Purchasing gold bars from China is a complex undertaking governed by strict state regulations and strategic commodity protections. While China is the world's largest gold producer, it enforces a general prohibition on the export of its gold to maintain domestic reserves.

: China has generally banned the export of gold since 2009. Standard investment bars (50g to 12.5kg) must typically remain within domestic certified vaults.

: Physical export or import requires a license from the PBOC, which is granted sparingly and usually only to large banks or major refiners.

The Chinese gold market is highly centralized, with the regulating all flows.

: The sole official platform for physical gold trading. Foreigners can access this market through the SGE International Board (SGEI) located in the Shanghai Free Trade Zone.