焦点 JNA Jan/Feb 2022 | 17 We have seen a sharp increase in demand across categories. Noncertified diamonds particularly are showing tremendous strength due to robust demand, higher input cost and depleting midstream inventories. Quality-wise, SI to I3 stones are moving extremely well. – Gautam Gopani, director, Kiran Exports (HK) Ltd Israel Diamond Institute (IDI) Managing Director Aviel Elia noted that 2020 had started poorly due to the pandemic but business improved towards the end of the year. The Israeli diamond industry recovered fully in 2021 and even surpassed 2019 levels for some import and export categories. Solid demand from the US has boosted Israel’s diamond trade, compensating for the decline in business from its other major market Hong Kong due to pandemicrelated travel restrictions, he added. The Abraham Accords that normalised relations between Israel and Bahrain, the UAE, Sudan and Morocco also helped bolster Israel’s diamond trade. The Israel Diamond Exchange (IDE) and the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre have opened offices in each other’s facilities. “Since the signing of the Abraham Accords, the diamond trade between Israel and Dubai has grown tremendously. Through the Dubai Diamond Exchange, Israel’s diamond industry now has access to markets in other Gulf countries,” Elia remarked. In September 2021, Israeli exports of rough diamonds to the UAE came up to US$21.3 million, around 12 per cent of Israel's total rough diamond exports that month. At the same time, Israel imported US$19.2 million worth of rough diamonds from the UAE, about 22.5 per cent of Israel’s total rough diamonds imports in September. “Additional opportunities are opening up with Gulf countries. Qatar has reached a commercial agreement with Israel and is also now a member of the Kimberley Process. We understand it plans to open a diamond exchange, which will create fresh opportunities for us. Bahrain is also interested in trade relations with IDE,” IDI's Elia disclosed. Production conditions India’s diamond industry also saw growth in 2021. From April to September, cut and polished diamond exports went up 125 per cent to US$12.37 billion, compared to US$5.5 billion in the corresponding period in 2020. Colin Shah, chairman of the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC), expects the full-year figure to outstrip pre-pandemic results. “India has seen steady demand for polished diamonds from the US and China from Q4 2020 through the whole of 2021. All early signs indicate a healthy growth in holiday jewellery sales in the US, and the entire diamond pipeline from mining to retail are doing well. There is however some concern about pandemic-related supply chain disruptions, inflationary pressure and challenges like the new Omicron variant,” Shah commented. After a shutdown in March 2020 followed by limited operations to comply with Covid safety protocols. India’s Aviel Elia, managing director of Israel Diamond Institute 以色列钻石行业协会执行总监Aviel Elia 125% Year-on-year growth in India’s cut and polished diamond exports from April to September 2021, according to the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council 根据印度宝石和珠宝出口促进委员会数字显示，2021年4月至 9月印度已切割及打磨钻石出口额的同比增长率为125%
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