Centre hikes gold, silver import duty to 15% amid West Asia turmoil

Customs duty on gold and silver imports raised from 6% to 15%, platinum from 6.4% to 15.4%, reversing the FY24-25 budget cut. Move follows PM Modi's appeal to defer gold purchases as West Asia conflict pressures forex reserves and the current account deficit.

— FiledFri, 15 May, 2026, 07:23 IST·First seen Fri, 15 May, 2026, 06:54 IST·Source Hindustan Times · Business

What happened

Government of India · Centre hiked customs duty on gold and silver imports from 6% to 15% and platinum from 6.4% to 15.4%, citing West Asia war pressures on

Key facts

  • gold/silver duty 6% to 15%
  • platinum 6.4% to 15.4%
  • FY24-25 budget cut from 15% to 6%

Why this matters

Revisit hedging frameworks and bonded-warehouse strategies, scrutinize gold-loan and lease-model partnerships for working-capital relief, and evaluate opportunistic M&A among smaller regional jewellers likely to face liquidity stress.