In both Thailand and Belgium, the diamond and jewellery sectors represent an important part of the
country’s exports. Antwerp in Belgium is the world centre of diamond trade and manufacturing, where
56 % of world diamond trade takes place, and Thailand is renowned worldwide for its gems and jewellery.
The exports of diamonds alone, represented in 1998 5.8 % of Belgium’s exports, against 6.6 %
in 1996. In Thailand, gems and jewellery represented in 1996 some 3.9 % of total exports and ranked
fifth on the top ten export items. In the period January-September 1998 this share increased to 5.7 %.
Figure 1 shows the evolution of the world export market shares of Thailand and Belgium in the commodity
classes diamonds (SITC 6672) and jewellery (SITC 897) for the period 1980-96. The high export
market share of Belgium in diamonds fluctuated, during this period, around 30 %. The world market
share of Thailand increased in both diamonds and jewellery with a sharp increase in jewellery from
1985 onwards whereas the world export market share of Belgium in jewellery decreased.