Polished exports: exports rise, but supply of goods tighten.(Summing Up)

With eight months of the year behind it the Israel diamond industry appeared to be posting a sterling year, with net polished exports growing by 21.2 percent, reaching $4.33 billion, compared to $3.57 billion during the same period in 2002. But what also was apparent was that the bulk of the export increase was the result of a rise in the price of diamonds.

Indeed, in terms of volume, polished diamond exports fell by 3.5 percent in July, despite a 9.7 percent increase in value, and in August exports rose by 21.1 percent in value but fell by 14.8 percent in carats.