According to informed traders, Malaysia has imposed a 10% tariff on certain imported gold bars, impacting the country's spot gold trade. Multiple traders and distributors, who wished to remain anonymous, indicated that at least since early May, a 10% import duty has been levied on some incoming gold bar shipments. As local gold prices have not risen correspondingly, the additional tax burden has led to import operations incurring losses. Some shipments have been temporarily held by customs, while other cargo owners have rerouted their goods to other regions. Muamalat Islamic Bank in Malaysia issued a statement this week, noting that once a 10% import duty is applied to gold bars, the associated costs will be passed on to consumers. A spokesperson for the Royal Malaysian Customs Department stated that the Ministry of Finance will engage with the industry regarding the import of fabricated gold products. Both the Malaysia Gold Association and the local representative of the World Gold Council declined to comment. Earlier this year, international gold prices reached record highs, fueling investment interest in gold among investors in Asia. Over the past year, several local banks in Malaysia have successively launched gold investment products. Logistics company Loomis has also established a new vault near the country's capital to meet growing market demand. Data from the Department of Statistics Malaysia shows that from January to April this year, the country's imports of non-monetary gold amounted to approximately 9.7 billion ringgit, equivalent to 2.5 billion US dollars.
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