The U.S. reported year on year figures for the month of December:- Polished diamond imports dropped 12.6 percent to $1.35 billion.
- Polished diamond exports fell 2.7 percent to $1.25 billion.
- Rough diamond imports surged 86.5 percent to $97 million, the highest amount since December 2007, when rough imports stood at $104 million.
- Rough diamond exports jumped 38.5 percent to $54 million.
For the calendar year 2012:- Polished diamond imports fell 9.5 percent year on year to $19.64 billion.
- Polished diamond exports dropped 6.7 percent to $17.78 billion.
- Rough diamond imports fell 12.7 percent to $550 million.
- Rough diamond exports decreased17.2 percent to $351 million.
The Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) reported Belgium’s import and export statistics year on year for January: - Polished diamond exports rose 8.6 percent to $891.1 million.
- The average price per carat rose 7.4 percent to $1,878.
- Rough diamond exports jumped 7.3 percent to $1.06 billion.
- Polished diamond imports fell 2.4 percent to $1.13 billion.
- Rough diamond imports increased 6.5 percent to $1.12 billion.
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India’s Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) reported year-on-year figures for the month of January as follows: - Polished diamond exports declined 7 percent year on year to $1.69 billion.
- By volume, polished diamond exports fell 11 percent to 3.122 million carats, while the average price per carat jumped 4 percent to $540.94.
- Imports of polished diamonds fell 39 percent to $597.7 million.
- Rough diamond imports declined 11 percent to $986.4 million.
- Rough diamond exports rose 13 percent to $173.4 million.
Japan’s polished diamond imports fell just 2 percent year on year to $67.8 million in December 2012, Momozawa reported, citing the Finance Ministry. - By volume, imports fell 5 percent year on year to 132,004 carats, while the average price of goods rose 8 percent to $514 per carat.
- During 2012, Japan’s polished imports rose 11 percent to $902 million, while the volume of imports was flat against last year at 2,033,971 carats.
The Diamond Federation of Hong Kong, China Limited released data for the country’s diamond imports and exports for the calendar year 2012: - Polished diamond imports fell 4 percent year on year to $16.57 billion.
- Polished diamond exports fell 12 percent to $11.53 billion.
- Rough diamond imports dropped 15 percent to $1.70 billion.
- Rough diamond exports rose 10 percent to $1.88 billion.
BHP Billiton reported that revenue from its diamond operations fell 44 percent year on year to $199 million in the six months that ended on December 31, 2012. BHP noted that lower production at the Ekati mine was the major contributing factor to the decline. The group’s diamond production, comprised of its 80 percent stake in Ekati, fell 35 percent to 608,000 carats during the period. BHP Billiton expects the sale of its interest in Ekati to Harry Winston Diamond Corporation will close in the first half of 2013. Global gold demand reached a record of $236.4 billion in 2012, up 2 percent year on year, according to the World Gold Council (WGC). - The strongest performance came in the fourth quarter as demand rose 6 percent to $66.2 billion, a record high for the quarter.
- The average price of gold during 2012 was $1,669 per ounce, up 6 percent from 2011.
- Gold jewelry demand fell 3 percent year on year by weight, but the value of gold improved 4 percent to $102.6 billion.
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - March 2013. To subscribe click here.