Botswana’s Diamond Exports Continue to Rise

Botswana, a leading diamond producing country, exported $255.1 million worth of diamonds in May, according to recent figures released by the Bank of Botswana. The country’s exports increased 9.2 percent compared to April when it exported $233.6 million worth of diamonds.

In the first five months of 2010, Botswana’s diamond exports totaled$1.25 billion. Botswana exported $476.9 million worth of goods in the first quarter of 2010.

The African country mainly exports rough diamonds; however, as part of a beneficiation agreement with De Beers, there are a number of polishing facilities in the country that manufacture locally mined goods. The export figures include exports of polished diamonds.