Gold Shortage Coming? Why $82 Billion Left London Ahead of Trump Tariffs
Gold Shortage Coming? Why $82 Billion Left London Ahead of Trump Tariffs
Daniela Cambone: 2-7-2025
A dramatic shift is occurring in the global gold market as a significant amount of bullion, estimated at $82 billion, is being withdrawn from the vaults of the Bank of England and shipped across the Atlantic to New York.
This exodus raises questions about the stability of London as a gold trading hub and highlights growing anxieties surrounding potential trade disruptions.
The primary driver behind this movement appears to be the looming threat of new tariffs on gold imports into the United States. According to veteran gold market analyst Adrian Day, as interviewed by Daniela Cambone on ITM Trading, the fear is that a future Trump Administration could impose hefty tariffs on gold coming from Europe and Britain.
“No one wants to import gold from Europe or Britain… if there’s a 10 or 20 or 30 percent tariff, no one’s going to do that,” Day explained.
Traders are preemptively relocating their gold reserves to the U.S. in anticipation of these potential levies, effectively stockpiling the precious metal within American borders.
This mass migration could temporarily create premiums due to supply and demand imbalances. However, Day emphasizes that this is likely a short-term phenomenon and won’t fundamentally alter the long-term demand or price of gold.
He believes that more significant drivers are at play, including continued central bank buying, robust consumer demand from China, and the potential for a weakening U.S. dollar. These factors, he argues, will continue to underpin gold’s value regardless of short-term tariff-related fluctuations.
While Day believes the tariff-driven gold shift is a noteworthy development, he is far more concerned about the overall health of the U.S. stock market.
He paints a concerning picture, stating that the market is in a “very dangerous situation” with what he describes as “the worst breadth in its history.” This suggests a growing divergence between the performance of a few mega-cap stocks and the overall market, potentially indicating a bubble waiting to burst.
The current gold rush from London to New York, fueled by fears of impending tariffs, underscores the sensitivity of global markets to political uncertainty and potential trade wars.
While the shift may create temporary market distortions, experts like Adrian Day believe that the long-term fundamentals driving gold demand remain strong. However, his warnings about the U.S. stock market’s fragility should serve as a reminder that macroeconomic risks extend beyond the precious metals market.
The coming months will be crucial in determining whether these fears materialize and how the global economy will respond.