RAPAPORT… Global rough-diamond shipments dropped last year,
reflecting slower trading in India and Belgium, according to new data from the
Kimberley Process (KP).
Total rough imports slipped 3% to $48.49 billion for 2018,
with volume down 7% to 424.2 million carats, the figures showed last week.
Rough exports fell 1% to $49.52 billion, while volume declined 6% to 428.6
million carats.
India’s rough imports fell 10% to $17.08 billion, outweighing
a 0.5% increase in imports to the European Union, which mainly comprises the
Belgian trade. Both markets also saw a drop in rough exports.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) and China both imported more rough than in 2017. Shipments to the UAE rose 6% to $7.32
billion, though the country’s exports slipped. The nation’s average export
price jumped 13% to $125 per carat, outstripping its average import price of
$97 per carat. China’s rough imports also increased, bringing the country into
fifth place by value, ahead of Botswana.
Top Five Rough Importers in 2018
| Value ($M) | Volume (’000 carats) | Average price ($/ct.) | |
| India | 17,083 | 168,047 | 102 |
| European Union | 12,247 | 129,272 | 95 |
| United Arab Emirates | 7,321 | 75,721 | 97 |
| Israel | 3,316 | 10,021 | 331 |
| China | 2,307 | 15,854 | 146 |
Top Five Rough Exporters in 2018
| Value ($M) | Volume (’000 carats) | Average price ($/ct.) | |
| European Union | $12,442 | 122,164 | $102 |
| United Arab Emirates | $9,445 | 75,458 | $125 |
| Botswana | $5,533 | 35,471 | $156 |
| Russia | $4,695 | 44,659 | $105 |
| Israel | $2,912 | 9,106 | $320 |
Source: Kimberley Process
Image: An Alrosa diamond-sorting center in Mirny, Russia. (Alrosa)
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