The polished exports from Belgium in June 2014 showed stability and amounted to $ 1.363 billion, according to the Antwerp World Diamond Center, Rapaport reports. The volume of polished exports for the reporting month fell by 13% year-on-year to 557,817 carats. Imports of polished diamonds increased by 5% to $ 1.509 billion, resulting in a deficit of net polished exports of $ 146 million, almost double the corresponding figure for June last year.
Belgian imports of rough diamonds jumped 20% to $ 1.301 billion for the month, while diamond exports rose 5% to $ 1.325 billion. Net import of diamonds in June was negative at $ 24 million compared to a deficit of $ 178 million in June 2013.
Belgium's net diamond account for June fell to a negative value of $ 122 million compared to a surplus of $ 103 for the same period last year.
In the first half of the year, Belgium's polished exports rose 6.3% to $ 7.567 billion, while polished imports increased 6.1% to $ 7.4 billion, which increased net exports by 19% to $ 167 million.
Belgium's rough diamond imports jumped 12.1% to $ 7.86 billion, while exports rose 7.5% to $ 8.143 billion. The net import deficit for the first half of the year was $ 283 million, compared to a deficit of $ 559 million a year earlier.
The Belgian net diamond account for January-June of 2014 fell 36% year-on-year to $ 450 million.