NTR and gemstones

“There is no way to peace just peace” M. Ghandi

I abhor politics, politicians, etc.

However, in this case it directly affects me and potentially some if
not most of you who consider yourselves jewelers. the US congress is
considering lifting a ban on taxes on the importation of Gemstones(
read :not diamonds, not gold, etc) from India and
Thailand… that is a fact, ( I really don’t care to hear who agrees
or disagrees with its accuracy, or the existence of that proposal)…
if you are considering posting that it is not in fact, a fact,
please refer to the World Diamond News,IDEX, and/or many other
industry related websites of your choosing… My point is that if this
is allowed to happen it will insure that China has a considerable
boost in the importation of gemstones to the US,if not a monopoly on
the acquisition of gems of Asian origin (as well as African,
Venezuelan, etc. not in compliance with the Kimberly Process), and
their distribution and sale,which does concern me- as a jeweler
wishing to see prices kept as low as is possible on gemstones (and
certain grades of diamonds -therefore giving me the option to buy
from concerns other than DeBeers, the Israeli Diamond Industry,or
China).

The US is not the only country considering this tax ban being lifted-
for instance, South Africa is another- but I am not a South African
citizen so their system of government and taxation is for their
citizens to decide. I am simply declaring that the US is not the only
country considering this move for accuracy and objectivity in
relaying

Thailand is the real reason for this post. …Many rural North small
scale miners/families are collecting them to supplement their
subsistence incomes (since the US has also decided that poppies are
the US’s responsibility to eradicate and in doing so dump- aerially,
tons of poisons on the rural northern farmers in the golden triangle
areas creating another ecological mess on non-US soils). Taxing them
would mean reversion to a less secure householding income. While the
small scale miners, and shoreline panners may opt to sell to larger
gemstone suppliers who in turn sell to larger conglomerates, some
Indian, the essential “sharecropper” of the Thai gem collection
industry has limited knowledge or, in most cases, concern, as to
where the stones they get from the shallows near their farms
eventually wind up…they just need the money to survive at a slightly
higher level than before they discovered sapphires, etc in the
gravels of their impoundments given the country’s inflation rate… If
the US is going to tax any gemstones coming into the country they
should tax all gemstone importation without favoritism to any
nation. Particularly Non-NTR countries that are receiving tax bans,
and PNTR ( permanent normal trade relations- like China) countries.,
and emerging countries like Laos who are negotiating for membership
in the WTO ( world trade organization) and are within the proximity
to Thailand that the entire affair is without reason.

I personally do not believe that there should be any taxation on
imports of gemstones to the US iif even one country is afforded a
ban on taxation. I urge each of you that buys stones to consider what
your government(wherever you have citizenship) is attempting and then
making up your own mind on the sources from which you would like to
have the option to purchase your stones. If you feel strongly, or at
all- about the issue, and are a US national to write your
congressman or woman and/or the US Committee of Ways and Means,
Subcommittee on Trade and express your thoughts.

R.E.Rourke

There has been no tax on importation of gemstones of any kind coming
into Canada. From the states there is an import tax after a certain
amount of dollars. But diamonds are still free to go through.

Just to let you know that there are no taxes on gemstones coming
from any country into Canada. It just takes twice as long for our
mail system to get it to you. I have ordered huge lots of different
stones from all over the world and have yet to be taxed on anything.

Leslie

not quite the point I was making about the US considering LIFTING
the ban on taxes…you would not be taxed the vendor selling to you
would…