In a circular dated 4th May, the Precious Cargo Customs Clearance (PCCCC) stated that the description of rough diamond parcels seemed ‘incomplete’ and asked for detailed descriptions such as weight, clarity and colour on the shipping bill during export and import.

This circular infuriated business owners as they wont be able to provide a more detailed description than ‘rough diamonds’. In order to discuss this issue, the council has arranged for a meeting with the board to present this issue on 15th May. To strengthen their case, the council has asked traders and business owners to step forward and discuss their issues so that they can arrive at a suitable solution.

A meeting was organized at Bharat Diamond Bourse (BDB) where owners revealed that they have been labeling their parcels as ‘rough diamonds’ for years and is a standard practice prevalent the world over. They also argued that this circular was in direct opposition to ease of doing business as it made the process of import/export more tedious. Since the council is a bridge between the trade and the Government, it was appalling that the council was not even consulted before issuing this circular.

The owners unanimously agreed that they are not willing to follow these new guidelines and some even suggested that they will go on a strike on import/export if necessary action is not taken. The Council took note of this and promised to communicate this across the board.

The circular was issued only for the Mumbai port and not Surat.