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What is required to import Diamonds, Jewelry, Stones, Rubies, Sapphires, Emeralds, Pearls?
Commercial imports of diamonds, jewelry, pearls, precious and semi-precious stones valued at $2,000 or more require a formal entry. Please see the guidelines for formal entries in our publication entitled "Importing Into the United States". A license is not required to import these items for commercial purposes. However, a Customs bond CBP Form 301 is required for all formal entries. You can obtain a bond from a surety company. A list of sureties is available on the Treasury Web site, under publications, circular 570. You may also want to consider hiring a Custom broker to file your entries on your behalf. A list of brokers in your area can be obtained by clicking on Ports, from the homepage, then by Selecting the State and City, and Customs Brokers. The Patriot Act also establishes requirements for dealers in gems and precious metals. The Financial Center is the agency responsible for developing regulations regarding registration and compliance programs. Information may also be found on the Jewelers Vigilance Committee's web site. They are a private association, and the link to their information should not be construed as an endorsement. Personal imports of these items are usually cleared informally and do not require a Customs bond. However, if you purchased them while you were abroad, ensure you declare them when clearing CBP on the CBP Form 6059B. Imports of diamonds, pearls, rubies, sapphires and emeralds from countries with normal trade relation status are duty free as long as they are not permanently strung, set or mounted. Additional duty rates for these items can be found in the Harmonized Tariff Schedule in chapter 71. The HTS can be accessed by clicking on (Import, Duty Rates, and on the right hand side under "On the Web" click on HTS by Chapter. When these items are set or mounted with some sort of metal, they are classified as jewelry and subject to duty. These rates can also be found in chapter 71. Please be aware that there are sanctions against diamonds imported from Sierra Leone, UNITA (Angola), and Liberia. Additional information on sanctions against diamonds from these countries can be found Office of Foreign Assets Control's web site . This does not apply to other precious stones.
Customs & Border Protection (CBP), Department of Homeland Security
http://www.cbp.gov/
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