Belgium’s polished exports grew 19 percent year on year to $1.21 billion in December as the pace of growth slowed towards the end of the year, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) reported, cited by Rapaport. By volume, the exports fell 10 percent to 659,388.23 carats with the average price of the goods up 32 percent at $1,836.99 per carat. Belgium’s polished imports increased 37 percent to $1.1 billion and the country’s net polished exports, representing the excess of exports over imports, declined by 48 percent to $113.3 million.
After the November figures showed a strong rise in demand for rough and polished diamonds with a higher per-carat price as a logical consequence, the prices per-carat declined again this month, the AWDC noted. The trend is not unusual because the end of the year is typically a quieter period for the sector.
Rough imports during the month grew 17 percent to $825.2 million and rough exports rose 5 percent to $1.19 billion. Net rough imports, representing imports less exports, improved by 15 percent but remained in deficit of $367.6 million.
Belgium’s net diamond account, representing total exports of rough and polished less total imports, fell 26 percent to $480.9 million.
For the full year 2011, Belgium’s polished exports increased 32 percent to $14.64 billion while the volume of exports grew 9 percent to 8.481 million carats. The average price achieved for the exports rose 21 percent to $1,726.12 per carat. Polished imports grew 36 percent to $14.03 billion and Belgium’s net polished exports fell 48 percent to $606.6 million.
Belgium’s largest market for polished diamonds during the year was the U.S. as exports there rose 26 percent to $3.9 billion. Exports to Hong Kong increased 24 percent to $3.13 billion and to Israel they grew 34 percent to $1.62 billion. Polished exports to Switzerland jumped 95 percent to $1.25 billion and to India they rose 33 percent to $1.1 billion.
Rough imports increased 42 percent to $13.43 billion and rough exports rose 31 percent to $14.42 billion in 2011. Net rough imports improved by 35 percent to negative $986 million.
Belgium’s 2011 net diamond account declined by 31 percent to $1.59 billion.
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