From April 2025 onwards, companies importing diamond into the United States will be required to provide additional information on the country of origin for their shipments. This new mandate from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is expected to impact businesses across the diamond trade and has raised several questions about its implementation.
As per National Jeweler, under the updated rules, importers will no longer simply need to certify that their diamonds were not sourced from Russia. Instead, they will need to specify the exact country where the diamonds were mined. This change is part of the broader efforts initiated by the United States and other G-7 nations last spring to prevent Russian diamonds from entering their markets.
As of March 1, 2024, individuals or companies importing loose polished natural diamonds weighing 1 carat or more into the U.S. were required to self-certify that their diamonds did not originate from Russia. This requirement was expanded on Sept. 1, 2024, to cover finished jewellery and diamonds weighing 0.5 carats and above. Importers must provide a statement on their official company letterhead, certifying that their diamonds were not mined, extracted, produced, or manufactured in Russia, whether they were transformed outside of the country or not.
Starting in April 2025, a new “country of mining” field will be added to the Automated Customs Environment (ACE) manifest, which importers must complete. While additional documentation to support these claims is not mandatory at this time, the Jewelers Vigilance Committee (JVC) has suggested that acceptable proof could include documents such as purchase orders, mining certificates, or certificates of origin. These may be similar to those issued under the Kimberley Process or from verification centers in Antwerp or Botswana.
Importers should also be aware that if diamonds are sourced from multiple countries, each country will need to be listed separately on the ACE manifest, and each country will require its own supporting documentation.
This new rule aims to provide more transparency in the diamond supply chain, particularly in light of efforts to curb the flow of Russian diamonds into the global market.
