U.S. Polished Diamond Imports Rise 10.3% in August
October 21, 07 by Edahn Golan
Imports of 1,423,295 carats, worth $1.324 billion, represented a 2.32 percent decline in volume and 10.3 percent rise in value in U.S. polished diamond imports in August. This brought the average value of imports to $930.42, a rise of 12.92 percent year-over-year.
In terms of volume, this is the closest U.S. polished diamond imports have been to last year’s levels. So far this year, imports have hovered around 11 percent below 2006.
Israel provided the U.S. with 51.69 percent of goods by value and 19.18 percent by volume, with an average value of $2,507.88 per carat (p/c).
India, at an average value of $390.27 p/c, was the source of 27.75 percent of polished goods by value and 66.16 percent by volume.
Imports from Belgium averaged $1,736.77 p/c, and made up 10 percent of the goods by value and 5.36 percent by volume.
U.S. polished diamond exports totaled $461.38 million for shipments of 1,090,940 carats. The average value of exports was $422.92 p/c.
Israel, Belgium and India were the main export destinations, representing three quarters (74.98%) of exports by value and two thirds by volume (66.53%)
