China Registers 488 Gold Recyclers in 5 Months as 2025 Firm Creation Jumped 78.74%
Updated
Updated · South China Morning Post · May 17
China Registers 488 Gold Recyclers in 5 Months as 2025 Firm Creation Jumped 78.74%
1 articles · Updated · South China Morning Post · May 17
488 gold recycling-related firms were registered in China in less than five months of 2026, already exceeding half of 2025's full-year total of 740.
Qichacha said the sector's 2025 registrations surged 78.74% from a year earlier, marking the fastest annual expansion in a decade as firms rush to buy and resell gold bars and jewelry.
More than half of existing gold recycling firms were founded within the past three years, with companies less than one year old making up nearly 30% of the total.
Southern and eastern China dominate the industry, accounting for 35.39% and 29.43% of firms respectively, helped by strong gold consumption and established trading and distribution networks.
As Beijing eases gold imports, will this new supply cool down the nation's explosive grassroots recycling craze?
Is China's massive gold recycling and buying spree a strategic move to challenge the US dollar's global dominance?