LBMA Good Delivery is the standard set by the London Bullion Market Association for large gold and silver bars and the refiners allowed to produce them. Its list of accredited refiners is used worldwide as a mark of quality.
What the LBMA does
The London Bullion Market Association is the trade body for the London over-the-counter market in gold and silver, the largest wholesale bullion market. It maintains two things that affect buyers in Singapore: the Good Delivery standard and the Good Delivery List of refiners. It also oversees the LBMA Gold Price and Silver Price benchmarks.
The Good Delivery bar
| Gold | Silver | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 350 to 430 fine troy oz (about 11 to 13.4 kg) | 750 to 1,100 troy oz gross (about 23 to 34 kg) |
| Minimum fineness | 995.0 | 999.0 |
These bars are traded between banks and held in vaults, including in Singapore. Retail buyers rarely own them, but the refiners that make them also produce the small bars sold here.
Why the Good Delivery List matters for GST
For a bar, ingot or wafer to be Investment Precious Metal in Singapore, IRAS requires it to come from a refiner on the current or former LBMA Good Delivery list for gold and silver (LPPM for platinum), or from a refiner endorsed by Enterprise Singapore that intends to join the list. The bar should carry the refiner's name or hallmark. A bar of 999.9 gold from a refiner outside these lists does not qualify and is taxable at 9%.
So when you browse gold bars sold in Singapore, check the refiner. A 1 oz gold bar from a Good Delivery refiner is both easier to resell and GST-exempt. Read the full criteria in the IPM and GST rules.
LBMA Gold Price: the daily benchmark
The LBMA Gold Price is set twice each business day, at 10:30 and 15:00 London time, through an electronic auction run by ICE Benchmark Administration. It is set in US dollars, and LBMA publishes indicative prices in other currencies including the Singapore dollar. It replaced the old "London gold fix" in 2015.
The benchmark is used for contracts, central bank valuations and some fund pricing. The price you see updating on a dealer's website is the live spot price, which moves between the two auctions. For a quick view of both gold and silver in SGD see our precious metal charts.
What it means for you
- Prefer bars from refiners on the Good Delivery List.
- Keep certificates and packaging to help the buy-back and keep your bid-ask spread narrow.
- Remember that fineness alone does not make a bar GST-exempt; the refiner matters too.
Related terms
Spot Price Investment Precious Metals (IPM) and GST Fineness Bid-Ask Spread
FAQ
Do gold bars in Singapore need to be LBMA approved?
To be GST-exempt, a gold or silver bar must come from a refiner on the current or former LBMA Good Delivery list or one endorsed by Enterprise Singapore.
How often is the LBMA Gold Price set?
It is set twice each business day, at 10:30 and 15:00 London time, in an auction run by ICE Benchmark Administration.
Is the LBMA Gold Price the same as the spot price?
No. The LBMA Gold Price is a benchmark fixed twice a day, while the spot price changes continuously during trading hours.