A 56% Decline in Botswana’s Rough Diamond Exports

Botswana exported $126.1 million worth of diamonds in July of this year, the lowest level of monthly exports so far in 2010. To date, Botswana’s diamond exports totaled $1.53 billion, according to Botswana’s central bank.

The low level of exports, a 55.5 percent decline compared to July 2009, is a surprising one, considering that in 2009 production levels were especially low due to the global recession.

Exports have been declining steadily since April, when the country exported $255.7 million worth of diamonds.

Year to date exports increased 45 percent compared to the first seven months of 2009, mostly due to large exports in the first quarter of the year - $760.6 million.