Brexit scares the Americans (a tad)

Washington looks overseas: the possibility of Great Britain’s leaving the EU is a far off threat, but shouldn’t be taken lightly. The central problem is that the extent of the potential damage is unknown. In fact, there are a number of unknowns concerning the referendum that will decide the future of the United Kingdom’s relationship to Europe, and the uncertainty is causing deep consternation among European Union policy makers. From the economic impact to the diplomatic fallout, from the effect on trade to global balances of power, there are few clear answers. Wall Street and Washington are monitoring the situation very closely and, some would say, also interfering in a way that is not reassuring for Britain nor for the rest of the world.

What is the real probability that the UK will decide to leave the European Union? The United States bank Citigroup has estimated the chances of a Brexit at between 30% and 40%.

While still not likely, that level of probability is not low enough to be ignored, and companies involved in fields ranging from finance to political analysis are making preparations in London, as well as in Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, New York and Washington. 

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