Dutch central bank De Nederlandsche announced on Wednesday that it completed a multi-month operation to shift 86 metric tons of its gold reserves from North America to London, aiming to enhance liquidity and crisis readiness amid growing global tensions.
The transfers which were executed between March and August, drew down holdings stored in vaults at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Bank of Canada in Ottawa.
The metal was relocated to the Bank of England, positioning the British capital as the primary overseas custodian of Dutch sovereign bullion.
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Before the reshuffle, the Netherlands kept 31.3% of its foreign reserves in New York and 19.7% in Ottawa and following the adjustment, both North American facilities now hold an equal 18.5% share.
London’s allocation on the other hand expanded from 18.1% to 32.1% whereas the central bank retained 30.8% of its total 612.4-ton stockpile at its domestic Cash Centre near Zeist.
Central bank leaders noted that bullion stored in London meets international trade standards, making it far easier to trade or deploy immediately during severe market disruptions compared to assets kept across the Atlantic.
To complete the complex migration without destabilizing global markets, financial authorities used a dual approach.
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Officials sold roughly 59 metric tons in New York and simultaneously purchased a matching quantity meeting London market specifications and the remaining 27 metric tons were physically shipped across the Atlantic Ocean to the Zeist facility before being dispatched onward to the Bank of England.
Bank officials framed the decision as a risk-diversification move to improve resilience and strengthen emergency preparedness during heightened geopolitical friction.
Overall reserves maintained by the institution were valued up to €72.2 billion ($83.6 billion) at the end of 2025.
Although European central bank leadership expressed hope that the reserves will remain untouched, positioning the wealth in London ensures the assets can be mobilized rapidly if systemic economic risks materialize.