DiamondBuzz
Belgium approves hire of foreign polishers and sorters
The Belgian government has approved a key policy change allowing the diamond industry to hire foreign polishers and sorters without prior labor-market shortage verification. The move addresses an acute skills gap and supports Antwerp’s position as a leading global diamond hub, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) announced.
With the new provision, foreign specialists can now obtain a combined work-and-residence permit more quickly, giving companies smoother access to critical talent.
This decision comes at a pivotal time, enabling Antwerp to fully leverage its recent agreement with the US government. Under the deal, natural diamonds polished within the European Union are exempt from US import tariffs—making Antwerp the only major trading center with tariff-free access to the American market. The city currently exports approximately USD 2.1 billion in polished diamonds to the US each year.
The policy shift is expected to enhance Antwerp’s global competitiveness and support sustained growth in Belgium’s diamond industry.
In a clear sign of the growing strategic importance of lab-grown diamonds for technological applications, the Spanish government has committed a massive EUR 750 million (approximately $813 million) investment to Diamond Foundry’s new manufacturing plant in Trujillo.
This significant funding injection is specifically earmarked for the production of semiconductor-grade, lab-grown diamonds. It dramatically boosts the project’s war chest, adding to the initial EUR 80 million in funding that the European Union had already pledged last December.
The Trujillo facility is poised to become the largest of its kind in Europe, specializing in high-tech, industrial, and semiconductor-grade diamonds.
- Projected Output: When operations begin—anticipated sometime between 2027 and 2029—the plant is expected to yield over 4 million carats annually, with production slated for substantial increases thereafter.
- Total Project Value: The full cost of the Trujillo project is reported to be a staggering EUR 2.35 billion.
This monumental investment underscores a key trend in the lab-grown diamond sector: a heavy pivot away from the jewelry market and toward high-value industrial and technological applications.
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