American polished imports in July 2013 grew by 21.9% year-on-year to $ 2,129 billion, while imports increased by 6.6% to 1.07 million carats by volume, Rapaport reports. The polished exports rose 18.2% to $ 1.453 billion, as a result of net imports of $ 677 million, an increase from $ 517 million a year earlier.
Imports of diamonds jumped 83% to $ 86 million in the reporting month, while diamond exports fell 19% to $ 17 million, and as a result, net imports were $ 69 million, almost three times more than in July 2012, and is the highest since June 2008.
The net US diamond account for July (the difference between aggregate imports and total exports) increased by an annualized rate of 37.4% to $ 746 million.