Bank of China LimitedBanks need to build inventories for retail bullion sales and gold accumulation plans, increasing demand for Bank of China's gold-related services.

Chinese gold imports surged to a two-year high of about 173 tons in June, the third straight monthly increase and the highest since March 2024, according to customs data. Cheaper international prices and a stronger yuan kept investors interested, while banks were motivated to use up import quotas and stock up on bullion to meet retail commitments. Zijie Wu, an analyst at Jinrui Futures Co., said dip-buying by investors was an important demand driver, and commercial banks needed to build inventories to back retail bullion sales and gold accumulation plans. Bullion-backed exchange traded funds have also seen net inflows of around 28 tons this year, according to the Shanghai Gold Exchange. A new licensing regime from June 1 likely encouraged banks to exhaust existing quotas, and some shipments booked earlier may have only registered in June due to financing, transportation, and customs paperwork delays.
Bank of China LimitedBanks need to build inventories for retail bullion sales and gold accumulation plans, increasing demand for Bank of China's gold-related services.