Antwerp’s Diamond Trade Sees Positive Momentum

Imports and exports of rough and polished diamonds through Antwerp improved for the first half of 2026.

Total diamond trading rose 9% year on year to $10.6 billion between January and June, the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) said last week. Overall volume increased 14% to 38.9 million carats.

By volume, total rough imports were up 14%, while rough exports climbed 15%. Imports from Botswana spiked 162%, from Angola 56% and from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) 53%. Polished imports gained 13%, with polished exports dropping 1%.

“This growth confirms that, despite geopolitical tensions – including the war in Ukraine, conflicts in the Middle East, and the impact of EU (European Union) sanctions on Russia…Antwerp remains one of the world’s most attractive trading centers for rough diamonds,” the AWDC commented.

Meanwhile, by value, rough imports and exports both fell 15%. A combination of factors contributed to their continued downward trend, including lab-grown diamond demand, trade tensions, and tariff uncertainties. Polished-diamond imports jumped 26% and exports rose 19%. The overall average price per carat for polished diamonds advanced 14%

Despite the improvement, total import and export figures remain roughly 25% below first-half 2024 levels, reflecting ongoing pressure from a weaker natural-diamond market, the rise of synthetics, lower global mine production, and geopolitical instability, the organization added.

Image: Polished diamonds. (Shutterstock)