(Rapaport…December 30, 2002) India has named the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), a nonprofit organization overseen by industry and government representatives, as the official import-export authority for the Kimberley Process.
The GJEPC will issue Kimberley certificates in Mumbai and Surat. It will charge its members around $2.09, to certify each parcel of rough diamonds imported into India. Nonmembers will be charged approximately $4.17. To export rough, members will pay roughly $2.61 per parcel; nonmembers will pay approximately $5.20.
Imported diamonds will be taken from Sahar International Airport in Mumbai to the customs clearance center in either Mumbai or Surat. The importer will receive authorization to retrieve the stones after presenting the GJEPC with a Kimberley certificate from the exporting nation and other relevant documents. Parcels will be examined against the accompanying documents to ensure that value and carat weight are accurate.
For rough diamond export, the GJEPC will issue a Kimberley certificate and several copies. The original goes with the assigned parcel while the GJEPC keeps one copy, the rough seller keeps one copy and one copy is sent to the recipient. Customs will verify the contents and seal the parcel before it is sent to the airport.
The Kimberley Process regulations — which take effect January 1, 2003 — apply only to transnational shipments of rough diamonds. Polished diamond shipments will be regulated by the diamond industry’s own system of warranties. Further details on how the Kimberley Process will work in India are available at the GJEPC’s website, www.gjepc.org.
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