China pulls silver from global markets to meet surging demand

By Yihui Xie and Jack Ryan Bloomberg News Friday, March 20, 2026 China's ravenous appetite for silver lifted overseas purchases to an eight-year high at the start of 2026, as importers fed a surge in industrial and investment demand. The world's biggest buyer pulled in over 790 tons in the first two months, including nearly 470 tons in February, the highest ever for that month, according to Chinese customs data Friday. Strong demand has pushed local prices well above international benchmarks, whittling down already-low exchange stockpiles and hoovering up metal from abroad. ... Dispatch continues below ... ... ADVERTISEMENT ... Are you ready to safeguard your assets using precious metals? Hero Bullion is a precious metals dealer with an extensive inventory of competitively priced gold, silver, and platinum products. We didn't get into this business just to sell metals. Our goal is to educate investors to help them make sounder financial decisions. For four years we have focused on educational resources, competitive prices, and reliable, secure shipping. Check out our reviews. Hero Bullion is quickly becoming a favorite of customers all over the country. We're committed to helping you cut through the hype and build your portfolio with high-quality, affordable precious metals. Visit us here: www.herobullion.com Hero Bullion: Gold and silver simply delivered Silver prices have never had such a volatile start to a year, soaring about 70% on a wave of speculative buying from China and elsewhere, before abruptly giving up their gains at the end of January. The strong import figures suggest physical consumption in China has been sustained despite shifts in trading flows. Demand has come from both retail investors piling into silver bars, an alternative to increasingly pricey gold, and solar manufacturers front-loading production ahead of the removal of export tax rebates on April 1. The solar industry consumes about a fifth of annual supply, and is overwhelmingly located in China. ... ... For the remainder of the report: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-03-20/china-pulls-silver-from-global-markets-to-meet-surging-demand * * * Support GATA by purchasing Stuart Englert's "Rigged" "Rigged" is a concise explanation of government's currency market rigging policy and extensively credits GATA's work exposing it. Ten percent of sales proceeds are contributed to GATA. Buy a copy for $14.99 through Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Rigged-Exposing-Largest-Financial%20-History/dp/1651405204/ref=sr_1_fkmr1_2?keywords=rugged+stuart+englert&qid=1579708888&sr=8-2-fkmr1 * * * Help keep GATA going: GATA is a civil rights and educational organization based in the United States and tax-exempt under the U.S. Internal Revenue Code. Its e-mail dispatches are free, and you can subscribe at: http://www.gata.org To contribute to GATA, please visit: http://www.gata.org/node/16 Donations of $500 or more will entitle the donor to a 1-ounce silver round commemorating GATA's work: https://www.gata.org/sites/default/files/GATA-silver-round-front.png