Dutch central bank shifts 86 tonnes of gold to London for crisis preparedness

The Dutch central bank announced on September 2, 2026, that it has transferred 86 metric tonnes of its gold reserves from the United States and Canada to London in a move described as a measure to enhance crisis preparedness and tradability. The operation, which took place between March and August of this year, relocated more than a quarter of the gold the bank had previously held in North America. The De Nederlandsche Bank, or DNB, stated that the transfer was prompted by the need to strengthen its resilience amid growing geopolitical unrest. Governor Olaf Sleijpen emphasized that the action was not an indication the reserves would be used. "We assume that we will never need to deploy the gold, but it is nevertheless necessary to strengthen our resilience and preparedness," Sleijpen said in a written statement. The bank explained that gold held at the Bank of England in London meets modern international trade standards and is considered the world's most easily tradable, making it more readily available in a potential crisis compared to reserves held in New York or Ottawa. The relocation was executed through a combination of methods to manage risk.