VICTORIA: Hong Kong’s polished diamond imports declined 10 percent year on year to $13.5 billion in the first nine months of 2015, according to data from the Diamond Federation of Hong Kong. In volume terms, the imports fell 12 percent to 14.2 million carats.
Polished imports from India dropped 12 percent to $5.7 billion and from Israel decreased 25 percent to $1.6 billion. Polished imports from Belgium slipped 4 percent to $1.6 billion.
Polished exports dipped 5 percent to $10 billion during the period with exports to Mainland China down 21 percent to $1.6 billion. Consequently, net polished imports, which is the excess of imports minus exports, fell 20 percent to $3.6 billion.
Rough imports slumped 28 percent to $1.2 billion, while rough exports dropped 29 percent to $1.3 billion. Net rough exports were negative $54.7 million, compared with negative $103.4 million in the first nine months of 2014. Hong Kong’s net diamond account, reflecting total imports less exports, declined 20 percent to $3.5 billion.
