Japanese Polish Imports Rise 27% in August

Japanese imports of polished diamond jumped 26.7 percent to $100,557,000 in August. India, the source of over 47 percent of the goods, supplied $47.4 million worth of polish at an average of $290 per carat.

Japan is paying more for the goods, seeing imports grow in value but flat in volume, declining 0.7 percent to 211,085 carats during the month. Since January Japanese buyers imported 1,677,897 carats, a 7.2 percent decline compared to the January – August period in 2004.

According to data from the Jewelry Trade Center (JTC) in Japan, imports this year totaled $774,866,000, up 5.6 percent compared to January – August period in 2004.

India, the main source of goods to the country, supplied it with just under half of the goods by value, but with 77.5 percent of polished diamonds by volume – 163,614 carats.

Belgium was the second largest source by volume with 18,123 carats, making up 8.6 percent of total supply valued at $18,327,000.