Antwerp pavilion to launch at China fair
ANTWERP, October 31, 2010 – The Antwerp World Diamond Centre is organising a pavilion for Antwerp diamond companies for the first time at the China International Jewellery Fair in Beijing to be held November 11-15.
The pavilion will host 13 Antwerp diamond companies. The presence of the Belgian firms is a further indication of the importance of China to Belgium’s diamond sector.
The AWDC has been working hard for Belgian diamond companies to expand their presence in the Chinese market which some analysts believe will double its demand for diamonds in the coming five years to $1 billion.
“The global diamond industry knows that China is becoming one of the main markets of the future,” said AWDC CEO Freddy J. Hanard.
“Its economic expansion is creating a continuously growing demand for diamond jewellery, and it is vital that Belgian firms create contacts and develop business ties in China.
“The Belgian pavilion provides them with the necessary infrastructure, while the AWDC booth will provide visitors with information about the central role that Antwerp plays in the global diamond business,” Hanard added.
China last year overtook Japan in polished diamond imports to become the world’s second-largest diamond consumer market.
Imports received through the Shanghai Diamond Exchange (SDE) soared 30.7 percent to $699 million.
Mainland China and Hong Kong together account for about 25 percent of the polished diamonds exported from Antwerp each month.
Antwerp’s polished diamond exports to China in 2009 equalled $250.8 million, and that was in addition to the $1.85 billion that was exported to Hong Kong, a major portion of which would eventually be sold in China .
Participants in the Antwerp Diamond Pavilion in Beijing are: AS Diamonds, Antwerp Diamond Partners, Aspeco, Beladamas, Blue Gems, D.A. Jhaveri, Diamwill, Fima Diamonds, Jayam, Jogdiam, Paras Gems, Othello, Supergems.
