India's February gold imports plunged 41% as local prices hit record high

India’s gold imports plunged 41% in February from a year earlier as a rally in local prices to a record high squeezed retail demand, a government source said on Tuesday.

The world’s second-biggest consumer of gold imported 46 tonnes in February, compared with 77.64 tonnes a year earlier, the source said on condition of anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media.

In value terms, February imports totalled $2.36 billion, down from $2.58 billion a year earlier, he said.

In the first half of February demand was modest but it faltered as prices started rallying from mid-February, said a Mumbai-based dealer with a bullion importing bank.

Gold futures in India hit a record high of 43,788 rupees per 10 grams in February after rising nearly a quarter in 2019.

The weak demand forced dealers to offer as much $14 an ounce discount over official domestic prices in February, the most since mid-October. The domestic price includes a 12.5% import tax and 3% sales tax.

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