Vietnam imports over $121mn worth of diamonds in H1

India remained Vietnam’s largest source of diamond imports, accounting for $63.2 million, or 52 percent of total imports.

For comparison, Vietnam imported $107.6 million worth of diamonds from India in 2025.

Belgium ranked as the second-largest supplier, exporting $17.9 million worth of diamonds to Vietnam in the first half of 2026, compared with $51.7 million during the previous year.

Israel ranked third with $9 million, followed by Botswana at $7.7 million and Thailand at $5.1 million

Other notable sources included the United States ($3.6 million), Hong Kong ($2.8 million), Japan ($2.7 million), and China ($2.2 million).

The department said that the management and customs procedures for rough diamonds are governed by Joint Circular No. 14/2009 issued by the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

Under the regulations, rough diamonds can only be imported from member countries of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, which is the mechanism the Kimberley Process uses to prevent the trade of conflict diamonds.

Each shipment must be accompanied by a valid Kimberley Process certificate issued by the competent authority in the exporting country, while importers must complete all customs documentation required under Vietnamese law.

Customs officers are responsible for verifying both paperwork and goods before clearance.

The latest import figures come amid heightened public attention following Thanh Hoa Province police’s recent bust of a transnational diamond smuggling ring, in which authorities pressed charges against 22 individuals and seized 1,100 diamonds.

Investigators said suspects in the network had smuggled more than 28,000 diamonds worth about VND280 billion ($10.6 million) into Vietnam since 2024, using Hong Kong as a transit point.

The ring allegedly involved 141 shipments and was led by an Indian national living in Hong Kong.

Police reported that Vietnamese suspects traveled weekly to Hong Kong to collect diamonds, concealing them in luggage or goods before bringing them back.

Transactions were confirmed using U.S. dollar notes with prearranged serial numbers as codes.

The suspects also used specialized mobile software to manage distribution and erase data if surveillance was detected.