2.3K
The Netherlands has relocated billions of dollars worth of gold reserves out of the United States and Canada, moving a larger share into the United Kingdom instead. The country’s central bank says the shift is meant to strengthen crisis preparedness, but the move has caught attention given the scale involved and the timing, coming at a moment of heightened tension between Washington and several of its trading partners.
How The Dutch Reserves Are Now Split
The Netherlands holds 612.4 tonnes of gold in total, worth close to 72.2 billion euros. Before this latest shift, the reserves were spread across Zeist, New York, Ottawa and London, with New York holding the largest single share. After the relocation, London’s share has climbed to just over 32 percent, while both New York and Ottawa now hold smaller portions than before. The transfer combined a sale of gold in New York with fresh purchases in London, alongside a direct physical shipment of bullion from the US and Canada into the Netherlands.
Why The Central Bank Made The Move
De Nederlandsche Bank has said the goal is to make its reserves easier to access and trade during a severe financial crisis, describing gold held in London as reinforcing trust in the country’s reserve position. The bank has stopped short of linking the decision to tensions with Washington, framing it instead as a matter of better geographic balance. Even so, the timing lines up with an ongoing tariff dispute between the US and Canada, as well as friction between the Trump administration and several European governments over trade, Greenland and the Iran conflict.
Other Nations That Have Made Similar Moves
The Netherlands is not the only country to have pulled gold out of American vaults recently. France’s central bank moved 129 tonnes of gold, worth about $17 billion, from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York back home earlier this year. Germany has also previously reduced its gold holdings in the US as part of a broader trend among European nations reassessing where they store their reserves.
Where The World’s Gold Reserves Currently Stand
The United States remains the largest holder of gold reserves globally at 8,133.4 tonnes, followed by Italy, China and Russia. India ranks fifth worldwide with 880.5 tonnes, ahead of Japan, Poland, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Khushi Patel is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX, covering automotive, technology, Lifestyle, entertainment, and mainstream news. She previously worked as a Copy Editor at Times Network and has written automotive editorial content, including comparison pieces, for TimesDrive.
