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RAPAPORT... Belgium's polished diamond exports rose 1.2 percent year on year to $1.041 billion in April, according to data provided by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre. The volume of exports rose 2.8 percent to 481,620 carats. Polished diamond imports, however, plunged 22.8 percent to $944.4 million, leaving net exports of $962 million compared with a deficit of $1.224 billion in April 2014. Rough diamond imports fell 31.7 percent to $907.3 million and rough exports fell 34 percent to $983.3 million, resulting in a deficit of $76 million, down from a deficit of $162 million one year earlier. The net diamond account for Belgium, measuring the difference between net polished exports and net rough imports, rose to $1.038 billion compared with a deficit of $33 million in April 2014. During the first four months of the year, Belgium's polished exports fell 2 percent to $4.849 billion, while polished imports were flat at $4.872 billion, leaving net exports with a deficit of $23 million compared with a surplus of $71 million one year earlier. Rough imports dropped 22.1 percent to $4.188 billion and exports declined 24.2 percent to $4.193 billion, resulting in a deficit of $52 million, compared with a deficit of $149 million. Belgium's net diamond account for the January through April period fell 86.8 percent to $29 million.
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