Ray Jia

• Chinese gold prices rose modestly in July 
• Au(T+D)’s trading volume in July extended its June surge
• The local gold premium saw a much lower volatility 
• Imports registered another decline, dropping to 55t in July
• Gold withdrawals from Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE) experienced the first rise in four months 
• The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) added another 10t to its gold reserves

Recycled gold is an important source of gold supply . In 2018, the volume of recycled gold reached 1,168t, accounting for over 25% of total supply globally. Recycled gold is also an important source of supply in China, amounting to 146t, or 20% of domestic supply in 2018. Recently, China’s recycled gold market has experienced some exciting developments which could improve the efficiency and transparency of the industry. 

Summary

• Shanghai Gold Benchmark price hit 319.2 yuan/gram – highest level since its introduction in April 2016
• Au(T+D)’s trading volume in June reached second highest level on record – 2,062t
• The local gold premium rose sharply 
• Imports continued to slide in May, dropping to 69t
• Gold withdrawals from Shanghai Gold Exchange (SGE) fell again last month 
• PBOC added a further 10t to its reserves in June

Having risen over 3% in May, the loco-China gold prices continued to soar in June. Au(T+D), the most liquid and margin-traded gold contract at Shanghai Gold Exchange, rose 8.71%, the best monthly performance in 3 years.

In March the amount of gold that left Shanghai Gold Exchange vaults - also known as the SGE loadouts - hit 218t. This is a chunky number. It is the highest March on record, almost 30% higher than the average monthly loadout since the start of 2016 and a 13% increase on March 2018.