Israeli Polished Exports Up 20% in May

Exports of polished diamonds from Israel increased 20 percent to $795 million in May from $661 million in May 2004. Polished exports from the center during the January – May period totaled $3.08 billion, an increase of 10 percent over the same period last year.

All the major diamond centers have reported steady growth in polished diamond exports since the start of the year.

The destinations with the highest growth rate in imports of Israeli polished diamonds were Switzerland (53 percent), Belgium (33 percent) and Hong Kong (28 percent) followed by the U.S. (16 percent).

Overall, the leading destinations in May of Israeli polished exports were the U.S. with nearly three quarters of exports (72 percent), followed by Hong Kong with 11 percent, and Belgium with 8 percent.