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RAPAPORT... Belgium's polished diamond exports dropped 15.5 percent year on year to $1.061 billion in May, according to data provided by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. By volume, polished exports slipped 12.5 percent to 486,639 carats. Polished imports fell 14.8 percent to $863.5 million, leaving net exports down 18.6 percent at $197.3 million. Rough imports fell 6.7 percent to $1.1 billion and rough exports declined 17.8 percent to $1.06 billion, leaving net imports of $40.4 million compared with a deficit of $109.5 million one year ago. Belgium's net diamond account in May, reflecting the difference between net exports and net imports, fell 55.4 percent to $156.9 million. Belgium's polished diamond exports for the first five months of 2015 fell 4.7 percent year on year to $5.91 billion, while polished imports slipped 2.6 percent to $5.74 billion. Net polished exports contracted 44.3 percent to $174.6 million. Rough imports dropped 19.4 percent to $5.29 billion, while rough exports fell 22.9 percent to $5.25 billion, resulting in net imports of $35.2 million compared with a deficit of $259.2 million one year ago. The net diamond account plummeted 75.7 percent to $139.4 million.
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