De Nederlandsche Bank moves 86 tonnes of gold from North America to London to improve crisis preparedness
De Nederlandsche Bank moved 86 tonnes of gold from the United States and Canada to the Bank of England in London between March and August this year. The central bank of the Netherlands announced that the move was intended to improve the country's crisis preparedness and ensure that reserves are more readily available for use during geopolitical unrest. Gold held in London is considered the world's most easily tradable gold, making it faster to deploy in a crisis situation compared to gold held in New York and Ottawa. The bank utilized a combination of methods to relocate the gold, including selling 59 tonnes in New York and repurchasing the same amount in London, while physically shipping 27 tonnes from the US and Canada to the Dutch town of Zeist and then to the UK. The move follows a trend of gold repatriation by other European central banks. France and Germany have also moved significant portions of the gold reserves they held in North America to home shores. Experts suggest the decision may reflect growing European concerns regarding the international reputation of the United States and the potential for the administration to use stored gold as a strategic asset.
Sources
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Why are European countries moving their gold out of North America?
BBC
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‘Not normal behavior’: De Nederlandsche Bank reallocates gold from U.S.
Fortune
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Why the Netherlands pulled 86 tonnes of gold from US central bank
ABC News & Headlines – Australian Broadcasting Corporation