National News
Gold discounts in India widened this week to their highest point in nearly eight months
Gold discounts in India widened this week to their highest point in nearly eight months, as a surge in prices to a record high dampened demand, while customers in other key hubs also remained on the sidelines. Indian dealers this week offered a discount of up to $39 an ounce over official domestic prices, including 6 per cent import and 3 per cent sales levies, up from a discount of $10 to $21 last week.
Indian dealers this week offered a discount of up to $39 an ounce over official domestic prices, including 6% import and 3% sales levies, up from a discount of $10 to $21 last week.
“Jewellers are not keen on building high-cost inventory at the end of the financial year, as they are busy closing accounts,” said a Mumbai-based dealer with a bullion-importing bank. India’s financial year runs from April until March 31.
India’s gold imports are set to tumble 85% in February from year-ago levels, reaching their lowest levels in 20 years, as demand is dampened by record-high bullion prices.
In China, the world’s largest consumer, gold traded at a discount of $1 to an $18 premium over spot prices. Meanwhile, dealers in Hong Kong charged premiums ranging from par to $2 per ounce.In Japan, bullion was sold between a discount of $3 and a premium of $0.5, a trader said. In Singapore, gold traded between a $0.50 discount and a $3 premium
National News
WGC India Gold Market Update: Import Tightening
Part Of A Broader Push To Conserve Foreign Exchange Reserves Amid Geopolitical Uncertainty and Mounting Pressure On The INR
Highlights
- Gold import duty was raised sharply by 9%– from 6% to 15%, the steepest increase on record – alongside broader regulatory tightening
- Domestic gold prices have not yet fully reflected the duty hike amid weak demand and ample supply; local markets are currently in deep discount from the landed price
- Past trends indicate that higher duty increases unofficial inflows, although official imports remain relatively resilient
- Gold demand is expected to moderate in 2026, with jewellery and bar and coin demand projected to decline by 50–60t (~10% y/y) on account of the import duty hike.
Policy actions on gold imports
Since early April, the government has adopted a series of measures aimed at moderating gold imports. These have been part of a broader push to conserve foreign exchange reserves amid geopolitical uncertainty and mounting pressure on the INR, which has depreciated by more than 7% y-t-d. These measures include price-based actions, administrative and regulatory tightening, and consumer-directed messaging. While noteworthy, they are not unprecedented; gold is among the top five imports for India, accounting for 8% of the country’s merchandise imports in 2025, and similar measures have been utilised in the past.
On the price front, the gold import duty was raised sharply from 6% to 15%, making it the single largest increase on record and fully reversing the duty cut of July 2024. Rules were also tightened for gold imports linked to exports (under the advance authorisation scheme), and the Prime Minister has directly appealed to consumers, urging them to avoid buying gold for a year.
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