While the overnight collapse in precious metals has been notably retraced, the media is unable to take its eyes off the ball that the status quo is shaking focusing on the demise and what that must mean for the future. Well, it seems, the Indian finance minister is very clear. Speaking in New Delhi P. Chidambaram explained his lack of surprise at the increase in gold imports in April [6] (as physical demand exploded amid falling paper prices) adding:
- *CHIDAMBARAM APPEALS TO PEOPLE TO CONTAIN PASSION FOR GOLD, and
- *CHIDAMBARAM: MORE STEPS PLANNED TO CURB GOLD IMPORTS IF NEEDED
So China/Hong Kong is importing near record amounts of the precious metal into reserves and India is not only seeing demand but enough to warrant further government intervention... makes perfect sense that (paper) prices should be falling - or are the planners plans backfiring once again? As we noted here [6], as long as the price suppression of paper gold prices continues, don't expect any notable changes to these demand trends.