Antwerp Facets reports that Belgium's imports and exports of rough and polished diamonds declined once again in July in comparison to the corresponding period last year. However, in keeping with the trend in the past several months, the rate of decline seems to be leveling as evidence mounts that economic recovery might have begun to kick in.

The AWDC Diamond Office announced that Belgium exported 778,262 carats of polished diamonds valued at $958.3 million in July.



The figures indicated declines of 19.6% and 34.7%, respectively on July 2008. For the first half of the year, polished diamond exports were 23.2% lower in volume terms as compared to the same period in 2008 reaching 4.33 million carats, and 37.4% lower in US dollar terms at $5 billion.



In terms of export destinations, the United States still claimed first place in January-July, although the amount of acquired diamonds dropped by 29.3% and 38.9% in volume and financial terms respectively. The United States imported 575,894 carats of polished diamonds valued at $1.35 billion.



Israel was in the third place with large declines in both volume and financial terms, followed by Switzerland, the UAE, India, the U.K., China, Italy and France.



Regarding polished diamond imports, Belgium acquired 693,266 carats valued at $940.2 million in July, a 18.5% and 30.2% decline respectively. For the first half of the year, polished diamond imports dropped by 27.9% in volume terms to 4.34 million carats, and by 38.8% in financial terms, standing at $4.5 billion.



Belgium imported 9.31 million carats of rough diamonds valued at $627.7 million in July. This figure represents 6.7% and 44.8% declines, in comparison to July 2008. In the first half of 2009, rough diamond imports dropped by 33.2% to 47.5 million carats, and by 53.2% to $3.27 billion.