Net polished diamond exports from Israel rose 6.4 percent in March 2006, reaching $672 million, compared with $631.6 million in March 2005, according to statistics released by the Israel Ministry of Industry, Trade & Labor’s diamond controller, Shmuel Mordechai. But in April, net polished exports decreased by 22.5 percent to $258.4 million, compared with $333.6 million in April 2005. To date, 2006 net polished diamond exports from Israel declined 5.5 percent to approximately $2.1 billion, compared with $2.3 billion during the same period last year. Net imports of rough diamonds in March 2006 decreased by 31 per- cent to total $331.5 million, as compared with $480.7 million in March 2005, but increased 14 percent to $334 million in April, compared with $292.7 million last year. From the beginning of the year, net rough imports declined by 9.8 percent from 2005 figures. Net r