Dutch central bank shifts billions in gold to London in ‘crisis preparedness’ move

The Dutch central bank has shifted a significant portion of its gold reserves from North America to London, citing the need for "crisis preparedness" amid global political instability. The bank moved 86 metric tons (94.8 tons) of gold to London from a total of 313 metric tons (345 tons) previously held in New York and Canada. New York held 31.3% of the Dutch gold reserves, while Ottawa accounted for 19.7%.

Following the transfer, both cities now hold 18.5% of the country's gold reserves. The Dutch central bank owns 612.4 metric tons (675 tons) of gold, valued at 72.2 billion euros ($83.6 billion) at the end of 2025. "With this relocation, we have improved the tradability of our gold reserves," said the bank's governor, Olaf Sleijpen.

"We expect that we will never need to use them, but we do need to strengthen our resilience and preparedness." The physical transfer of 27 metric tons (30 tons) of gold to the Dutch bank's secure vault near Zeist, followed by a similar quantity transferred back to London. The remaining gold was moved by selling around 59 metric tons (65 tons) in New York and using the proceeds to purchase gold in London.