The diamond trade in Israel for the nine months of 2008, saw exports of polished diamonds increase in value, by 3 percent to $5.48 billion. The volume fell by 16 percent to 2.59 million carats. The exports of rough diamonds showed an increase both in value and volume. The rough exports increased by 20 percent to amount to $3.02 billion and by 1 percent in volume to 13.3 million carats. %% Import of rough diamonds in the said period also scaled up by 8 percent to $3.96 billion. In terms of volume it fell by 6 percent to 12.1 million carats. On the Year-to-date basis, import of polished stones shot up by 16 percent to value at $3.51 billion. In volume the figures declined by 4 percent to 2.39 million carats.