AMSTERDAM: (News Desk) – The Dutch central bank has transferred 86 tonnes of gold from reserves held in the United States and Canada to London, citing growing geopolitical uncertainty and the need to strengthen its ability to deploy its reserves during a crisis.
The De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) said on Wednesday that gold stored in London can be traded more easily than reserves held in New York and Ottawa. This, the bank said, would allow it to mobilize the assets more quickly if required.
DNB President Olaf Sleijpen said the move was intended to improve the availability of the country’s gold reserves and strengthen financial resilience and preparedness.
The Netherlands held a total of 612.4 tonnes of gold, valued at approximately €72.2 billion at the end of 2025.
More Dutch Gold Now Held in London
Before the latest transfer, 31.3 percent of Dutch gold reserves were held in New York, while 19.7 percent were stored in Ottawa.
Following the restructuring, the share held in each of those locations has fallen to 18.5 percent.
Meanwhile, London’s share has increased substantially, rising from 18.1 percent to 32.1 percent of the Netherlands’ total gold holdings.
The Dutch central bank continues to hold 30.8 percent of its gold reserves within the Netherlands.
Physical Gold Transfer
The DNB said the operation involved a combination of buying and selling gold as well as the physical movement of bullion.
More than 27 tonnes of physical gold were transported from the United States and Canada to Zeist in the Netherlands. At the same time, an equivalent amount was moved from Zeist to London.
According to the central bank, this arrangement avoided the need to melt down existing gold bars.
DNB said combining financial transactions with physical transportation helped spread the risks associated with moving a large volume of bullion.
The decision comes amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty, with central banks around the world increasingly examining the location, accessibility and resilience of their reserve assets.
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