Japan Shifts to Lower Value Goods, And Much More of Them
June 10, 08 by Edahn Golan
Japan continued its long trend of shrinking polished diamond imports, which fell an additional 4.5 percent in April to $66.26 million. The country is shifting its interest to cheaper goods as imports averaged $250 per carat, down from $390 the year before.
Consumers, it seems, have not lost their appetite for the gem, as is evidenced by the nearly 50 percent rise in the volume of imports, totaling 265,176 carats. This will indicate that buyers are just downshifting on the expenditure.
India continues to be Japan’s leading supplier, shipping 218,478 carats with a stated value of $30 million. It was followed by Belgium with 16,893 carats valued at $15 million.
