The Dutch central financial institution introduced Wednesday that it has moved billions of {dollars} price of its gold reserves out of North America in a transfer it described as “disaster preparedness” in a time of worldwide political unrest.
It stated that between March and August, some 86 metric tons (94.8 tons) of gold have been transferred to London from the mixed whole of round 313 metric tons (345 tons) held in New York and Ottawa, Canada.
A view of the manufacturing of silver granules and gold ingots in Krasnoyarsk, Russia on June 16, 2026.
Alexander Manzyuk/Anadolu through Getty Photos
Earlier than the transfer, New York housed 31.3 per cent of the Dutch gold and Ottawa held 19.7 per cent. After the transfer, each cities now maintain 18.5 per cent, the financial institution stated.
The financial institution owns 612.4 metric tons (675 tons) of gold that was price 72.2 billion euros (about $83.6 billion) on the finish of 2025.
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“With this relocation, we’ve improved the tradability of our gold reserves,” the financial institution’s governor, Olaf Sleijpen, stated in a written assertion. “We count on that we’ll by no means want to make use of them, however we do have to strengthen our resilience and preparedness.”
Greater than 27 metric tons (30 tons) of gold have been “bodily transferred” from the US and Canada to the Dutch financial institution’s closely guarded vault on a army base close to the central city of Zeist, the financial institution stated, with out elaborating on precisely how the gold bars received throughout the Atlantic Ocean. The same amount of gold was transferred from Zeist to London.
The remainder of the relocation was achieved by promoting round 59 metric tons (65 tons) of gold in New York and utilizing the proceeds to purchase gold in London.
The Dutch financial institution, recognized by its acronym DNB, stated that gold held on the Financial institution of England “should meet fashionable worldwide commerce requirements and is thought to be the world’s most simply tradable gold and can subsequently be essentially the most available for DNB in a disaster scenario.
The gold reserves held in New York and Ottawa can’t be utilized as rapidly and straight in such a scenario.”
© 2026 The Canadian Press