Value of Japan's August Polished Imports Up 30.1%
October 02, 12 by Edahn Golan
(IDEX Online News) – Japan imported $66.1 million worth of polished diamonds in August, a small 3.6 percent year-over-year increase. Japanese loose polished diamond import levels tend be smaller than usual in August. The current figures are in-line with cyclical trends.
The average value of imports continues to grow, up 30.1 percent to $483.27 per carat, a trend that started 20 months ago, although it abated in June and July. Viewed as increasing interest in "less for more," the shift comes as the volume of imports decline.
Japan imported 136,862 carats in August, a 20.3 percent decline, according to data released by Momozawa & Co.
Retail sales of art and jewelry fell in Japan’s department stores in August. This reversed a long-term trend of growing retail sales despite a decline in overall revenues at the country’s department stores.
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Source: Momozawa & Co., Inc. Japan |
