The De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) the Dutch central bank has reallocated 86 tonnes of its official gold reserves from storage vaults in the United States and Canada to the Bank of England in London.
The Dutch central bank, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) has relocated 86 tonnes of gold reserves from the United States and Canada to London citing growing global geopolitical tensions and the need for quicker access to its assets during a potential financial crisis.
The operation which was carried out between March and August 2026 significantly reduces the percentage of Dutch gold held in North American vaults while doubling the country’s reserves stored in the British capital.
DNB explained that storing a larger portion of its reserves at the Bank of England allows the country to mobilize and trade its physical gold much faster if needed. London serves as a primary global hub for bullion trading, whereas assets kept in New York and Ottawa are harder to move quickly during an emergency.
DNB President Olaf Sleijpen emphasized that while the central bank does not expect to use the gold, shifting the reserves is a necessary measure to strengthen national resilience and crisis preparedness.
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The relocation altered the overall geographic distribution of the Netherlands’ 612.4 tonnes of gold reserves, valued at approximately €72.2 billion. Reserves held in New York fell from 31.3% to 18.5% while Canadian holdings in Ottawa dropped from 19.7% to 18.5%. Conversely, the share of Dutch gold stored in London increased from 18.1% to 32.1%, while DNB continues to store 30.8% of its total gold holdings locally in the Netherlands.
To manage security and financial risks, the bank executed the transfer through a combination of market transactions and physical transport. DNB bought and sold 59 tonnes directly across overseas markets, while physically shipping over 27 tonnes of bullion bars from North America to its domestic vault in Zeist before transferring an equivalent amount to London.
