Dutch central bank shifts billions in gold reserves from North America to London
The Netherlands' central bank moved about 86 metric tons of gold from New York and Ottawa to London and a domestic vault, citing crisis preparedness amid global political unrest.
The Dutch central bank said it has transferred roughly 86 metric tons of gold from its holdings in New York and Ottawa to a vault in London and to a secure facility near Zeist in the Netherlands. The move, carried out between March and August, is described by the bank as part of “crisis preparedness” in response to heightened global political tensions.
Before the relocation, the bank held about 313 metric tons of gold abroad, with 31.3% stored in New York and 19.7% in Ottawa. After the transfer, each North American site now holds 18.5% of the total foreign-held gold. The bank’s total gold stock stands at 612.4 metric tons, valued at approximately €72.2 billion ($83.6 billion) at the end of 2025.
“With this relocation, we have improved the tradability of our gold reserves,” Governor Olaf Sleijpen said in a written statement. “We expect that we will never need to use them, but we do need to strengthen our resilience and preparedness.”
More than 27 metric tons were physically moved from the United States and Canada to the Zeist vault, while a comparable amount was then shipped to London. The remaining portion of the shift was achieved by selling about 59 metric tons in New York and using the proceeds to purchase gold in London.