Hong Kong’s polished diamond imports fell by less than 1 percent year on year to $8.45 ‎billion in the first half of 2012, according to the Diamond Federation of Hong Kong, China ‎Limited (DFHK). By volume, the imports declined by 29 percent to 10.316 million carats, while the ‎average price on these stones rose 40 percent to $818.77 per carat.‎

The data showed that the volume of imported polished diamonds greater than 1 carat ‎rose 6 percent year on year, while the volume of goods below 1 carat fell 30 percent.‎

Polished exports fell 7 percent to $6.05 billion, leaving Hong Kong’s net polished imports, ‎representing the excess of imports over exports, up 22 percent to $2.4 billion. ‎

While DFHK did not publish separate data for the second quarter, Rapaport News estimates that polished imports fell 9 percent year on year polished exports declined 17 ‎percent during the April to June period, after trade rose in the first quarter. ‎

Hong Kong’s rough imports dropped 10 percent to $880 million during the first six months ‎of the year, while its rough exports grew 22 percent to $966.2 million. Net rough imports, ‎representing imports less exports, fell to a deficit of $86.2 million from a $181.2 million surplus a year ‎earlier.‎

Hong Kong’s net diamond account, representing total imports of polished and rough less ‎total exports, increased 8 percent to $2.31 billion during the first half of 2012. ‎