Global Trade Alert

On February 24, 2013, the Russian Newspaper Ria Novosti reported that a new amber gemstone industry development strategy will be discussed by the government in May 2013. The new policy would affect the Russian Region of Kalingrad, in which more than 90 per cent of world's amber gemstone is extracted.
The policy would affect foreign commercial interests as follows: 

• Promotion of domestic processing of amber gemstone;
• Export duties on raw amber gemstone from the region of Kalingrad;
• Facilitation of exports of polished or processed amber gemstone.