Exports grew to all major destinations during the month, except for to Hong Kong, which remained the second-largest export market, behind the U.S. Polished exports to the U.S. increased by 62 percent to $254.8 million, while those to Hong Kong declined by 32 percent to $183.4 million for the month. Belgium's exports to Israel grew by 85 percent to $104 million in February 2010 and its exports to India were up by 24 percent to $45.2 million.

The AWDC said that the latter increases reflected growing confidence in the trade. However, Belgium's exports were still 3.8 percent below the February 2008 benchmark level.  

The country’s polished imports grew 22 percent to $663 million in February 2010 as its net polished exports, which measures the excess of exports over imports, indicating the amount of polished traded locally, fell 1 percent to $212.3 million.

Rough imports for the month nearly tripled to $781.7 million, while Belgium's rough exports also increased by almost three-fold to $904 million. The country's net rough imports, representing imports less exports and indicating the amount of rough available for local dealing and polishing, fell 81 percent to negative $122.3 million.

Belgium’s February net diamond account, representing total exports of rough and polished less total imports, grew by 19 percent to $334.6 million.

During the first two months of the current year, polished exports rose by 16 percent to $1.52 billion, while polished imports increased 16 percent to $1.4 billion. Net polished exports grew 7 percent to $123.5 million.

Rough imports through January and February more than doubled to $1.55 billion and rough exports nearly tripled to $1.72 billion. Belgium's net rough exports fell to negative $174.8 million from positive $88.6 million a year earlier.

The net diamond account for the year to date soared to $298.2 million from $26.5 million in 2009.