During September, US polished diamond imports declined by 23.4% to $1.23 billion and polished diamond exports slid by 16.8% to $1 billion, leading to a net import evaluated at $191 million and constituting a whopping drop of 61.3% in comparison to last year. Rough diamond imports declined by 53.2% to $22 million as rough diamond exports dropped 45.2% to $17 million, leaving net rough diamond imports at $5 million - a 68.8% drop. The US net diamond volume for the month of September, which reflects net polished diamonds plus net rough diamond imports, decreased by 61.5% to $196 million.



Polished diamond imports for the period of January through September have declined by 43.5% to $8.73 billion, while polished diamond exports have dropped 40% to $6.9 billion. Thus, net polished diamond imports plunged by 54.3% to $1.82 billion. Rough diamond imports plummeted by 70% to $192 million and rough diamond exports declined by 59% to $137 million, with net rough diamond imports standing at only $55 million — a decline of 82% in comparison to the corresponding period in 2008. The net diamond balance for the first nine months of 2009 reflected a 56.3% decrease at $1.88 billion.