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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