BRUSSELS: Belgium’s rough diamond trade showed marked improvement in both exports and imports in July, although the polished trade continued to decline, according to recently released figures from the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC).
Rough diamond exports increased by value to $1.17 billion in July compared to $1.03 billion over the same month in the year prior – a 14-percent increase. Rough exports by volume increased by 29 percent, rising to more than 9 million carats compared to just over 7 million carats in July 2015. Rough diamond imports also showed increases in both value and volume.
Polished diamond exports in July fell to $1.02 billion compared to $1.20 billion over the same month a year previously – a 14.44-percent decrease. By volume, exports decreased to 528,000 carats compared to 625,000 in July 2015 – a 15.56-percent decrease. In the January to July period, exports by value decreased to $7.7 billion compared to $8.5 billion over the same period in 2015.
Polished diamond imports also showed signs of struggling, falling to $840 million compared to $1.01 billion in July 2015 – a 17-percent decrease. By volume, exports showed a 13-percent decline. Polished exports to the US showed a 30-percent decline by value to $303 million. Exports to UAE, China, France and UK showed the most significant increases.
