Global Central Banks Flee US Gold Reserves Amid Geopolitical Unrest

Central banks around the world are moving large amounts of gold reserves out of the United States and Canada, citing growing geopolitical uncertainty. The Netherlands' central bank revealed that it had transferred approximately 86 metric tons of gold from the U.S. and Canada to London between March and August.

This move is not an isolated incident, as other European countries have also been transferring their gold reserves amid increasing global risks. France reduced its gold holdings in the U.S. by selling 129 metric tons stored in New York and purchasing a similar amount of higher-standard gold in Europe in 2025. Germany made a similar move years earlier, transferring hundreds of tons of gold from New York and Paris back to Frankfurt between 2013 and 2016.

London remains the primary destination for these gold transfers, with the Bank of England holding over £200 billion worth of gold bars. The bank serves as one of the world's largest gold custodians, storing hundreds of thousands of gold bars on behalf of central banks and governments worldwide.