MINISTER OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (SHRI ANAND SHARMA)
a) to c): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 258 FOR
ANSWER ON 7TH DECEMBER 2009 REGARDING “EXPORT OF DIAMOND AND JEWELLERYâ€
(a) No, Madam.
(b) Details of exports of gems and jewellery to major countries during the last three years
is given below:-
India’s export of gems and jewellery to major countries
(in US $ million)
Country 2006-07 2007-08 2008-09 (Provisional)
U.S.A. 4751.59 4974.69 4429.88
U.A.E. 3297.33 4040.96 10634.47
U.K. 277.89 285.37 550.58
Hong Kong 3460.25 5100.82 5317.16
Belgium 1468.10 1964.24 1875.11
Singapore 151.46 217.38 543.13
Israel 874.88 1038.24 800.58
Japan 430.19 450.31 369.95
Thailand 339.86 390.72 320.60
Spain 38.74 43.12 71.49
Switzerland 117.52 211.98 205.79
Others 756.71 970.48 2586.23
Total 15964.52 19688.31 27704.97
Source: DGCI&S
(c) The Government has announced a number of measures in the Foreign Trade Policy (FTP)
2009-14 and the Union Budget 2009-10 to promote export of diamond and jewellery, such as Import
of gold of 8 carat and above have been allowed under the replenishment scheme, subject to
import being accompanied by an Assay Certificate specifying the purity, weight and alloy
content; Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council have been added in the list of nominated
agencies for purpose of import of precious metals; reduction in the threshold limit for
recognition of Premier Trading House from Rs.10000 crores to Rs.7500 crores in export turnover
in the previous three years and current year taken together; recognition of Surat (Gujarat)
as a Town of Export Excellence; increase in the value limit of personal carriage from US$ 2
million to US$ 5 million in case of participation in overseas exhibitions and from US$ 0.1
million to US$ 1 million in case of samples in personal carriage for export promotion tours;
Import of diamonds on consignment basis for Certification/Grading & re-export by the
authorized offices/agencies of Gemmological Institute of America (GIA) in India or other
approved agencies will be permitted; Extension in number of days for re-import of unsold
items in case of participation in exhibition in USA increased to 90 days; extension of
Interest subvention of 2% on rupee export credit up to March 31, 2010; exemption of Service
Tax on services received by exporters from goods transport agents and commission agents where
the liability to pay service tax is ab initio on the exporter, etc. Duty drawback has been
introduced on the export of gold and silver jewellery.
