Net polished diamond exports from Israel dipped by 37.1 percent to $3.92 billion in 2009. Volume-wise, the net polished diamond exports decreased by 19.5 percent to 2.5 million carats, while the average price per carat for exports (as per annual terms) was $1,567, reports say. The country’s polished diamond imports in the year declined by 42.5 percent to $2.51 billion, while volume-wise the dip was 30.2 percent amounting to 2.12 million carats. The average price per carat was $1,183, reports say.
In the last month, December 2009, there was a 166.2 percent increase in the exports of polished diamonds from the country to $308.2 million, as compared to the same month in 2008. The polished exports for December 2009 were up by 60.4 percent in volume terms to 205,546 carats and the average price per carat was $1,499, for exports, in the said month. It is important to note that December 2008 was a period when the world was struggling with the economic crisis.
Region-wise, Israel’s polished diamond exports in the year 2009, dipped to the United States by 42.2 percent to $1.56 billion, to Hong Kong by 26.6 percent to $1.04 billion, to Belgium by 47.1 percent to $288.2 million, to Switzerland by 41.2 percent to $284.2 million and to India, by 3.4 percent to $122.3 million.