Govt Says India-UAE FTA Impact On Gold Imports Negligible, Under 1 Tonne Via Tariff Quota

Commerce Secretary downplays concerns over India-UAE CEPA, noting less than one tonne of gold entered via the tariff quota. UAE inflows have offset declines from Switzerland. April 2026 gold imports rose to $5.63 billion from $3.1 billion a year earlier, driven by higher prices rather than volume increases.

— Source publishedFri, 15 May, 2026, 17:22 IST·First seen Fri, 15 May, 2026, 18:32 IST·Source NDTV Profit

What happened

Government of India · Commerce Secretary says India-UAE FTA has had negligible impact on gold imports, with under one tonne entering via tariff quota. UAE

Key facts

  • less than 1 tonne gold under quota
  • $5.63 billion April 2026 gold imports
  • $3.1 billion April 2025

Why this matters

With UAE channels backfilling Swiss declines under quota and FTA fears overblown, near-term M&A theses on bullion supply chain consolidation should refocus on price-hedging capabilities over tariff arbitrage.