Very Active Rough Diamond Trade for Israel in April

April was a busy month for Israeli rough diamond traders, with both imports and exports exhibiting double-digit growth. Imports of rough diamonds totaled $360 million, a 17.1 percent increase over April 2007.

This is a continuation of the trend witnessed since the beginning of the year, in which time imports have risen 13.8 percent compared to the January-April period in 2007.

Exports during the month rose 19.3 percent to a net of $269 million.

The rise in trade is partially a reflection of continued increase in the prices of rough diamonds, particularly in the nicer and bigger goods that Israeli traders tend to focus on.