaSports
After the Knicks and World Cup, New York is ready for another challenge: the Olympics
By The Associated PressJune 23, 2026
10 hours ago
UPS workers process boxes in a sorting facility.
North AmericaUPS
UPS is shelling out nearly $50 million on temperature-controlled facilities to meet the booming demand for GLP-1 deliveries
By Sasha RogelbergJune 23, 2026
11 hours ago
work
Workplace Culturework culture
Worker engagement just hit a decade low — and new data from 88 million employees shows why managers are the problem
By Bob Batchelor and The ConversationJune 23, 2026
13 hours ago
Young woman shopper in store
SuccessPersonal Finance
As 93% of Americans lean on coupons to get by, Bed Bath & Beyond is splashing out $100K on a home renovation for their thriftiest shopper
By Emma BurleighJune 23, 2026
15 hours ago
wc
North AmericaWorld Cup
One World Cup, two worlds: Atlanta’s $3 pizza collides with Mexican beer that costs a day’s wages
By Tim Reynolds and The Associated PressJune 23, 2026
17 hours ago

Most Popular

After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
Success
After forcing workers back to the office, Goldman Sachs and JPMorgan Chase are now letting their staff work remotely—but only for the World Cup
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 23, 2026
19 hours ago
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
Banking
Markets tumble worldwide as Fed resets expectations: $400 billion wiped off SpaceX stock
By Jim EdwardsJune 23, 2026
21 hours ago
Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
Investing
Meet the 2 men putting New York's $300 billion pension fund in play for the first time in 20 years
By Nick LichtenbergJune 22, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 23, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 23, 2026
18 hours ago
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
Success
Former U.S. Secret Service agent says bringing your authentic self to work stifles teamwork: 'You don’t get high performers, you get sloppiness'
By Sydney LakeJune 21, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 22, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 22, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.