Enable Dynamic Trading Limits State-owned Major Banks Upgrade Precious Metals Business Risk Control

Staff Reporter Peng Yan

Recently, the precious metals market has experienced significant volatility, with many banks gradually strengthening their risk management for precious metals businesses.

On the evening of March 3, China Construction Bank announced that to further improve risk prevention and control, it will implement dynamic trading limits for CCB Gold (including Easy Deposit Gold) starting March 4. At the same time, the bank is extending the delivery time for physical precious metals: due to the rapid increase in physical gold purchases recently, from March 3, 2026, orders for delivery will have a shipping time extended to 10 to 15 working days after the customer places the order (no shipments on holidays).

Notably, this move by China Construction Bank indicates that, following ICBC, another state-owned major bank has officially upgraded its risk controls for the precious metals business.

It is understood that previously, banks mainly used static thresholds, such as increasing minimum purchase amounts, to manage risks in precious metals. Earlier this year, the industry began exploring more flexible “dynamic limit” management models.

On January 30, ICBC was the first to announce adjustments to the rules for its Ruyi Gold Savings and some branded physical gold products, clarifying that transaction limits would be implemented for Ruyi Gold Savings. ICBC stated that starting February 7, 2026, on non-Trading days such as weekends and statutory holidays, the bank will impose limits on Ruyi Gold Savings transactions, including total or single-client daily deposit/withdrawal caps, and limits on individual deposit or withdrawal amounts, with dynamic adjustments. The gold withdrawal process remains unaffected.

It is worth noting that shifting from static thresholds to dynamic limits has become a core feature of this round of risk control upgrades in banks’ precious metals businesses.

Xue Hongyan, a special researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Finance and Law, told Securities Daily that the consecutive implementation of dynamic limit management by ICBC and China Construction Bank mainly aims to address potential systemic risks caused by extreme fluctuations in international gold prices. This adjustment directly responds to the increasingly volatile environment of the precious metals market. The deeper reason is that traditional static risk controls are no longer suitable for high-frequency market fluctuations. Banks need to shift from passive responses to proactive interventions by dynamically adjusting trading limits to prevent concentrated trading risks caused by investors chasing gains or selling in panic.

Yang Haiping, a researcher at the Shanghai Financial and Legal Research Institute, told Securities Daily that the shift from static risk controls to dynamic limits allows banks to respond promptly to extreme market conditions. By adjusting according to actual market fluctuations, this upgrade enhances the ability to help clients manage risks and prevent the bank’s own business risks more effectively.

Additionally, several banks have adopted a “combination punch” in risk management. On one hand, many banks have issued risk warnings to guide investors to participate rationally. On March 2, ICBC, China Construction Bank, Postal Savings Bank, and China Everbright Bank issued risk alerts, advising investors to stay alert to market changes and strengthen risk prevention.

On the other hand, many banks are tightening trading rules to further “de-leverage.” For example, ICBC, Agricultural Bank of China, and China Construction Bank have raised the margin requirement for retail clients’ Shanghai Gold Exchange deferred contracts to 100%, canceling related trading leverage to strengthen risk control.

According to Xue Hongyan, this tightening is directly related to the recent sharp fluctuations in gold prices and increased market trading activity. “Currently, international gold prices are at historic highs, market sentiment has shifted from risk aversion to speculation, trading congestion has increased, and irrational behaviors like chasing gains or panic selling have become more frequent. Banks implementing dynamic limits and raising margin requirements are essentially guiding overheated market sentiment reasonably and preventing chain risks that could be triggered by sharp price corrections.”