SWITZERLAND has banned imports of Sudanese gold, including metal routed through third countries, according to a media release from development organisation SWISSAID on Thursday.
The ban, which took effect on September 10, brings Switzerland into line with EU sanctions in force since July. Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) confirmed that the rules also cover Sudanese gold shipped via other countries.
Sudan produces an estimated 80 to 90 tonnes of gold a year, worth CHF9.2bn to CHF10.3bn, according to SWISSAID. Sudan’s armed forces reported production of 70 tonnes in 2025, while declared exports amounted to just 14.7 tonnes.
SWISSAID said much of the difference reflected gold smuggled into neighbouring countries before being exported, mainly through the United Arab Emirates. Both sides in Sudan’s civil war rely heavily on the gold trade to fund the conflict.
The organisation warned that Sudanese gold could therefore still reach Switzerland through Dubai despite the ban.
Switzerland imported 420 tonnes of gold worth CHF38.9bn from the UAE in 2025, almost three times the amount imported a year earlier. It imported a further 233 tonnes, worth CHF27.8bn, in the first seven months of 2026.
SWISSAID called for tighter checks on UAE gold shipments and for importers to disclose the metal’s actual country of origin.
“This step was long overdue,” said SWISSAID commodities expert Marc Ummel.
