Dutch Central Bank Moves 86 Tonnes Of Gold From North America To London Amid Global Unrest

Dutch Central Bank Moves 86 Tonnes of Gold From North America to London Amid Global Unrest The Dutch central bank has moved 86 metric tonnes of its gold reserves from the United States and Canada to London, describing the relocation as part of efforts to strengthen its preparedness for a potential crisis amid increasing geopolitical unrest. De Nederlandsche Bank DNB announced on Wednesday that the transfer took place between March and August 2026, involving gold previously held in New York and Ottawa. The bank said the move was designed to improve the liquidity and tradability of its gold reserves, allowing the assets to be deployed more quickly if a major crisis occurs. According to DNB, London is the world’s leading trading centre for physical gold, while gold held at the Bank of England meets international trading standards and can be accessed more readily during an emergency. Before the relocation, 31.3 per cent of Dutch gold reserves were held in New York and 19.7 per cent in Ottawa. Those shares have now fallen to 18.5 per cent each. Meanwhile, the share of Dutch gold held in London has increased from 18.1 per cent to 32.1 per cent, making the UK capital the largest single location for the Netherlands’ gold reserves. About 30.8 per cent remains stored in the Netherlands. The DNB said more than 27 tonnes of gold were physically transferred from the United States and Canada to its heavily secured facility in Zeist, Netherlands. A similar amount was subsequently moved from Zeist to London. The remaining portion of the relocation was carried out through financial transactions, with approximately 59 tonnes of gold sold in New York and an equivalent amount purchased in London. DNB Governor Olaf Sleijpen said the bank does not expect to need to deploy the reserves but stressed the importance of strengthening the country’s resilience and preparedness.The Dutch central bank currently holds 612.4 tonnes of gold, valued at approximately €72.2 billion ($83.6 billion) at the end of 2025. DNB said the total size of its gold reserves has not changed as a result of the relocation. Instead, the move was aimed at creating a more balanced geographical distribution and reducing risks associated with holding large reserves in fewer locations. The decision comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions globally and growing concerns among central banks about financial and economic risks during periods of instability.