Value of Belgium’s November Polished Exports Slides 12%‎

(IDEX Online News) – Belgium’s polished diamond exports slid 12 percent by value in November to $920.4 million from $1.045 billion over the same period in 2014. By volume, polished exports fell 16 percent to 382,000 carats – down from 457,000 carats in November 2014.

Polished imports fell 17 percent by value to $770.2 million from $931.8 million a year previously. Imports of polished diamonds from the United States and Israel dropped 25 percent to $182.1 million and $92 million respectively.

Exports of polished diamonds by volume fell for all of Belgium’s top trading partners, with the exception of Hong Kong, for which there was a 2.26-percent uptick to 77, 125 carats. Exports to the United States declined 12.5 percent to 49, 325 carats, by 27 percent to 23,857 carats to Israel and by 30 percent to 61,221 to UAE.

Polished exports to the United States, Belgium’s top trading partner by value, fell 18 percent to $255.7 million; Israel by 27 percent to $79.6 million and with China by 39 percent to $26.3 million.

However, polished exports to Hong Kong, Belgium’s second-largest trading partner by volume, increased by 0.7 percent to $188.1 million. Exports to Switzerland and the UK, the fourth and eighth largest trading partners by volume, increased by 35 and 73 percent respectively.

Rough exports by value slumped 54 percent during the month to $643.4 million down from $1.409 billion in November 2014. Rough exports by volume dropped 57 percent to 5.38 million carats compared to 12.65 million carats a year previously.

Rough imports by value fell 42.7 percent to $709.2 million compared to $1.24 billion in November 2014. Rough imports by volume declined in November to 6.5 million carats, down 25 percent from 8.8 million a year previously.