Conflict-diamond expert Brad Brooks-Rubin was the guest on the latest episode of the Rapaport Diamond Podcast, in which he discussed the development of sanctions on Russian goods.
Brooks-Rubin, a partner in legal and advisory boutique Arktouros, joined Rapaport’s Joshua Freedman to talk about his work representing the US on the Group of Seven (G7) technical committee on Russian diamond sanctions while he was at the State Department.
Brooks-Rubin addressed the issue of sanctions under Donald Trump and how the new administration could change the diplomatic landscape given the US president’s apparent softer tone on Russia.
“It’s easier for the US to lift unilateral sanctions than ones that have been negotiated over…the course of two years with the G7,” he commented. “Now you also have Botswana involved [and committing] resources to this effort. The whole trade is involved. So I think a wholesale lifting seems unlikely [but] certainly possible. I also think there is the core idea of where these sanctions have gone, which is [that] we need to know the country of mining of a diamond.”
On that matter, Brooks-Rubin explained the implications of a plan — since postponed — under which US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) would require declarations of the country of mining for diamond imports into the country.
Recorded on February 25, the episode reflected on the previous day’s news that the European Union had pushed back the schedule for implementing a mandatory traceability mechanism for enforcing Russian-diamond sanctions.
He also responded to Jewelers of America (JA) president and CEO David Bonaparte, who criticized the G7 technical committee on a recent episode of the podcast.
Finally, Brooks-Rubin revealed his side gig as a DJ and the Substack music blog he cowrites with friends.
Listen to the episode here:
This podcast is brought to you by GIA — the Gemological Institute of America — protecting consumers and supporting the global gem and jewelry trade since 1931 through research, education, and laboratory services.
