Rough Diamond Trader Registration Circular

24-hour hotline : 23 922 922

e-mail address : enquiry@tid.gov.hk

Ref : GL 250

15 June 2012

Dear Sirs,

Rough Diamond Trader Registration Circular No. 1/2012

Customs and Excise Department's New Sealing Arrangement for Rough Diamond Imports Requiring Inspection

INTRODUCTION

This circular informs the trade that the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department (C&ED) will implement a new sealing arrangement for rough diamond imports requiring inspection starting from 3 July 2012.

DETAILS

Existing Arrangement

2. At present, rough diamonds covered by Kimberley Process (KP) Certificates (Import) are selected for consignment checks conducted by authorized officers of C&ED. For rough diamond imports requiring inspection, the importer should contact C&ED to make arrangement for inspection of the consignment at the premises specified by him. The importer shall not sell, export or process the rough diamonds before inspection by C&ED. He shall also ensure that the tamper-proof container for the rough diamonds remains sealed. During C&ED's inspection, the importer shall produce the imported rough diamonds, the KP Certificate issued by the last country of provenance where applicable and any documents relating to the purchase, import, delivery and payment of the goods such as books and records, ordering documents, delivery records and payment records.

New Arrangement

3. With effective from 3 July 2012, when contacting C&ED to make arrangements for inspection against rough diamonds imports, importer can, at the same time, request for the new sealing arrangement. Under the new arrangement, importer can repack the rough diamonds into the tamper-proof container after inspection and C&ED will, subject to the requirement of individual importer, apply a designated C&ED label onto every bag of rough diamonds or the tamper-proof container. This new sealing arrangement is optional and upon request by the importer. Apart from this new sealing arrangement, the existing import process will remain unchanged.

IMPORTANT NOTE AND WARNING

4. Traders are reminded that the Trade and Industry Department works closely with C&ED to enforce the implementation of the KP Certification Scheme for rough diamonds in Hong Kong. Legal and/or administrative actions will be taken against any traders concerned in the event that any conditions of issue/certification conditions or certification requirements are not fulfilled. In this regard, a person who imports/exports rough diamonds not in accordance with any of the conditions for the issue of the Certificate/any other certification conditions imposed by DGTI will be liable on conviction to a fine of HK$500,000 and to imprisonment for 2 years.

ENQUIRIES

5. If you have any enquiry on the content of this circular, please contact the C&ED at telephone number 2398 5198.

Yours faithfully,

(Miss Crystal YAN)

for Director-General of Trade and Industry