Swiss February gold exports up on year ago, but off January high

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Gold exports from Switzerland leapt by more than a quarter year on year in February as a big rise in supplies to the United States continued, albeit at a lower rate than in January, Swiss customs data showed on Thursday.

The U.S. demand offset lower deliveries to India and no supplies to China at all.

Switzerland, the world's biggest bullion refining and transit hub alongside Britain, which is home to the world's largest over-the-counter gold trading hub, has seen a surge in gold transfers to the U.S. in recent months.

Concerns that U.S. gold imports could be affected as President Donald Trump rolls out wide-reaching tariffs widened the price premium of U.S. gold futures GCcv1 over London spot prices XAU= in December-February, attracting massive deliveries to Comex gold inventories in New York.

The inflow to Comex stocks has slowed down in recent weeks as the premium between U.S. futures and London spot prices normalised.

According to the Swiss data, gold exports to the U.S. fell to 147.4 metric tons in February from 192.9 tons in January. January's exports to the U.S. were the highest for any month in data going back to 2012.

As spot gold prices have kept scaling record highs due to geopolitical and economic uncertainties, demand in traditional gold-consuming Asian markets has been affected. GOL/

Supplies of bullion to China from Switzerland dried up completely in February, for the first time since August, the data showed, while deliveries to India continued to fall.

Swiss total gold exports and supplies to key markets* (in kgs):

* Source: Swiss customs. Data subject to revision.