Russia banks aim to sell gold to China as VTB, Sberbank expand

Russia's gold sales in China are set to expand as VTB Capital boosts sales and Sberbank PJSC prepares to enter the market, chasing demand in the world's biggest consumer of bullion.

Sberbank CIB plans to register on the Shanghai Gold Exchange and eventually to sell up to 100 tons (3.2 million ounces) a year, according to an e-mail from the investment arm of Russia's largest bank. VTB Capital, a unit of the second-biggest lender, is targeting sales of as much as 20 metric tons of gold in China in 2017, Sergey Nenashev, the bank's head of precious metals, said by e-mail. Sales may reach a rate of 100 tons a year near the end of 2018, he said.

Russian banks, which act as intermediaries between the country's gold producers and the market, aim to tap into Asian growth. Rising incomes and few investment options in China are driving demand for gold jewelry, bars, and coins in China. In July, Shanghai Gold Exchange volumes almost doubled from a year earlier to 1.7 trillion yuan ($255 billion), figures compiled by the bourse show. ...

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