Silver Price on Alert as China’s Silver Imports Hit Record – Panic Buying Underway Crypto News

on May 13, 2026
The silver market is moving through one of the most aggressive rallies in decades as physical demand collides with tightening supply. The silver price traded between $78.92 and $88.62 per ounce this week, marking a huge 167% rise over the past year after climbing from roughly $33.69 in 2025.

Earlier this year, silver jumped to nearly $121.67 for a short time, then pulled back. Around the same time, the gold-to-silver ratio fell to about 50 to 1. Normally it lives between 70 and 100 to 1. That drop means silver is doing a lot better than gold right now.

On top of that, the market is seeing its sixth year in a row where supply is less than demand. COMEX stockpiles are down more than 70% from where they were in 2020. Why? Solar panels, electric cars, and AI gear all need silver, and that need keeps growing.

China’s Silver Imports Are Exploding

A viral chart shared by Oliver Groß showed China’s silver imports exploding to levels never seen before. The data tracks China Customs silver import quantities from 2008 through 2026, and the latest reading stands far above every previous cycle. Imports pushed above 400 million ounces, dwarfing the pumps recorded during the 2011 silver boom and the post-pandemic commodity rally.

The timing matters. China is one of the world’s largest consumers of industrial silver because the metal is heavily used in solar panels, electronics, batteries, semiconductors, and advanced manufacturing. Demand has accelerated at the same time global inventories are already thin. That combination is creating fears that available physical silver could tighten even more through the second half of 2026.

The silver price chart lines up closely with the import data. The silver price climbed from the low-$60 region in March to nearly $88 this week. The signs still point up. MACD is still above its signal line, and RSI is hanging around 70. That tells you there’s real buying pressure, even after weeks of price jumps. People see dips as chances to buy because they think the physical metal is getting harder to find.

Here’s What the Silver Chart Is Showing

We looked at the chart. Buyers still control the trend. Since late March, the silver price has printed a consistent series of higher lows and higher highs. Every correction has been shallow, which usually points to strong spot demand underneath the market. Price action around $84 to $85 has turned into a key support zone after several successful retests.

Momentum hasn’t gone away either. The MACD histogram is still positive, and both moving averages keep climbing. Momentum did slow a little in the first week of May, but buyers jumped right back in once silver got back above $80. That recovery pushed the silver price close to yearly highs again within days.

Source: TradingView.com

The RSI indicator is near 70, which normally signals overheated conditions, but silver has spent long periods above that level during previous commodity supercycles. In strong trends, overbought conditions can persist for weeks if physical demand keeps overwhelming supply. That is exactly what many traders believe is happening now.

Still, price swings are wild. In the last trading session, silver moved between $83.75 and $86.91 in one day. And earlier this year, it shot up to $121 before falling fast. So even though the overall trend is up, you’re dealing with big ups and downs.

If physical shortages continue and China keeps buying a lot of silver, the price could try for $100 again later this year.

Related Silver News: Silver Price Warning: Insiders Are Buying 900‑900‑1,000 Options – A 1,200% Pump Coming?

What China’s Silver Buying Could Mean for the Market

China’s import rise does not look like normal restocking activity. The size of the move points to urgency from industrial buyers trying to secure supply before prices move even higher.

That matters because the silver market is much smaller and less liquid than gold, so aggressive physical buying can move prices very quickly. The biggest risk now is volatility because silver has already moved a huge distance in a short period.

Still, as long as supply deficits remain in place and industrial demand stays elevated, the broader trend for the silver price still looks tilted upward.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is Warren Buffett buying silver❓

Warren Buffett is not actively buying silver today. He did accumulate a large silver position in the late 1990s through Berkshire Hathaway when prices were lower and supply dynamics looked favorable. His approach has always been value-driven, so past interest in silver was based on market opportunity rather than a long-term preference.

Could silver reach $500 per ounce❓

A move to $500 would require extreme conditions such as prolonged supply shortages, sustained inflation pressure, and a major repricing of precious metals. That kind of level would also need strong global demand far beyond current industrial use. It remains a highly speculative outcome rather than a base-case expectation.

Is it better to invest in gold or silver❓

Gold is typically used for stability and long-term wealth protection during uncertain economic periods. Silver tends to move more aggressively because it has both investment and industrial demand, which adds volatility. Many investors hold both to balance stability with growth potential.

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