Belgium's polished exports rose 8.7% year-on-year in February 2015 to $ 1.76 billion, according to the Antwerp World Diamond Center (AWDC). The volume of exports rose by 11.8% to 654.1 thousand carats. Imports of polished diamonds rose 10.6% to $ 1 billion, while net exports, on the contrary, declined from $ 820 million to $ 766 million year-on-year.
Imports of rough diamonds in February were 23.6% lower and amounted to $ 1.04 billion, while diamond exports fell by 25.6% to $ 1.05 billion at once. The deficit of net diamond imports was $ 17 million in February compared to $ 61 million in the same month of 2014. The total diamond account in Belgium, reflecting the difference between net imports and exports, fell 11.1% year-on-year to $ 783 million last month.
Exports of polished diamonds in the first two months of 2015 fell 1% to $ 2.57 billion, while imports of processed stones decreased by 3.7% to $ 2.11 billion. Net polished exports fell 13.7% to $ 461.1 million.
Imports of diamonds decreased by 30.7% to $ 1.88 billion, and exports also fell 28.5% to $ 1.9 billion, while net imports showed a deficit of $ 26.7 million, although this figure rose by 61.4% % compared to the same period last year. The total diamond account grew by 4.7% in the first two months of this year by 4.7% year on year and reached $ 487.8 million.