This study aims to analyse the potential relationship between single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in trace element related metabolic genes GSTM3, GSTP1, GPX1 and NKG2D and the risk of gastric cancer. A case-control study was conducted in the hospital of Xianyou, Fujian, China. In this study, a total of 299 patients with histopathological diagnosis in gastric cancer and 295 healthy control subjects were involved. Association between the SNPs in trace element-related metabolic genes and gastric cancer risk was analysed using the unconditional logistic regression model. No relationship was found between the SNPs of GSTM3 and GPX1 genes and gastric cancer risk. However, the risk of gastric cancer is related to the SNPs of NKG2D gene (rs1049174). Patients who carry the rs1049174 GG genotype have a higher incidence of the gastric cancer and a multivariate odds ratio (OR) of 1.85 (95% confidence intervals (CI): 1.02-3.38). Through haplotype analysis, two haplotypes (i.e. A_rs1746123-T_rs10431294-G_rs1049174 and T_rs1746123-T_rs10431294-C_rs1049174), OR of 0.29 (95% CI: 0.15-0.56) and 0.33, (95% CI: 0.22-0.50), respectively, were found to have lower incidence of gastric cancer. Meanwhile, another two haplotypes (T_rs1746123-C_rs10431294-C_rs1049174 and T_rs1746123-T_rs10431294-G_rs1049174), OR of 1.81 (95% CI: 1.40-2.34) and 3.09 (95% CI: 2.30-4.16), respectively, were found to have a higher incidence of gastric cancer. Further, no influence of the haplotype on the risk of cardia gastric cancer was found. However, the haplotype T_rs1746123-T_rs10431294-C_rs1049174 had lower incidence of noncardia gastric cancer by 46%. Our data showed that polymorphisms of trace element-related metabolic genes are important in gastric cancer pathology.