French central bank nets €13bn by pulling gold out of US reserves

https://www.rfi.fr/en/france/20260404-french-central-bank-nets-%E2%82%AC13bn-from-us-gold-sale-consolidates-reserves-in-paris

Posted by NLegendOne

26 Comments

  1. The Banque de France nets €12.8 billion by repatriating its gold from the United States

    The BdF sold the last 129 tonnes of gold it held at the New York Fed (about 5% of French reserves) between July 2025 and January 2026, replacing them with higher quality bars meeting international standards, purchased on the European market.

    * €12.8bn capital gain thanks to record gold prices over the period, through 26 transactions
    * France’s 2,437 tonnes of gold reserves (4th largest in the world) are now entirely held in Paris
    * 134 tonnes of older bars and coins still need to be brought up to standard by 2028
    * Governor Villeroy de Galhau states this was not a political decision
    * In Germany, voices are calling for the repatriation of the 1,236 tonnes still stored at the Fed (~37% of German reserves), citing Trump’s unpredictability
    * This capital gain contributed to the BdF’s €8.1bn net profit in 2025, after a €7.7bn loss in 2024

  2. Beneficial-Space3019 on

    Let’s gooo! Hopefully the rest of the world will follow suit. Trump and his administration can f**k off (to borrow one of Trump’s own used words from yesterday!).

  3. The “not a political decision” framing when we all know it’s absolutely that haha

  4. Xibalba_Ogme on

    There’s an administration that openly talks about stealing money from the EU (Using PURL money to resplenish their stocks), that publicly said they may not deliver submarines to Australia tho Aussies paid, that made a point of taking Venezuela’s oil and has a boner for Iranian oil

    Pulling gold out of US reserves is the best way to ensure they won’t “seize it because you guys don’t pay enough for NATO”

  5. Miss-Information_ on

    Clever. When Germany did this in the early ’00 it was a multi-year logistical nightmare. France just said ‘fuck it’ and sold their gold in the US at three all-time high, and bought new gold in Europe. 

  6. Gold as an element doesn’t really change much so what does the new international standard for higher quality bars actually mean?

  7. HettySwollocks on

    Good work to Le France. Hopefully the rest of Europe does the same.

    I’m curious if the UK holds any gold in the US given their own vaults.

  8. MercantileReptile on

    Now, based decision and all, but really quick:

    >Villeroy de Galhau

    is an epic name for a Governor.

  9. Pretty much anyone should get their gold away from the pedophile because something might happen to it and you’ll read he found billions under his bed.

  10. StomachNecessary5512 on

    All European countries should move their stored gold in the US to their own country or Canada

  11. stupendous76 on

    It wouldn’t be the first time the French are ahead of something big happening.