McDowell Weighs in on Countries Using Gold to Avoid Sanctions in Kitco Article

January 26, 2023

Kitco

Daniel McDowell

Political Science Department

Comparative Politics/International Relations Speaker Series

Economic Policy

International Affairs

Kitco

Daniel McDowell

More and more countries are looking at gold again due to the fear of sanctions and the growing trend around de-dollarization. This is especially the case with countries that want more freedom and flexibility when trading goods to bypass the U.S. dollar, which some view as having strings attached, according to analysts.

"Gold has become an attractive hedge against sanctions risk for central banks at risk of such penalties. While there are limitations to gold's usefulness compared to, say, U.S. Treasuries, its unique appeal is found in its physical form, unquestioned value, and the ability to store bars in national vaults, safe from foreign seizure," says Daniel McDowell, associate professor of political science.

Read more in the Kitco article, "Are countries 'sanction-proofing' with the latest central bank gold purchases?"