Editor’s Note
**Editor’s Note:** Vietnam imported diamonds worth 3.2 trillion dong in H1, with negligible volumes from Thailand and Hong Kong.
In the first half of this year, Vietnam imported diamonds worth approximately 3.2 trillion Vietnamese dong. Among these, imports from Thailand and Hong Kong (China) accounted for only a negligible portion.
India is the largest diamond supplier to Vietnam. Photo: Reuters
Following the prosecution of a former director of P-Lab, a subsidiary of Phu Nhuan Jewelry Joint Stock Company (PNJ), for allegedly smuggling over 28,000 diamonds, PNJ’s Chairwoman Cao Thi Ngoc Dung stated that all diamonds used by the company were imported through official channels and that the smuggled diamonds were not sold through the company’s system.
In an explanation to investors, Dung said the company’s diamonds are all imported through official channels. PNJ only handles diamonds imported from Thailand and Hong Kong (China) and does not purchase diamonds from the domestic market.
According to data from the Customs Department (Ministry of Finance), Vietnam’s total diamond import value is projected to reach 241.2 million USD (over 6.3 trillion Vietnamese dong) in 2025. In the first half of this year alone, imports of this item were estimated at approximately 121.5 million USD (about 3.2 trillion Vietnamese dong).
Among these countries, India is the largest diamond supplier to Vietnam, with a turnover of 63.2 million USD in the first half of the year, accounting for about 52% of total imports. It is followed by Belgium with about 18 million USD and Botswana with 7.7 million USD. Notably, Israel became the third largest diamond supplier to Vietnam, with turnover exceeding 9.1 million USD, more than double that of the full year 2025.
Notably, Thailand and Hong Kong (China) account for only a negligible share of the country’s total diamond imports, with first-half imports of about 5.1 million USD and 2.8 million USD respectively, equivalent to about 4.2% and 2.3% of total imports.
The customs authority stated that the management of rough diamond imports is implemented according to Joint Circular No. 14/2009, which was amended, supplemented, and consolidated in Consolidated Document No. 15 dated June 19, 2023, by the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Accordingly, rough diamonds are only permitted to be imported from Kimberley Process (KP) member countries. All imported shipments must have a valid KP certificate issued by the competent authority of the exporting country and must comply with all necessary customs procedures and documentation.
The customs authority is responsible for reviewing documents, directly inspecting goods, issuing certificates for imported rough diamonds, and carrying out management tasks in accordance with the law.
Regarding diamond transportation, according to current regulations, customs clearance procedures are carried out based on the enterprise’s declaration documents, KP certificates, and other relevant documents.
