Trading commodities like Gold and Silver in Canada is a highly regulated sector with laws set to ensure integrity and transparency. Keeping this in mind, these regulations also bring a unique set of challenges that impacts both investors and traders, especially those who are keen on purchasing physical Gold and Silver bullion. 

The Regulatory Landscape 

Precious metals trading in Canada is subject to strict government regulations that oversee crime when it comes to precious metals trading, specifically in terms of money laundering. Moreover, The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), is in charge of overseeing the compliance that requires bullion dealers to report suspicious activities and keep records of all transactions. Additionally, pure precious metals are exempt from Goods and Services Tax/Harmonized Sales Tax (GST/HST). To learn more about tax exemptions for precious metals you can read more here.

Compliance Challenges for Bullion Dealers

By law, bullion dealers must conduct a thorough Know Your Customer (KYC) checklist to mitigate the risks of money laundering and other illegal activities – e.g. the sale of stolen precious metals. This requires verifying the identity of clients and monitoring their purchases. However, with advances in technology and things shifting online, it has become difficult to always ensure compliance 100% of the time. One of the biggest challenges that remains is distinguishing legitimate clients and those seeking to launder money. As a result, dealers must always adapt to new policies and refine their compliance strategies, resulting in higher operational costs. 

Impact on Physical Gold and Silver Bullion Investors

For investors looking to invest in Gold and Silver bullion, compliance frameworks can sometimes indirectly influence the market by affecting pricing and availability. Higher overhead costs for dealers may result in higher premiums or reduced availability on the bullion they are selling. Additionally, with changes in policies and needing detailed reporting, record-keeping might lead to longer verification periods. This can result in reduced conveniences of quick transactions. 

Key takeaways 

The regulatory framework in Canada for precious metals investing can be very stringent at times. However, these rules are set in place to keep integrity in the market and shape for a better and safer purchasing experience for both investors and dealers. This is why working with a reputable dealer is imperative in the bullion market! AU Bullion ensures a transparent and safe experience for investors looking to grow their precious metals portfolio. Additionally, even within the regulatory landscape of investing and it’s challenges, AU Bullion strives in offering clients with the highest quality bullion at the lowest prices!