Diamond Import Figures - Nov.2000

Through July, 2000

(Based on U.S. Commerce Dept. Data)

DDiamonds (Polished) Under 1/2Diamonds (Polished) Under 1/2

*COUNTRY*	Quantity (in carats)	Actual value in U.S. $
Belgium	491,682	139,791,798
China	22,591	4,377,932
Hong Kong	302,164	49,830,254
India	6,868,647	1,251,037,919
Israel	678,030	394,489,334
Japan	2,974	1,480,403
Singapore	2,502	494,163
South Africa	347	446,717
Switzerland	124,262	5,783,365
Thailand	73,619	10,459,219
TOTAL (inc. all others)	8,701,414	1,883,483,749

Diamonds (Polished) Over 1/2 Carat

*COUNTRY*	Quantity (in carats)	Actual valuein U.S. $
Belgium	793,066	1,279,736,861
Brazil	2,429	10,059,427
France	622	3,267,573
Germany	1,482	3,826,514
Hong Kong	54,753	86,431,796
India	373,113	262,054,689
Israel	1629,970	2,713,115,590
Mauritania	1,741	3,240,063
Russia	34,813	50,839,255
Singapore	3,347	7,121,821
South Africa	19,925	84,576,966
Sri Lanka	163	701,952
Switzerland	25,389	176,729,833
Thailand	15,172	18,083,671
U.K.	16,119	61,605,106
TOTAL (inc. all others)	2,996,042	4,798,805,392

Rough Diamonds

COUNTRY	Quantity (in carats)	Actual ValueIn U.S. $
Angola	385	10,18,359
Belgium	357,567	129,102,323
Canada	10,857	$1,482,652
Ghana	693,861	29,892,609
Hong Kong	130	860,300
India	275,557	246,899
Israel	15,765	17,926,698
Russia	1,960	95,578
Sierra Leone	668	1,247,505
South Africa	50,996	105,556,398
Switzerland	5,189	23,228,055
U.K.	368,814	143,115,701
Zaire (Congo)	1,921	4,003,986
TOTAL (inc. all others)	1,883,718	494,245,626

U.S. Diamond Import Analysis

The first seven months of 2000 showed phenomenal increases in sales of polished diamonds over .50 carat. While in the first six months of 1999, the United States imported about $2.8 billion of these stones, that figure jumped to $4.8 billion in the first seven months of this year.

Meanwhile rough diamond imports, while increasing in 2000, will fall under $1 billion versus an anticipated $7 to $8 billion in polished stone imports over .50 carats.

The difference can be traced to both open goods and conflict goods not reaching the U.S., and a discrepancy in the number of U.S. sightholders. By limiting the number, De Beers is limiting the amount of U.S.-polished goods.

The soaring increase in polished imports is also traced to predictable sights that have lacked the larger, in-demand stones, according to Jeff Fischer, president of the Diamond Manufacturer’s Association. De Beers says they do not have a sufficient supply of these for U.S. sightholders.