U.S. Rough Trade Shows Shift to High End Goods

While the U.S. has decreased the total value of rough diamonds it has been importing, and its average value, net imports shifted sharply to high value goods in March. The U.S. imported a gross of 126,383 carats worth $62.58 million, an average value of $495.19 per carat.

But most of these goods, more than 87 percent by volume, were exported. Some 110,102 carats valued at $40.50 million, averaging in value $367.86 per carat, were shipped to ten different countries.

Net imports totaled $22.08 million in March.

The result was that the average value of the remaining goods shot up to $1,356 per carat during the month, this compared to an average of $262 in January and $282 in February.

In the first quarter of the year, the U.S. imported a gross of $210 million in goods, exporting $124 million worth of rough for a net of $86 million.