“This week, Asian physical gold markets saw muted buying as higher prices dampened sentiment and pushed dealers to offer steeper discounts. In India—the world’s largest consumer—jewellers quoted up to $15/oz off official domestic rates (which include a 6% import duty and 3% sales tax), up from a $10/oz discount last week. Retail demand remained negligible, with many shops postponing new orders amid uncertainty.
In China, gold dealers vacillated between a $5/oz discount and a $4/oz premium over international benchmarks, while customs data revealed imports have declined for a second consecutive month. Hong Kong’s premium settled between zero and $1.50/oz, Singapore’s between zero and $2.50, and Tokyo dealers offered slight discounts of $0.50 up to a $0.70 premium. Across the region, buyers hesitated to commit, with some traders liquidating existing holdings rather than adding new positions.”