China Leads Historic Surge in Gold ETF Demand Amid Trade Tensions and Currency Concerns

Global physically-backed gold ETFs experienced significant growth in April, adding $11 billion and extending their inflow streak to five consecutive months. Total assets under management reached a new high of $379 billion, with holdings increasing by 115 tonnes to 3,561 tonnes. Asian markets led this surge, accounting for 65% of global inflows and setting a record with $7.3 billion in new investments, primarily from China. North American investors added $4.5 billion, while European markets saw modest outflows of $807 million. Trading volumes across global gold markets exploded to $441 billion per day, 48% higher than the previous month, with all market segments seeing significant increases in activity.