‘A Desperate Scramble’: Mint CEO Reveals Jets Are Flying Silver to Cover Historic Squeeze in London

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Gold continues above $4,200, and silver has surged past $53, but Scottsdale Mint CEO Josh Phair says this is only the beginning. “If you take the foreign debt of the United States, not domestic debt, but foreign debt, and its stated gold holdings, that number’s over 30,000,” he tells Kitco News Anchor Jeremy Szafron. “It’s already hit it twice in my lifetime. Why couldn’t it do it again?” Phair calls this the Phair–Sinclair Ratio, inspired by legendary trader Jim Sinclair’s model that predicted past gold bull markets. He believes the same imbalance between debt and gold is now driving a historic repricing of real assets. “We’re in a metal war,” Phair warns. “Whoever controls the metal will win the energy race, the AI race, and the military race.” Refineries face “four to six month backlogs,” silver is being “flown across the Atlantic,” and lease rates have surged “as high as 85 percent.” He adds that the scramble for physical metal has gone geopolitical. “You’ve got one price for deliverable metal in Dubai or Shanghai and another for London and New York.” Phair says the world is already splitting into “a bifurcated trade, two worlds, think Axis and Allies,” as nations repatriate gold and rebuild vault networks outside the Western system. (Recorded October 16, 2025) Follow Jeremy Szafron on X: @JeremySzafron (https://twitter.com/JeremySzafron) Follow Kitco News on X: @KitcoNewsNOW (https://twitter.com/kitconewsnow) Follow Josh Phair on X: @JoshPhilipPhair (https://twitter.com/JoshPhilipPhair) 01:09 - Precious Metals Insights 01:58 - Global Metal Flows and Economic Implications 03:49 - Impact of Tariffs and Trade Policies 08:29 - Retail and Institutional Demand for Precious Metals 16:16 - Supply Chain Challenges and Refining Bottlenecks 19:58 - Global Trade Dynamics and Tariff Risks 20:38 - Impact of Backlog on Miners 21:31 - Merchant Banking and Metal Trade 21:56 - Retail Level Supply Shock 23:10 - Comex and Metal Stockpiles 24:56 - BRICS and Gold Trade Strategies 29:26 - China's Role in Metal Wars 31:53 - Future of Gold Prices and Market Volatility __________________________________________________________________ Like, share, and subscribe to Kitco News—and turn on alerts to stay current with expert interviews, market insights, and breaking news coverage. FOLLOW US: X: https://x.com/kitconewsnow Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitconews Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KitcoNews LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kitconews Listen to the PODCAST on 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1My4WgtF0ZhUnxkxDLoJof 🎧 Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kitco-news/id1842889233 🎧 All podcast episodes available here → https://kitconews.buzzsprout.com Visit: https://Kitco.com/ for live gold, silver, and crypto prices, the latest mining news, and macroeconomic insights. Live gold price and chart: https://www.kitco.com/charts/gold Live silver price and chart: https://www.kitco.com/charts/silver Live crypto market data: https://www.kitco.com/price/crypto Learn more about Kitco News: https://www.kitco.com/news/about/ For more information on advertising, sponsorship and marketing promotions – please visit our online media kit at: https://www.kitco.com/advertising Disclaimer: The videos are not intended to provide trading advice, and the views expressed do not necessarily reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. Kitco News, its anchors, producers, and reporters are not responsible in any way for the performance or actions of any sponsor, advertiser or affiliate of Kitco News. In no event will Kitco and its employees be held liable for any indirect, special, incidental, or consequential damages arising out of the use of the content in this video.