Gold demand in India saw a slight improvement towards the week’s end as prices fell from record highs, yet remained below normal levels. Discounts in China persisted due to low activity, and India’s imports are predicted to drop significantly by 85 per cent in February. Meanwhile, gold trades in Singapore, Hong Kong, and Japan show varying premiums and discounts.

India’s gold demand improved in the second half of this week but remained lower than normal as prices retreated from all-time-high levels, while traders continued to offer discounts in China as activity remained lacklustre. Domestic gold prices were trading around 84,750 rupees per 10 grams on Friday after hitting a record high of 86,592 rupees last week.

Indian dealers this week offered a discount of $12-$27 an ounce over official domestic prices, inclusive of 6 per cent import and 3 per cent sales levies, down from the last week’s discount of $35.