News Flash: Record Shanghai Gold Withdrawals as Chinese Demand Increases

Investors have withdrawn a record amount of gold from the Shanghai Gold Exchange over the past year, signaling a steady increase in demand in the world’s largest gold consuming country.

Bloomberg reported the most recent numbers:

Withdrawals jumped 37% to 1,891.9 metric tons through Sept. 18 from 1,380.9 tons a year earlier, according to data on the bourse website. Trading increased 150% in the first eight months, said Liu Liang, a spokesman for the exchange, the world’s largest spot bullion market.”

China’s net imports from Hong Kong more than doubled in August from a year earlier. Swiss exports to mainland China also rose, jumping 49% from the previous month.

The increase in withdrawals and trading “reflects a steady increase in Chinese gold demand,” Liang said.

Bloomberg reports similarly solid demand in India, the world’s second-leading gold consumer. Bachhraj Bamalwa, a director with the All India Gems & Jewellery Trade Federation, said consumption in India may reach about 230 tons in the final quarter of this year. That would make it the highest for the period in three years.

This continues a trend we’ve seen all year in the two Asian countries. As we reported earlier this month, gold imports spiked in India and China in August.

Analysts with the World Gold Council say they estimate China and India will consume 900 to 1,000 tons of gold each in 2015.

China has also been increasing its official gold reserve. The country reported a further 1% rise to about 1,694 tons. China’s gold reserves currently rank fifth in the world.

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