In June 2014, Japanese polished imports showed a 7% increase year-on-year, to $ 79.6 million, Momozawa said, citing data from the Ministry of Finance. By volume, polished imports fell 37% to 152,581 carats, while the average price of imported stones jumped 71% to $ 522 per carat, Rapaport reports.
Japan's polished imports from India rose 8% to $ 36.2 million in the reporting month, imports from Belgium fell 4% to $ 17.8 million, while imports from Israel jumped 86% to $ 7.4 million. Imports of diamonds from Hong Kong and Thailand fell by 7% and 3%, respectively, and reached $ 6.5 million and $ 4.2 million. At the same time, polished imports from the United States almost doubled, amounting to $ 3 million - this is the most significant percentage growth among all suppliers of precious stones.
As a result of the first half of the year, Japan imported diamonds for a total of $ 444.9 million (a year-on-year increase of 8%), while imports fell by 14% to 1.006 million carats.