Dutch central bank moves gold from North America to London

The Dutch central bank (DNB) said on Wednesday it had moved 86 metric tons of gold from North America ‌to London over the past six months to be better prepared for a potential crisis amid rising geopolitical tensions. The transfer moved 27.5% of the gold that the DNB had previously held in New York and Ottawa to the Bank of England.

"In view of increasing geopolitical unrest, DNB is strengthening its ‌crisis preparedness," the bank said. "Gold that is held with the Bank of England is regarded as the world's most easily tradable ‌gold and will therefore be the most readily available in a crisis situation," it added.

DNB President Olaf Sleijpen said there was a need "to strengthen our resilience and preparedness" although the central bank did not expect to use its reserves. The BoE stores gold for central banks and is in London, home to the world's largest over-the-counter gold trading ⁠hub, where participants ​trade directly with one another rather ⁠than via an exchange.

BoE Governor Andrew Bailey said last year that "if you want to be involved in that market and you want to trade and use your gold, you ⁠really need to have it in London". The BoE did not immediately reply to a request for comment on Wednesday.

The move comes months after the Bank ​of France upgraded 129 tons of bullion held in New York, or about 5% of France's total gold reserves, by selling older ⁠bars and buying bars that meet international standards between July 2025 and January 2026. France stored the new bars in Paris rather than New York. Governor Francois Villeroy de Galhau ⁠said ​in March that the decision was not politically motivated.

The Dutch transfer was carried out by selling about 59 tons of gold in New York and buying gold in London that meets the BoE's market standards. In addition, 27 tons of gold were physically moved from North America ⁠to the Netherlands, while an equivalent amount meeting BoE standards was transferred from the Dutch vault in Zeist to London.

The final step avoided the ⁠need to remelt gold bars, ⁠DNB said. The transfer did not change the size of the Dutch gold reserves, which remained at 612.4 tons.

The Netherlands now holds 32% of its gold in London, almost 31% domestically and 37% split evenly between New ‌York and Ottawa. ($1 = 0.8639 ‌euros)