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Belgium Sees Downturn in Polished Shipments
Apr 10, 2018 10:18 AM
By Rapaport News
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RAPAPORT... Belgium’s polished-diamond exports dropped in March,
according to data from the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC).
Polished exports decreased 7% year on year to $1.09 billion
and, by volume, fell 13% to 423,764 carats. The average price grew 7% to $2,570
per carat.
Polished shipments to Switzerland — which hosted the Baselworld show that
month — slid 36% to $270.6 million, and exports to the United Arab
Emirates declined 41% to $55.4 million. Those decreases outweighed a 48% jump
in exports to Hong Kong to $140 million, while shipments to the US rose 29% to
$319.3 million.
Polished imports saw a 1% increase to $1.49 billion, while
net polished exports — the excess of exports over imports — stood at negative
$400 million, compared with negative $309.6 million a year ago.
Rough imports climbed 10% to $1.17 billion, with rough
exports soaring 30% to $1.48 billion. Net rough imports were negative $316.4
million versus negative $86.2 million last year.
The country’s net diamond account — the sum of rough and
polished exports minus total imports — came to negative $83.6 million in
March compared with negative $223.4 million the previous year.
In the first quarter, polished exports grew 1% to $3.18 billion, while rough imports went up 7% to $3.12
billion.
Image: Lesley Cheung
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Tags:
Antwerp World Diamond Centre, AWDC, Baselworld, Belgium, net diamond account, polished diamond exports, polished exports, Polished Shipments, Rapaport News
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