DiamondBuzz
Canada Announces Tax Relief to Support Struggling Diamond Sector in Northwest Territories
Government steps in with targeted financial measures to stabilize region’s largest industry amid falling prices and market uncertainty.
The Canadian government has introduced a series of tax-relief measures aimed at supporting the diamond-mining sector in the Northwest Territories, as the industry faces mounting financial challenges. The initiative seeks to preserve economic stability in a region where diamond mining contributes approximately 20% of its GDP, with major operations including Diavik, Ekati, and Gahcho Kué.
According to the Government of the Northwest Territories, the sector is currently under pressure from low global diamond prices, inflation, supply-chain disruptions, and emerging tariff impacts. These conditions have led to significant losses for mining companies. Mountain Province, co-owner of Gahcho Kué with De Beers, reported a $56.4 million net loss in 2024, while Ekati’s owner Burgundy Diamonds lost $94.7 million and Diavik operator Rio Tinto reported a $127 million underlying loss.
To address these issues, the government will double the number of local diamond valuations in 2025 and 2026, covering associated costs to help producers move rough stones to market more efficiently. A temporary reduction in the minerals tax rate will result in $11.2 million in property tax savings for the three mines. Additionally, funds previously set aside for carbon tax contributions will be released to ease cash flow constraints.
The government will also collaborate with Indigenous governments and development corporations to offer further infrastructure and transitional support.
“This is about protecting our economy from sudden shock,” said Caroline Wawzonek, minister of finance for the Northwest Territories. “These targeted, short-term supports are not about corporate profits — they’re about maintaining stability for the workers, families, communities, and Indigenous governments that rely on [the diamond] sector. Our government’s support must be directed to ensuring that Northwest Territory-based labor and businesses are protected in this challenging operating environment.”
DiamondBuzz
Russian President Putin Backs New Federal Regulations Governing LGD Labeling
Putin emphasized that stones formed by nature must remain the bedrock of the global diamond industry
Russian President Vladimir Putin has thrown his political weight behind strict new federal regulations governing how lab-grown diamonds are marketed and sold, signaling Moscow’s determination to shield its mined diamond sector from synthetic competition.
Speaking at the Russia-Africa summit in Moscow, Putin aligned himself with Finance Minister Anton Siluanov, emphasizing that stones formed by nature must remain the bedrock of the global diamond industry,
Addressing arguments from synthetic producers—who frequently contend that lab-grown stones are indistinguishable from mined gems in appearance and quality and therefore warrant comparable pricing—Putin pushed back against equating the two products.
He defended the Kremlin’s regulatory intervention, arguing that because synthetic stones are man-made, authorities are justified in prohibiting sellers from labeling them as diamonds in the literal sense of the word.
The president’s remarks reinforce a sweeping regulatory overhaul codified under Government Resolution No. 657. Taking effect on September 1, the rules mandate that all lab-grown stones be explicitly marketed as “faceted synthetic diamonds.”
Beyond renaming the category, the decree strips synthetic sellers of traditional luxury jewelry terminology. Retailers and manufacturers are barred from using the Russian word for “brilliant,” applying standard color and clarity grading scales, or deploying marketing descriptors such as “precious,” “genuine,” “natural,” “mined,” and “eco-friendly” when promoting lab-grown gems.
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