Russian Central Bank Gold Reserves Top 214 Tons in 2017
Russia adds record amount of gold to reserves in 2017.
The Russian Central Bank announced this week that its gold reserves had reached 58.8 million troy ounces (approximately 1828 metric tons). The total included an additional 900,000 ounces (approximately 28 metric tons) of gold added in November.
Year to date, the Russian Central Bank has added over 6.9 million ounces or approximately 215 tons of gold to reserves. Over the past two years, Russia has led the world in adding gold to her central bank reserves, ahead of the People’s Bank of China, the central bank that has added the second largest of amount of gold.
The Central Bank of Russia added a record 208 tons of gold to reserves in 2015. In 2016, Russia added 199 tons of gold to her reserves.
In addition to increasing its gold hoard, Russia’s overall foreign reserves have grown from $371 billion in January 2016 to $432 billion as at November 31, 2017.
Russia’s gold purchases in 2017 of over 214 tons is a record.
As of November 31 2017, gold constituted about 17.6% of the Central Bank of Russia’s $432 billion reserves with her gold hoard valued at approximately $76.1 billion, up from $52 billion or 12% of overall reserves as at August 31, 2016.
U.S. Treasuries as Part of Russia’s Foreign Reserves
In January 2014, Russia’s U.S. Treasury position was $131 billion. In reaction to U.S. inspired sanctions being placed on her, Russia sold a substantial portion of her U.S. Treasury holdings. Russian U.S. Treasury holdings reached a low of $66.5 billion in April 2015. Since then Russia has added back a large portion of its U.S. Treasury holdings. As of October 2017, Russia held $105.0 billion in U.S. Treasury Securities.
As a result of Russia’s gold buying binge, Russia has vaulted into the top ten gold holding nations and is now the sixth largest.
Russian gold mining produces the second largest annual output in the world behind China. Russia adds a substantial percentage of its domestic mining production to her reserves. By retaining a large percentage of its gold mining output the Central Bank of Russia has been in effect converting Roubles into gold.
This article by BGASC is not, and should not be regarded as, investment advice or as a recommendation regarding any particular course of action.