Editor’s Note
This article outlines the role of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in enforcing the Clean Diamond Trade Act, a key piece of legislation that aligns the United States with the international Kimberley Process to prevent trade in conflict diamonds.
CBP is active in the U.S. implementation of the Clean Diamond Trade Act, which formalized U.S. participation in the Kimberley Process. The Clean Diamond Trade Act was signed into law on July 29, 2003, and prohibits the “importation into, or exportation from, the U.S. of any rough diamond, from whatever source, unless the rough diamond has been controlled through the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS).”
Rough diamonds, also known as conflict diamonds, are defined as diamonds used by rebel movements to finance military action opposed to legitimate and internationally recognized governments.
The KPCS is an international initiative that combats rough diamond importation. As the import authority for the U.S., CBP regularly leads enforcement actions on violations related to diamonds.
The KPCS is a joint-government, internationally recognized certification system that imposes extensive requirements on its members to enable them to certify shipments of rough diamonds as ‘conflict-free’ and prevent conflict diamonds from entering legitimate trade.