Antwerp exported 5,32,666 carats polished with a value of US$ 1.23 billion in March 2015, virtually flat in volume terms and down by 6.55% in value terms as compared to a year earlier, according to figures released by Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC).

During the month, the centre imported 7,76,891 carats of polished with a value of US$ 1.81 billion, a rise of  11.69% in volume terms and 24.32% in value terms as compared to March 2014.

Imports of rough diamonds during the month stood at 103,73,597 carats with a value of US$ 1.40 bn, a rise of  14.40% in volume terms and of 4.52% in value terms as compared to a year ago. Exports of rough at 95,25,524 carats with a value of US$ 1.30 bn witnessed a rise of  0.97% in volume terms and a drop of 4.92% in value terms as compared to March 2014.

For the first three months of 2015, polished exports stood at 16,96,263 carats with a value of US$ 3.81 billion and polished imports at 20,22,814 carats with a value of US$ 3.65 billion, down by 2.87% and up by 7.47% in value terms respectively year on year. Rough exports were 257,05,809 carats with a value of US$ 3.209 bn, down 14.3% and 20.5% respectively against a year earlier and rough imports were 245,73,299 carats with a value of US$ 3.280 bn, falling by 13.03% and 19.01% when compared to the same three month period of a year earlier.