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Long-running and sometimes violent street protests in Hong Kong are helping tarnish its luster as the main physical gateway of gold to China, the world's top bullion buyer, reports Reuters.
Clashes between anti-government activists and police in the regional financial hub are spooking tourists and subduing jewelry sales amid concerns about the logistics of shipping the precious metal out of the city.
That's squeezing a market already pressured by Beijing's decision to step up direct gold imports as it seeks to restrict outward capital flows.
The risk for Hong Kong is that it loses further control of a liquid and portable asset that is traditionally a major conduit of capital flight during periods of economic uncertainty.
"On the individual investor level, we see more clients opting to store their gold in what they consider as safer jurisdictions," said Joshua Rotbart of J. Robart & Co, a Hong Kong-based bullion house that helps high net worth individuals buy, store and transport precious metals.
"We know at least hundreds of millions worth of gold has left Hong Kong, mostly to Singapore, but some to Switzerland," Rotbart added.
In July, the second month of major protests in Hong Kong, and two months after Beijing imposed import restrictions, China's imports of gold from Hong Kong dropped to 8.085 tonnes. That was their lowest level in at least eight years, according to official Hong Kong records.
Hong Kong has traditionally been one of the world's most active physical gold markets, with long-established trade routes through its historic jewelry district making it the Asian hub for bullion banks and dealers.
But the latest political unrest, fueled by anger over planned legislation to allow extraditions to China, is weakening already faltering trade winds. Hong Kong's share of China's gold imports has dropped to just under 40 per cent currently, from around 70 per cent in 2014, according to consultants GFMS Refinitiv and official Hong Kong data.
GFMS Refinitiv data also shows Hong Kong bullion flows to mainland China plummeted 45 per cent in the first half of this year to 175.7 tonnes, compared with 321.1 tonnes a year ago.
Economists have warned the current series of violent anti-government protests is already taking a heavier toll on Hong Kong's economy than 2014's 'Umbrella revolution'. Official data showed visitor arrivals plunged nearly 40 per cent in August from a year earlier.
Rotbart said the disruption to flights as demonstrators closed down the international airport was a major concern as gold is usually shipped via commercial passenger flights.
On a recent visit to Hong Kong's Causeway Bay district, gold shops were quiet, many with few to no customers and sales staff phone surfing or idly chatting.
"The Hong Kong (gold) market is quiet and a big mess, with the violence," said Ronald Leung, chief dealer at Lee Cheong Gold Dealers in Hong Kong.
Of two dozen gold stores visited by Reuters, retailers said shoppers from the mainland had dropped off by between 10 per cent and 50 per cent because of the protests.
"Usually there would be more people around, especially in the afternoon and evening," said the manager for Garman Jewellery store, a man surnamed Hi. "You can see it when you look outside, there's less people walking on the streets."
Alan Wang, a Daigou shopper from Shenzhen who purchases goods in Hong Kong for mainland customers, said orders for gold products had dropped around 20 per cent, due also to Beijing's import changes.