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RAPAPORT... U.S. polished diamond imports rose 28.8 percent year on year to $2.137 billion in September, with the average price for goods increasing 12.8 percent to $1,874 per carat. Polished diamond exports, meanwhile, increased 21.4 percent to $1.763 billion, leaving net polished imports up 81.6 percent to $374 million. Rough diamond imports fell 11.8 percent to $30 million during the month, while rough exports plummeted 70.6 percent to $5 million, leaving net imports up 47 percent to $25 million. The net diamond account in September, measuring the difference between net imports and exports, rose 78.9 percent year on year to $399 million. While September's trade data was a healthy improvement compared with the past few months, it was not enough to boost figures for the first three quarters. U.S. polished imports rose 5.9 percent year on year to $18.046 billion in the first nine months of 2014, however, polished exports jumped 11.4 percent to $16.395 billion, leading to a 29.3 percent decline in net polished imports at $1.651 billion. Rough diamond imports, meanwhile, increased 26.9 percent to $462 million and exports surged 41.9 percent to $298 million, leaving net imports up 5.9 percent to $164 million.
The U.S. recorded a net diamond account of $1.815 billion for the January through September period, compared with $2.49 billion one year earlier.
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