DW JAN - FEB 2020

The Big STory
all acknowledge the great importance
of Hong Kong and Mainland China for
the global diamond and jewellery trade.
The long term effect of the coronavirus
will be measured in time. However,
for the time being, given the current
situation there was no other option
than rescheduling the Hong Kong trade
show. Hopefully the situation will be
resolved very soon and we can all go
back to business as usual,” said Shai
Schnitzer of S.Schnitzer Diamonds.
China is an important economic
centre for various trades and more than
17,000 people have been affected by
the outbreak, causing trades across
all sectors to come to a standstill.
“It is unfortunate but expected. Our
industry will be greatly affected as
the busy season really begins after the
Chinese New Year holidays. Now with
the postponement of the show and with
more countries imposing travel bans on
people travelling to and from HK, sales
will be affected without a doubt. And
with Chinese authorities asking many
factories to delay opening, production
of HK companies who have factories in
China, will be halted, but expenses will
still continue,” said Manoj P. Butani of
Butani Jewellery, Hong Kong.
The newly announced dates of the
Hong Kong show also seems a little
tricky and whether it will attract enough
visitors or not is now in question as it
falls right after Basel and just before
JCK, add to that the fact that it falls
after the Ramadan season. “We can
only hope by then that the virus has
been tackled but it remains to be seen
whether customers will be will be
willing to travel to HK so soon after,”
adds Butani.
In its statement, HKTDC said, “the
safety of exhibitors and buyers has
always been a priority for the HKTDC.
In line with the measures taken by the
Hong Kong SAR Government against
the spread of the novel coronavirus, and
after consultation with representatives
of the jewellery industry, the HKTDC
will reschedule its HKTDC Hong Kong
International Diamond, Gem & Pearl
Show 2020 (originally scheduled for
2-6 March) and the HKTDC Hong Kong
International Jewellery Show 2020
(originally scheduled for 4-8 March) to
18-21 May 2020.”
The virus first emerged in Wuhan, a
city in central China, in late December
and has killed more than 360 people
in Mainland China. Over 20 countries
have reported around 140 cases and all
It is unfortunate
but expected. Our
industry will be
greatly affected as
the busy season
really begins after
the Chinese New Year
holidays. Now with the
postponement of the
show and with more
countries imposing
travel bans on people
travelling to and
from HK, sales will
be affected without
a doubt. And with
Chinese authorities
asking many factories
to delay opening,
production of HK
companies who have
factories in China,
will be halted, but
expenses will still
continue
Manoj P. Butani,
Butani Jewellery
DiamonD WorlD | january-february 2020 | 59