|
RAPAPORT... Belgium's polished diamond exports rose 15 percent year on year to $1.572 billion in September, while the volume of goods increased 8.8 percent to 615,218 carats, according to data collected by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. Polished imports improved 10.4 percent to $1.523 billion, leaving next exports of $49.5 million compared with a polished export deficit of $12.7 million in September 2013. Rough diamond imports jumped 27.8 percent to $1.34 billion, while rough exports increased 18.2 percent to $1.416 billion. Belgium's net rough imports registered a deficit of $75.9 million in September compared with a deficit of $149.5 million one year earlier. The net diamond account, which reflects the difference between net polished exports and net rough imports, fell 8.3 percent year on year to $125.4 million. During the first three quarters of 2014, Belgium's polished exports rose 6.3 percent to $11 billion, while polished imports have increased 5.8 percent to $10.783 billion, leaving net exports up 37.8 percent to $222.7 million. Rough imports jumped 16 percent to $11.519 billion, while rough exports improved 11.3 percent to $12.03 billion, resulting an import deficit of $511 million, though it was 42.2 percent lower than one year earlier. The net diamond account fell 29.9 percent to $733.7 million for the first nine months of the year.
|