Census Bureau tweaks diamond trade regulations

The final ruling clarifies the process for submitting Kimberley Process Certificates, which must accompany clean diamond exports and imports.

   The Census Bureau on Tuesday issued a final rule setting forth filing requirements for shipments involving Kimberley Process Certificates (KPCs).
   Imports and exports of any rough diamonds into and out of the United States are controlled through the multilateral Kimberley Process Certification Scheme and must be accompanied by a valid certificate.
   The rule, which will take effect July 23, makes several revisions to the U.S. Foreign Trade Regulations (FTR), including clarifications that KPCs must be provided to Census immediately after export from or entry into the commerce of the United States and that KPCs are not considered electronic export information and are not confidential.
   The rule also clarifies the enforcement entities for violations of the Clean Diamond Trade Act (CDTA), the statutory authority under which the U.S. government collects KPCs.
   Further, Census added a definition for a “voided Kimberley Process Certificate” as “a Kimberley Process Certificate intended to be used for the exportation of rough diamonds from the United States that has been cancelled for reasons such as loss or error.”
   The FTR now states that any voided KPC must be faxed by the voiding party to Census or provided by “other methods as permitted by the Census Bureau” immediately upon voiding.
   Collection of voided KPCs also is performed pursuant to the CDTA.