Chart Of The Day: Gold To Be Boosted By Russia, China Pivot Away From Treasurys

 | Sep 10, 2019 13:52

Why have China and Russia — America's two biggest opponents in trade and global dominance — been amassing gold? Might they be planning to dump U.S. Treasurys?

China’s gold reserves now stand at more than 1,950 tons. Russia has more than 2,200 tons, the fifth largest stockpile by country — and is set to take fourth place, surpassing France. China is currently in sixth place.

Both countries are engaged in lingering disputes with the U.S.: China over trade, and Russia as the subject of sanctions. They both also oppose the U.S. in global affairs and have long been irked by American dominance in terms of the U.S. dollar, necessary for reserves as well as global transactions. Indeed, China began to take steps to inch into the U.S. currency’s global dominance when it launched yuan-denominated oil futures contracts.

Meanwhile, Russia’s Treasury holdings have fallen to a 12-year low, and China’s to a two-year low. Also, the dollar has fallen to 61. 9% of global reserves, its lowest since 2013, according to the IMF. Global central banks have been reducing dollar holdings since the global trade war to limit their dependency on U.S. policy.

Despite many claiming China couldn’t possibly dump its Treasury holdings as part of the trade war, the odds for that scenario materializing are increasing steadily.