Business & Finance
European central banks withdraw gold reserves from United States vaults
European central banks are shifting bullion reserves out of US vaults, according to Deutsche Welle.
The short version
- The Dutch central bank transferred approximately 86 tonnes of gold from New York to London to bolster crisis readiness amid geopolitical unrest.[Deutsche Welle]
- France extracted all remaining gold reserves from the New York Federal Reserve between July 2025 and January 2026, though officials denied political motivations.[Deutsche Welle]
- Politicians in Germany and Italy are calling for their nations' gold to be removed from the US amid unpredictable policymaking.[Deutsche Welle]
- Analysts note the primary concern is temporary asset inaccessibility in extreme geopolitical scenarios rather than outright seizure.[Deutsche Welle]
Key facts
- The Dutch central bank relocated roughly 86 tonnes of gold from New York to London citing crisis preparedness and geopolitical unrest.[Deutsche Welle]
- France completed the removal of all its remaining gold holdings from the New York Federal Reserve between July 2025 and January 2026.[Deutsche Welle]
- Politicians in Germany and Italy have called for repatriating their countries' US-held gold reserves.[Deutsche Welle]
- Global central banks accumulated an average of 1,000 tonnes of gold annually over the past four years, double the average of the previous decade.[Deutsche Welle]
What remains uncertain
- Whether other major European holders such as Germany and Italy will formally act on political calls to withdraw their US-stored gold reserves remains unconfirmed.[Deutsche Welle]
Sources
Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.
- Why are European banks moving their gold out of the US?Deutsche Welle