Switzerland → Australia (refine) → Hong Kong (China SAR) · Sale on HKGX or OTC, with payment and AML duties

Where the goods start

• Banks identify the contracting party and beneficial owner for precious-metals trading and for cash transactions over CHF 15,000 (CDB 20; Form A, Form K).

  CHF 15,000 cash

  StandardAmount not confirmed

  • CDB 20 (SBA), CDB Art. 4(2)(f)-(g), 7, 20-21, 27-28

• Melt material imported from abroad for sale in Switzerland needs a formal import declaration; simplified and oral declarations are excluded in principle. A buyer or licensee who accepts melt material that has not been through customs breaches due diligence under the PMCA: fine up to CHF 2,000 per ca…

  Official guidance

  • BAZG Merkblatt 'Annahme von Schmelzgut aus dem Ausland' (Jan 2024)

• Commercial production of melt products (bars, plates, rods, granules made by melting precious metal or melt material) requires a melt licence; acting without it is punishable by a fine (EMKG Art. 48). Every melt product must bear the licence holder's stamp; melt products for resale must be assayed b…

  Primary law

  • EMKG/PMCA (SR 941.31), Arts. 1(2), 24, 31(1), 32-33, 47, 48

• Holders of a melter licence may accept melt material only from persons who can prove lawful acquisition, and must verify the customer's identity by a probative document such as a passport or identity card. Where origin is doubtful or the offer comes from unknown persons, origin must be clarified wit…

  Primary law

  • PMCO/EMKV (articles in refs), EMKV (SR 941.311, Stand 1 Jan 2024) Art. 168a Abs. 1 (parsed into section sch-2)

    “Der Inhaber einer Schmelzbewilligung darf Schmelzgut nur von Per-”

  • PMCO/EMKV (articles in refs), EMKV (SR 941.311, Stand 1 Jan 2024) Art. 168a Abs. 2 (parsed into section sch-2)

    “Es muss die Identität des Kunden anhand eines beweiskräftigen Do- kumentes wie Pass oder Identitätskarte überprüfen.”

  • PMCO/EMKV (articles in refs), EMKV (SR 941.311, Stand 1 Jan 2024) Art. 168a Abs. 3 (parsed into section sch-2)

    “Bestehen über die Herkunft der Ware Zweifel oder stammen die An- gebote von Unbekannten, so ist der Inhaber der Schmelzbewilligung verpflichtet, die Herkunft des Schmelzgutes besonders sorgfältig abzu- klären.”

  • PMCO/EMKV (articles in refs), EMKV (SR 941.311, Stand 1 Jan 2024) Art. 168b Abs. 1 (parsed into section sch-2)

    “derlichen organisatorischen Massnahmen, um das Schmelzen von Schmelzgut unrechtmässiger Herkunft zu verhindern.”

  • PMCO/EMKV (articles in refs), EMKV (SR 941.311, Stand 1 Jan 2024) Art. 168b Abs. 2 (parsed into section sch-2)

    “so ist die Ware durch den Inhaber der Schmelzbewilligung bis zur Klärung des Falles in unverändertem Zu- stand aufzubewahren.”

  • PMCO/EMKV (articles in refs), EMKV (SR 941.311, Stand 1 Jan 2024) Art. 168b Abs. 3 (parsed into section sch-2)

    “Schmelzprodukten müssen während zehn Jahren aufbewahrt werden.”

  • PMCO/EMKV (articles in refs), EMKV (SR 941.311, Stand 1 Jan 2024) Art. 168c Abs. 1 (parsed into section sch-2)

    “Der Inhaber einer Schmelzbewilligung muss über seine Ankäufe von Schmelzgut und Schmelzprodukten Buch führen.”

  • PMCO/EMKV (articles in refs), EMKV (SR 941.311, Stand 1 Jan 2024) Art. 168c Abs. 2 Bst. b (parsed into section sch-2)

    “die in Artikel 168a Absatz 2 vorgeschriebenen Identifikations- nachweise;”

  • PMCO/EMKV (articles in refs), BAZG Schmelzen und Prüfen (Dec 2023) Ziff. 4.1.6 (restates Art. 168a)

    “Er muss die Identität des Kunden anhand eines beweiskräftigen Dokumentes wie Pass oder Identitätskarte überprüfen und muss sich vor Ausführung des Auftrages den rechtmässigen Erwerb des Schmelzgutes durch den Auftraggeber nachweisen lassen.”

  • PMCO/EMKV (articles in refs), BAZG Schmelzen und Prüfen (Dec 2023) Ziff. 4.1.6 (restates Art. 168b Abs. 3)

    “Die Dokumente über den Geschäftsverkehr mit Schmelzgut und Schmelzprodukten müssen während zehn Jahren aufbewahrt werden.”

  • PMCO/EMKV (articles in refs), BAZG Richtlinie R-247 (1 Jan 2023) Ziff. 3.3.2

    “Bestehen Zweifel über die Herkunft des Materials oder in Bezug auf die Integrität des Kunden sind Bewilligungsinhaber verpflichtet, den Sachverhalt besonders sorgfältig abzuklären”

• Purchase, import, transit and transport of gold (Annex 26) originating in Russia and exported from Russia after 4 Aug 2022, and of gold processed from it in third countries, are prohibited, as are related services (all kinds, including financial services, brokerage and technical assistance) and the …

  Primary law

  • Ordinance of 4 March 2022 on measures in connection with the situation in Ukraine (SR 946.231.176.72), Art. 14d

• Precious metals are 'sensitive goods' in free ports (Customs Ordinance Annex 2, as amended on 18 November 2015): the declarant must declare them electronically on entry into storage, and an electronic inventory record of them is kept per depositor and submitted by the warehouse keeper to customs on …

  Primary law

  • Customs Ordinance (ZV) as amended on 18 November 2015 (articles in refs), AS 2015 4917, ZV Anhang 2 (sensitive goods) as amended

    “Anhang 2 wird wie folgt geändert:”

  • Customs Ordinance (ZV) as amended on 18 November 2015 (articles in refs), ZV Anhang 2 Ziff. 5: precious metals ex tariff chapter 71

    “Perlen, Diamanten, Edelsteine, Schmucksteine, Edelmetalle und Edel- metallplattierungen sowie Waren daraus (ex Zolltarifkapitel 71)”

  • Customs Ordinance (ZV) as amended on 18 November 2015 (articles in refs), AS 2015 4917 Ziff. IV: in force

    “Diese Verordnung tritt am 1. Januar 2016 in Kraft.”

  • Customs Ordinance (ZV) as amended on 18 November 2015 (articles in refs), ZV Art. 178a Abs. 1: electronic declaration on entry into the free port

    “Die anmeldepflichtige Person muss sensible Waren bei der Einlagerung ins Zoll- freilager elektronisch anmelden.”

  • Customs Ordinance (ZV) as amended on 18 November 2015 (articles in refs), ZV Art. 185: inventory record per depositor

    “Die Bestandesaufzeichnung für sensible Waren ist je Einlagererin oder je Einlagerer zu führen.”

  • Customs Ordinance (ZV) as amended on 18 November 2015 (articles in refs), ZV Art. 184 Abs. 2: kept electronically

    “Sie muss elektronisch geführt werden.”

  • Customs Ordinance (ZV) as amended on 18 November 2015 (articles in refs), ZV Art. 184 Abs. 3bis: warehouse keeper submits it on request

    “Auf Verlangen muss die Lagerhalterin oder der Lagerhalter der EZV die”

  • Customs Ordinance (ZV) as amended on 18 November 2015 (articles in refs), AS 2015 4917, ZV Art. 246a: amendment date

    “Übergangsbestimmungen zur Änderung vom 18. November 2015”

  • Customs Ordinance (ZV) as amended on 18 November 2015 (articles in refs), BAZG R-10-50 (1 Jul 2025) s.1.3.1: export goods count as sensitive goods

    “Ausfuhrwaren gelten als sensible Waren”

  • Customs Ordinance (ZV) as amended on 18 November 2015 (articles in refs), R-10-50 s.4.1: inventory records over all sensitive goods

    “Bestandesaufzeichnungen nach den Grundsätzen der ordnungsgemässen Buchführung”

• Cash threshold for dealers in goods (anti-money laundering)

  Primary law

  • GwG Art. 8a(1)

    “Händlerinnen und Händler nach Artikel 2 Absatz 1 Buchstabe b müssen folgende”

  • GwG Art. 8a(1)(a)

    “Identifizierung der Vertragspartei (Art. 3 Abs. 1);”

• Cash threshold for dealers in gold (anti-money laundering)

  Primary law

  • GwG Art. 8a(1)

    “Händlerinnen und Händler nach Artikel 2 Absatz 1 Buchstabe b müssen folgende”

  • GwG Art. 8a(1)(a)

    “Identifizierung der Vertragspartei (Art. 3 Abs. 1);”

  • GwG Art. 8a(2bis)

    “oder Edelsteinen beträgt die massgebende Schwelle im Sinne von Ab-”

  • EMKG Art. 1(1)

    “Edelmetalle im Sinne dieses Gesetzes sind Gold, Silber, Platin und Palladium.”

On the way

Doré bar - unstamped → 999.9 kilobar

• GST - first supply of precious metal after refining

  GST-free (0%, input credits allowed) First supply of precious metal after its refining by, or on behalf of, the supplier, where the refiner is a "refiner of precious metal" and the recipient a "dealer in precious metal" (each: an entity that satisfies the Commissioner of the activity - s.195-1)

  Primary lawAmount not confirmed

  • A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, s.38-385; s.195-1

• GST on importation of precious metal

  Non-taxable importation (precious metal); otherwise GST 10% of the value of the taxable importation (customs value plus international transport and insurance, s.13-20) Imported gold that meets the precious-metal definition is a non-taxable importation because its supply would be input taxed or GST-free (s.13-10(b)); dore and other gold outside the definition is a taxable importation

  Primary lawAmount not confirmed

  • A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, ss.13-5, 13-10(b), 13-20

• GST - other supplies of precious metal

  Input taxed (no GST charged; no input tax credits) Gold (in an investment form) of at least 99.5% fineness (s.195-1 precious metal); "investment form" is not defined in the Act - the ATO describes it as a coin, wafer, bar or other tradeable form with an internationally accepted hallmark (LBMA-approved for gold)

  Primary law

  • A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, s.40-100; s.195-1

• GST reverse charge on supplies of goods containing valuable metal

  10% of the price, payable by the recipient A taxable supply of goods consisting wholly or partly of valuable metal (gold, silver, platinum) to a recipient registered or required to be registered, where the market value of the goods does not exceed the valuable metal threshold (i.e. is not at least 10% above the value of the metal in them) or the parties agree in writing - e.g. scrap, dore and other non-investment gold

  Primary lawAmount not confirmed

  • A New Tax System (Goods and Services Tax) Act 1999, Division 86 (ss.86-5, 86-10, 86-25); s.195-1 valuable metal

• Customs duty on gold

  Free HS 7108.11.00, 7108.12.00, 7108.13.00, 7108.20.00 and 7112.91.00 (general rate Free; the rate footnote: FTA originating goods Free unless otherwise shown)

  Official guidanceAmount not confirmed

  • Customs Tariff Act 1995, Schedule 3

• Buying or selling bullion (gold, silver, platinum or palladium as a bar, coin, ingot, plate, wafer or like form, bearing a mark guaranteeing fineness and traded by reference to the spot price) in the course of carrying on a bullion-dealing business is a designated service: enrolment, AML/CTF program…

  Primary law

  • AML/CTF Act 2006, s.5 (bullion); s.6(3) table 2 item 1; ss.39E, 41, 43, 51B

• Buying or selling precious metal (gold, silver, platinum-group metals, or an alloy with at least 2% of them, manufactured or not), precious stones or precious products in the course of carrying on a business, where the purchase involves physical currency and/or virtual assets totalling $10,000 or mo…

  $10,000 in physical currency and/or virtual assets

  Primary law

  • AML/CTF Act 2006 as amended by the AML/CTF Amendment Act 2024, s.5A; s.6(3) table 2 item 2; Amendment Act s.2 and Sch 3 Pt 4 items 11-12

    “buying or selling one or more of the following items in the course of carrying on a business, where the purchase involves the transfer of physical currency or virtual assets (or a combination of physical currency and virtual assets) with a total value of not less than $10,000, whether the purchase is made in a single transaction or in several transactions that are linked or appear to be linked: (a) precious metal; (b) precious stones; (c) precious products”

• Export markets accept Australian bars through the refiner's LBMA Good Delivery listing and exchange accreditations (CME, SGE, OSE, DGCX for the Perth Mint).

  Industry practice

• No economy-wide cap on cash payments was found. Reporting entities must report threshold transactions (transfers of $10,000 or more in physical currency) to AUSTRAC within 10 business days (s.43; s.5). Moving monetary instruments worth $10,000 or more into or out of Australia must be reported (s.53)…

  $10,000 (reporting, not a limit)

  Primary law

  • AML/CTF Act 2006, ss.5, 43, 53

    “monetary instrument means any of the following: (a) physical currency; (b) a bearer negotiable instrument; (c) a thing prescribed by the AML/CTF Rules.”

• No foreign-exchange control or repatriation requirement on gold export proceeds was identified.

  Unverified

• No export permit or licence for gold (it is not a prohibited export). The owner must enter goods for export by an export declaration and may not load them without an authority to deal (export entry advice); consignments with an FOB value of $2,000 or less are exempt unless a permission is required. …

  FOB value above $2,000

  Primary law

  • Customs Act 1901, ss.113(1)-(2A), 113AA, 114, 114C, 116

    “an FOB value not exceeding $2,000 or such other amount as is prescribed”

• Origin and CAHRA due diligence on supplies is imposed on Australian refiners by the LBMA RGG as a Good Delivery condition, not by Australian statute.

  Secondary

• Importing, purchasing or transporting gold (HS 7108) that was exported from Russia after 30 Sep 2022 is a sanctioned import (Designation Sch 1 item 16; AS Regulations reg 4A(1)-(3)) and an offence unless authorised by a permit of the Minister for Foreign Affairs under reg 18(1)(b) (reg 12A); it exte…

  Primary law

  • Autonomous Sanctions (Import Sanctioned Goods-Russia) Designation 2022 Sch 1 item 16; Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011 regs 4A, 12A, 18; Autonomous Sanctions Act 2011 s.16

• Supplying, selling or transferring an item of gold, precious metals and diamonds so that it is transferred to the Government of Syria (or its public bodies, agents or controlled entities) is a sanctioned supply, and importing or purchasing such an item from them is a sanctioned import; both are offe…

  Primary law

  • Autonomous Sanctions Regulations 2011, regs 4(4), 4A(4), 12, 12A, 18

Where the goods arrive

• Customs duty on gold

  Nil All gold imports and exports; the Ordinance applies only to alcoholic liquors, tobacco, aircraft spirit, light diesel oil, motor spirit, kerosene and methyl alcohol (s.3(1))

  Primary lawAmount not confirmed

  • Dutiable Commodities Ordinance (Cap. 109), ss. 3(1), 4(1)

• Profits tax on gold trading profits

  Corporations: 8.25% on the first HK$2,000,000 of assessable profits and 16.5% above (Sch. 8B s.2(a)); unincorporated businesses: 7.5% and 15% (Sch. 8A s.2); years of assessment from 1 April 2018 Trading profits of Hong Kong gold dealers; not a transaction tax

  Primary lawAmount not confirmed

  • Inland Revenue Ordinance (Cap. 112), s. 14; Schs. 8A, 8B

    “Subject to the provisions of this Ordinance, profits tax shall be charged for each year of assessment on every person carrying on a trade, profession or business in Hong Kong in respect of his assessable profits arising in or derived from Hong Kong for that year from such trade, profession or business (excluding profits arising from the sale of capital assets)”

• VAT / GST on gold

  None (Hong Kong has no VAT or GST) Import and sale of gold

  UnverifiedAmount not confirmed

• Import/export declaration charge

  Nil on declarations relating to gold bars (reg. 8(4)); C&SD defines these as gold bars of fineness 995.0 or above, HKHS codes 7108 1210 and 7108 2010, declared on Forms 1B/2B. Other gold (e.g. dore below 995.0): HK$0.20 for value up to HK$46,000, then 12.5 cents per additional HK$1,000 or part, rounded up to 10 cents, capped at HK$200 per declaration (reg. 8(1)(b)-(d), (1AA)) Each import and export declaration

  Primary lawAmount not confirmed

  • Import and Export (Registration) Regulations (Cap. 60E), reg. 8(1), (1AA), (4); reg. 7

    “No charge shall be payable under paragraph (1)(b), (c) or (d) in respect of a declaration relating to gold bars within the meaning of the Imports and Exports Classification List”

• A Category B registrant must, before a specified cash transaction (cash of HK$120,000 or more) with a customer, identify and verify the customer and any beneficial owner, obtain the purpose of a business relationship and verify anyone acting for the customer (Sch. 2 ss.2, 3(1)(b)); obtain senior-man…

  Cash payment of HK$120,000 or more

  Primary law

  • AMLO (Cap. 615) s. 5A and Sch. 2; C&ED Guideline for Category B registrants, s. 5A(5A)-(5B); Sch. 2 ss. 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 19, 20; s. 53ZVF

    “for a period of at least 5 years beginning on the date on which the transaction is completed”

• A non-Hong Kong dealer (an individual not ordinarily resident, or a foreign legal person that is neither a registered non-Hong Kong company nor a re-domiciled company; no place of business in Hong Kong; business in Hong Kong on no more than 60 days a year) is outside registration but must report eac…

  HK$120,000 cash

  Primary lawAmount not confirmed

  • AMLO (Cap. 615) Part 5C, ss. 53ZTZ, 53ZUA(2), 53ZVK; Sch. 3J

• Any person who knows or suspects that property represents proceeds of, or was or is intended to be used in connection with, an indictable offence (OSCO s.25A(1)) or drug trafficking (DTROP s.25A(1)), or that property is terrorist property (UNATMO s.12(1)), must disclose it to an authorized officer (…

  Primary law

  • OSCO (Cap. 455), DTROP (Cap. 405), UNATMO (Cap. 575), Cap. 455 s. 25A; Cap. 405 s. 25A; Cap. 575 s. 12

    “Where a person knows or suspects that any property— (a) in whole or in part directly or indirectly represents any person’s proceeds of; (b) was used in connection with; or (c) is intended to be used in connection with, an indictable offence, he shall as soon as it is reasonable for him to do so disclose that knowledge or suspicion … to an authorized officer”

• Hong Kong applies only UN Security Council sanctions, through regulations the Chief Executive makes under Cap. 537 on instructions from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (ss.2-3); dealing with funds or economic resources of designated persons without a licence is an offence under those regulations (C&…

  Primary law

  • United Nations Sanctions Ordinance (Cap. 537), ss. 2-3

    “the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China”

• Currency and bearer negotiable instruments above HK$120,000 (Sch. 4) must be declared by arriving travellers (s.4), disclosed on request by other arrivals and by departing travellers (ss.5-6), and declared in advance electronically when moved as cargo in one batch (ss.9-11). "CBNI" means notes or co…

  HK$120,000 of CBNIs

  Primary lawAmount not confirmed

  • Cap. 629, ss. 2, 4-6, 9-11; Sch. 4

• The central clearing system accepts only about-400-oz bars meeting international standards (in effect LBMA Good Delivery) into designated vaults, held unallocated and commingled.

  Official guidance

  • Clearing Rulebook

• No new commodity exchange may be established or operated for gold, silver or the other listed commodities (Cap. 82 s.4 and Schedule items 6, 13; fine HK$500,000 plus HK$50,000 a day), except an exchange "which was in operation on 20 June 1973" (s.3(d)) or a recognized futures market under the Securi…

  Primary law

  • Commodity Exchanges (Prohibition) Ordinance (Cap. 82), ss. 3(d)-(e), 4; Schedule

    “(e) a recognized futures market”

• Anyone who by way of business trades in, imports, exports, manufactures, refines or carries out value-adding work on precious metals (gold "in a manufactured or unmanufactured state"), issues or trades precious-asset-backed instruments, or acts as intermediary (s.53ZU(1)) must be registered before c…

  HK$120,000 per transaction or linked transactions

  Primary lawAmount not confirmed

  • AMLO (Cap. 615) Part 5C, ss. 53ZTZ, 53ZU, 53ZUA, 53ZUE; Schs. 3H, 3I

• Only bars from HKGX authorised minters (13 members) are good delivery on the exchange, by type: 99 gold 5-tael, 999.9 gold kilo, 999.9 gold 5-tael and 999.9 silver 15 kg.

  Industry practice

  • HKGX rules

• A Legislative Council question of May 2026 refers to "the current 50-gram limit" on gold products for personal use carried by Mainland visitors, and asks about "simplifying the tax collection process for amounts exceeding the limit"; the limit is a Mainland rule. The Government replied only that Hon…

  50 g (per LegCo question; Mainland rule not read)

  SecondaryAmount not confirmed

• Gold entering the Mainland from Hong Kong under general trade needs a PBOC Gold and Gold Products Import/Export Permit presented to customs (Art. 3), issued only to qualified importers (Art. 8, e.g. financial-institution members or market makers of the State Council-approved gold exchange); "one bat…

  Primary law

  • PBOC/GACC gold import-export measures (Order [2015] No. 1, amended 2020), Arts. 3, 4, 6, 8, 17, 20

• No import or export licence, permit or duty applies to gold. Licences are needed only for articles listed in the regulations under Cap. 60 (s.6C: Cap. 60A Sch. 1; s.6D: Cap. 60A Sch. 2; s.6A: strategic commodities), and gold is not listed in Cap. 60A Schedules 1-2. The only customs formality is the …

  Primary law

  • Import and Export Ordinance (Cap. 60) and regulations, Cap. 60 ss. 6A, 6C, 6D; Cap. 60A Schs. 1-2; Cap. 60E regs 3-5

Back in the origin country: the proceeds of the export