Japan’s March Polished Diamond Imports Slide to $59.3 Million

A surprising rise in the volume of polished diamonds imported to Japan in March. While the value of imports continued its steady decline, demand shot up 25.5 percent to 217,956 carats. The value of imports fell 21.3 percent to $59.26 million from $75.33 million in March 2008.

The sharp shifts in value in volume pushed down the average value of imports by 37.3 percent to $271.88 per carat.

India, Japan’s leading polished diamond supplier so shipments shrink in value nearly 15 percent to $22.52 million, while rising 32.3 percent in volume to 162,318 carats, averaging $139 p/c.

Imports from Belgium fell 41.2 percent to $11.1 million.