Dutch Central Bank Shifts Billions in Gold to London Amid Global Unrest
The Dutch central bank has relocated some of its gold reserves to London in a move aimed at improving 'crisis preparedness'.
In a statement, the bank's governor Olaf Sleijpen said that with this relocation, they have improved the tradability of their gold reserves. They expect never to need them, but believe it is essential to strengthen resilience and preparedness.
The bank moved 86 metric tons (94.8 tons) of gold from its combined total of around 313 metric tons (345 tons) held in New York and Ottawa between March and August. This was done by selling some of the gold in New York and using the proceeds to buy gold in London, as well as physically transferring some gold across the Atlantic.
Gold held at the Bank of England is seen as more easily tradable than that held in North America, which cannot be utilized as quickly or directly. The Dutch bank now holds 18.5% of its gold reserves in both New York and Ottawa, down from 31.3% and 19.7% respectively.
The total value of the relocated gold is around $83.6 billion based on its worth at the end of 2025. The Dutch bank owns a total of 612.4 metric tons (675 tons) of gold, valued at €72.2 billion.