Japan’s April Polished Diamond Imports $53 Million
June 01, 10
A continued shift in Japan’s diamond imports. For the third month in a row, the country increased its monthly polished diamond imports. In April, the country imported $53.1 million worth of polished diamonds, a 15 percent increase compared to April 2009, based on data released by Momozawa & Co., Inc. Japan.
In volume, the declining trend continued. Japan imported 178,875 carats, a 26.3 percent year-over-year decline. The average value of imports jumped 54.4 percent to $297.05 per carat.
Despite the rise in the value of imports, imports are still far below the level of imports seen in 2008 and 2007, as the graph below shows. The year-over-year increase, more than it testifies of renewed interest in diamonds, it reflects the depressed imports of last year.
Month-over-month, the value of imports declined 23.4 percent, a typical trend for April.
Source: Momozawa & Co., Inc. Japan