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RAPAPORT... Belgium's polished diamond exports rose 4.5 percent year on year to $1.382 billion in July, according to the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. The average price for polished diamond exports fell 3.7 percent to $1,828 per carat. Polished diamond imports, meanwhile, increased 9.3 percent to $1.027 billion, resulting in net polished exports of $355 million compared with $382.1 million one year earlier. Belgium's rough diamond imports jumped 20.1 percent to $1.226 billion, while rough exports rose 16.6 percent to $1.797 billion. Belgium recorded a net rough import deficit of $571 million compared with a deficit of $519.9 million in July 2013. Belgium's net diamond account, reflecting the difference between net imports and net exports, improved slightly to $926 million compared with $902 million one year earlier. Polished diamond exports for the first seven months of the year have increased 5.8 percent year on year to $8.955 billion, while polished imports have surged 15.6 percent to $9.152 billion, leaving Belgium with an export deficit of $197 million compared with net exports of $522 million in July 2013. Rough diamond imports jumped 13.1 percent to $9.086 billion and rough exports increased 8.8 percent to $9.939 billion to record an import deficit of $853 million compared with a deficit of $1.079 billion one year earlier. Belgium's net diamond account for the January through July period shrank 59 percent year on year to $656 million.
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