Brink's Precious Metals Solutions

Gold, silver, platinum, and other precious metals move through more borders, hands, and vaults than almost any other commodity. Every single handoff is another point of vulnerability. Our goal is to provide personalized solutions that help you protect, grow, and enhance your brand reputation.

Brink’s Global Services. The gold standard for precious metals security and logistics.

78 bonded vault and warehouse locations across six continents

Secure transport, storage, and end-to-end logistics across more than 150 countries

165+ years of secure logistics experience 

How Brink's secures precious metals shipments from mine to market

From the moment metal leaves a mine, refinery, or trading desk to the moment a sale is settled, here’s how Brink’s keeps it secure:

1. Brink’s takes custody under armed, secure protocols

Trained crews pick up the shipment at the mine, refinery, or vault, so ownership and condition are documented before the metal moves.

2. Armored vehicles and vetted carriers move the shipment under all-risk insurance

Every leg of transit, whether by road, air, or sea, carries coverage against loss or damage, not just theft.

3. Brink’s clears the shipment through customs using our global network

Brink’s manages documentation and clearance across borders, so metal isn’t sitting in a holding pattern.

4. The shipment moves into a bonded warehouse in a free trade zone

High-security vaulting and on-site fulfillment keep product duty-deferred and ready to move.

5. Brink’s handles pick-and-pack under inventory management

Orders ship to buyers, refiners, or other vaults without the metal changing custodial hands outside the Brink’s network.

6. Reporting and documentation close the loop

Brink’s tracks shipment status and documentation against the terms of the buyer’s letter of credit. Brink’s also logs every pickup, transfer, and delivery, so you have a single source of truth.

Precious metals theft is soaring, and transit is where it happens

Precious metals move through the same networks that organized cargo theft rings are increasingly targeting. In the second quarter of 2026, metal theft incidents climbed from 54 to 80 YOY, part of a larger surge that pushed total cargo theft losses to more than $304 million in three months. Industry analysts say metals and high-value tech items are the main cargo categories being targeted because they’re easy to resell and hard to trace once they leave a documented chain of custody. For gold, silver, and other precious metals shipments, the exposure skyrockets when there’s any gap during transit.

Source: Verisk, “Cargo Theft Losses More Than Double to $304 Million in Q2”

What a gap in your supply chain actually costs you without Brink’s

Shipments go dark in between checkpoints

Without continuous tracking, a delay at customs or a missed handoff looks the same as a loss, but you won’t know which it is until it’s too late.

Duty gets paid before the sale is finalized

Storing metal outside a bonded, free trade zone facility means tax exposure on inventory that hasn’t sold yet, tying up your capital.

A letter of credit stalls on missing paperwork

When no one is tracking shipment status against the buyer’s LC terms, payment on an international sale can sit for weeks over a documentation error.

What changes when Brink's enters the picture

Every handoff is tracked and documented

Real-time visibility follows the shipment from pickup through delivery, so you know where your metal is and what stage it’s in without waiting on carrier updates.

Transit risk is mitigated and fully covered

Armored vehicles and all-risk coverage protect the shipment against loss, damage, and theft across every leg of the trip, whether it’s on the road, in the air, or by sea.

Inventory is duty-deferred until it’s ready to move

Bonded warehousing in free trade zones keeps metal available for resale or refining without triggering duties on product that hasn’t sold, with on-site fulfillment ready when it’s time to ship.

Orders go out without adding a chain of custody gap

Pick-and-pack and distribution services stay within Brink’s custodial network, so fulfillment to buyers or refiners doesn’t mean handing the metal to someone outside the chain of custody.

International sales close on schedule

Letter of credit monitoring keeps shipment documentation aligned with the buyer’s terms, so payment isn’t delayed by a mismatch that no one caught in time.

One partner, end-to-end solutions across the precious metals supply chain

We provide a fully integrated, end‑to‑end solution that manages your valuables and sensitive cargo from aircraft arrival all the way to final delivery.

Combining airport handling, secure airport‑based storage, expert customs clearance, and global transportation, including armored movements and Brink’s Connect for LVP, our service ensures safety, compliance, speed, and total chain‑of‑custody control.

Talk to a Specialist

Who relies on Brink’s for precious metals logistics?

Brink’s precious metals solutions work for organizations that can’t afford a gap in custody or documentation anywhere in the supply chain.

Metal needs a documented, insured path from the mine or refinery to the next stage of the supply chain, without exposing it to unnecessary risk in transit.
Positions move across borders and counterparties fast, and every transfer needs to be tracked and insured to protect the trade, not just the metal. 
Bullion held for the long term needs vaulting that’s secure, insured, and verifiable, without requiring the owner to manage logistics directly.

More Brink’s expertise to explore

Precious metals logistics is just one part of a broader Brink’s Global Services portfolio that secures high-value goods across various industries.

Diamonds and Jewelry

From mine to market, Brink’s ensures your goods move through the world with unmatched security and expertise.

Electronics

We offer smart solutions for smart devices and other high-value electronics to help you protect and grow your brand.

Pharmaceuticals 

CEIV Pharma-certified transport and storage for temperature-sensitive, regulated shipments that can’t afford a break in the chain of custody.

Financial Institutions

We handle sorting, wrapping, packing, and counterfeit detection across multiple currencies.

Frequently Asked Questions

A bonded warehouse is a secure facility located in a free trade zone where imported goods can be stored without paying duties until they’re sold, moved, or processed further. For precious metals, that means inventory can sit ready for resale or refining without tying up capital in taxes on unsold product.

All-risk coverage protects a shipment against loss or damage across the full transit route, not only theft. Specific terms and exclusions are set out in the applicable policy and service agreement, and your account team can walk through what applies to your shipments.

Brink’s tracks a shipment’s status and documentation against the terms specified in the buyer’s letter of credit, flagging any gap before it becomes a delay. That keeps international sales moving toward payment instead of stalling over missed documentation.

Yes. Brink’s Global Services operates across a global network of vaults and logistics partners, with customs and compliance support built for cross-border metals shipments.

Yes. Every pickup, transfer, and delivery is logged and reportable, giving your finance and compliance teams a documented record to reconcile against contracts, letters of credit, and internal audits.

Gold star security for precious metals at every stage of the journey

Talk to a Brink’s specialist about a precious metals logistics program customized to your volume, your routes, and your markets.


Call 804-289-9600 to contact a Brink's specialist today.

TALK TO AN EXPERT