The US, African countries and India do not want all diamond imports to pass through Antwerp

According to sources who spoke to the Reuters news agency, the US wants to review the G7 agreement to keep Russian diamonds off the market.

Bron: Reuters

Today at 09:39

This boycott means that all companies that export diamonds to a G7 country submit their own certificates to prove that the gemstones do not come from Russia.

From September, all diamonds larger than 0.5 carats must first receive a digital passport in Antwerp with blockchain, the digital logbook that is also used by cryptocurrencies.

An older, U.S. measure to stop Russian diamond imports made an exception for stones polished in India and imported through hubs like Dubai. The presidents of Angola, Botswana and Namibia, which together account for 30 percent of the world’s diamond supply, call one central entry point for the G7 market unjust and say it would cut their revenues.

According to seven U.S. sources Reuters spoke to, the U.S. government wants to reconsider the agreement reached last December. They are still part of the working groups, but would not cooperate in working out the strict controls.

A spokesperson for the Biden administration says that the U.S. position on the ban has not changed, but that there are doubts about whether the traceability checks can be implemented by September 1, and whether they apply to the United States or only to the EU.