Belgium has introduced a major policy shift allowing the diamond industry to hire foreign polishers and sorters more easily, in an effort to address a growing labour shortage and reinforce Antwerp’s global position in the trade.
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) announced the decision on Saturday, describing it as vital for maintaining the city’s competitiveness.
Under the revised rules, skilled workers from outside the European Union can now apply for a combined work-and-residence permit without first proving there is no suitable local candidate. This bypasses a previously time-consuming hurdle and enables diamond companies to fill vacancies more rapidly.
The AWDC said the shortage of trained polishers and sorters has become a pressing concern for Antwerp, long recognised as one of the world’s leading diamond hubs. The industry fears that without specialised labour, its capacity to process rough stones and maintain trade flows would weaken.
“This measure is particularly important to remain competitive as a diamond-trading centre,” AWDC CEO Karen Rentmeesters said in a statement. “Our companies must be able to hire diamond polishers and sorters from outside Europe quickly and easily, and this decision now makes that possible.”
The decision arrives at a crucial moment for the sector, following a landmark agreement reached in September between the AWDC and the US government. Under the deal, natural diamonds polished within the European Union are exempt from import tariffs when entering the United States.
This tariff advantage places Antwerp in a unique position internationally. It is now the only major diamond-trading hub able to export polished stones to the US market without tariffs — a significant competitive edge.
According to AWDC figures, Antwerp exports around $2.1 billion worth of polished diamonds to the US annually. Industry stakeholders expect that number to grow as more companies choose to process their stones in Belgium to benefit from the zero-tariff system.
“Companies want to have their rough stones polished here to benefit from that zero tariff,” Rentmeesters explained. “But to offer them that possibility, we naturally need enough polishers.”
She added that the new labour policy enhances the attractiveness of Antwerp as a business destination. “Measures such as this also increase the likelihood that companies and trade flows choose Antwerp,” she said.
Industry leaders believe the move aligns with wider efforts by Belgium to modernise labour rules for high-skill sectors facing shortages. The diamond industry, which relies heavily on precision craftsmanship, has argued for years that the local talent pipeline is insufficient.
Antwerp’s diamond district has historically been a magnet for global expertise, with generations of craftsmen defining the city’s identity in the trade. However, the increasingly specialised nature of the work and shifts in international labour trends have left gaps the local workforce cannot immediately fill.
Economists say the policy could help sustain thousands of related jobs in transport, security and trade services. A stronger polishing ecosystem could also encourage multinational companies to relocate parts of their operations to Belgium.
While the AWDC has welcomed the decision, the organisation emphasises the need for continued investment in skills training and technological innovation. Industry observers note that long-term resilience will depend on balancing foreign recruitment with local capacity building.
For now, the sector views the government’s move as an essential step toward securing Antwerp’s future as a world-leading diamond hub. With global competition intensifying and geopolitical trade rules shifting, the city aims to stay one step ahead — and skilled foreign workers may prove key to that strategy.
