Belgium’s polished diamonds exports grew in October, according to data the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) released this week.
Polished diamonds exports for the month increased 6% year on year to $817.9 million. By volume, orders declined 4% to 406,065 carats, with the average price jumping 10% to $2,014 per carat.
Polished imports dropped 1% to $787.3 million, meaning net polished exports — the balance of exports minus imports — stood at $30.6 million, compared with negative $20.8 million a year ago.
Rough imports increased 1% to $904.3 million, while rough exports rose 15% to $830.2 million. Net rough imports, calculated as imports minus exports, decreased 58% to $74.1 million.
The nation’s net diamond account — a calculation of total exports of rough and polished minus total imports, measuring the added value of Belgium’s diamond industry during the period — stood at negative $43.5 million, an improvement over last year’s figure of negative $197.2 million.
Over the first 10 months of the year, polished diamonds exports dropped 6% to $9.5 billion, while rough imports slid 12% to $8.98 billion.
