In the three months ending September 30, 2012, Hong Kong noted a drop in the value and volume of polished diamond imports. The value of the said imports decreased 14 percent (on y-o-y basis) to $4.152 billion, while its volume stood at 5.261 million carats ‎after a 19 percent drop, reports say. The average price of the imports increased 6 percent to $789.3 per carat. ‎

Exports of polished diamonds dropped 20 percent to $2.689 billion. The net polished imports (valued as excess of imports over exports) decreased 2 percent ‎to $1.463 billion.

Imports of rough diamonds decreased 47 percent to $317.58 million and exports dropped 12 percent ‎to $413.03 million. The net rough imports (valued as imports less exports) stood at a deficit of ‎‎$95.5 million (the same was at a surplus in the third quarter last year, valued at $130 million).

The net diamond account (valued as the total polished and rough imports ‎less total exports) stood at $1.367 billion, after a 16 percent drop.