

Rising UAE gold flows draw attention amid austerity push
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories.India's gold imports from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) under the 2022 trade agreement are drawing fresh attention amid India's push to curb bullion imports to conserve foreign reserves.Gems and jewellery imports from the UAE, dominated by gold, have surged to one-third of India's total shipments in 2025-26, according to commerce ministry data reviewed by Mint.Even as India’s gems and jewellery imports hit a record $71.98 billion in 2025-26, imports from the UAE rose from $14.79 billion in 2022-23 to $27.09 billion in 2024-25, and stood at $24.08 billion during April-February 2025-26.Total gems and jewellery imports from the UAE stood at $15.93 billion in 2021-22, according to the Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council.At the same time, utilization of the tariff rate quota (TRQ), which allows a limited quantity of gold imports from the UAE at a duty rate one percentage point lower than the standard rate, has remained modest at about 140 tonnes in 2024-25 and just 8.58 tonnes so far in 2025-26.The trend has raised concerns that higher inflows under the concessional route could dilute the impact of 15% customs duty on gold and silver, as traders may increasingly route imports through the lower-duty quota, weakening efforts to curb imports and manage the trade deficit.It also assumes significance as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has appealed to citizens to avoid buying gold for at least a year, urging them to invest in productive assets instead to help reduce the country’s import burden and strengthen the economy.“The trade agreement does offer some price advantage due to differential duty and would hence need to be monitored.
Unlike oil, which uses shipping routes, gold has fewer
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