The United States has extended the import window for certain pre-sanction Russian-origin diamonds, moving the cutoff to September 1 2027 under an updated licensing regime.
Updated licensing terms
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control issued a revised General License No. 104B, allowing eligible loose diamonds of at least 0.50 carats to enter the U.S. market through September 1 2027. The revision was announced in a notice that detailed the new cut-off date and clarified that the license applies only to stones that meet the size and provenance thresholds.
This amendment follows two prior extensions that shifted the original deadline from September 1 2025 to September 1 2026, providing an additional twelve months for qualifying inventory. Those earlier extensions each added a full year, moving the target from 2025 to 2026 before the current shift to 2027, thereby giving market participants an extra planning horizon.
Eligibility criteria
To qualify, stones must have left Russian territory before the dates set for their size category: diamonds of 1 carat or more needed to depart by March 1 2024, while those between 0.50 carats and less than 1 carat required exit by September 1 2024. The rule therefore creates a clear chronological line that separates pre-sanction inventory from any diamonds that entered the supply chain after those dates. Stones that fail to meet the departure requirement are excluded from the license.
The rule applies only to non-industrial loose diamonds purchased before sanctions took effect; it does not cover finished jewelry or newly exported Russian stones.
Impact on the supply chain
Russian rough diamonds are often sent to cutting hubs such as India, where they are processed before reaching consumers in the United States. The licensing framework permits such stones to continue moving, provided they meet the departure thresholds. The ability to continue moving these stones helps maintain the flow of diamonds through established cutting hubs, preventing sudden disruptions that could affect downstream manufacturers and retailers.
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Manufacturers and dealers must retain documentation proving the stones’ exit dates and verify that they were purchased prior to the sanctions, ensuring compliance with the grandfathering provisions. This documentation typically includes invoices, shipping manifests, and certificates of authenticity that show the date of exit from Russian jurisdiction.
Accurate provenance records have become essential as governments intensify scrutiny of diamond origins across global markets.
Separate rules for jewelry
The amendment does not affect General License No. 103, which governs Russian-origin diamond jewelry that was outside Russia before the March 2024 restrictions. That license continues to operate under its own set of criteria.
The distinction between loose stones and finished pieces is critical for compliance teams, as each category follows a different documentation pathway.
The OFAC notice outlining the changes is publicly available here.
