The Diamond Trading Company announced it is ceasing, at the end of the year, to provide or make available local marketing support in the following countries: Thailand, Spain, Germany, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

This will allow greater focus of management time on the DTC Marketing Department’s key goal of growing global consumer demand for diamonds, and the most effective use of what will be a substantially increased DTC marketing investment in 2006, the company said.

In a statement, the DTC said it “hoped that all of the affected staff will continue to work with us to the end of the year and the DTC would like to take this opportunity to thank them for the contribution that they have made over time to the growth of consumer demand for diamond.”

The DTC will consult with relevant Ssghtholders that may be impacted by this announcement and seek to minimise any such impact, it said.

JCK