The impact of Brexit: Asian edition

For the majority of businesses in Britain the possibility the UK might leave the European Union - Brexit - is an important issue. The break with the EU and the uncertainty associated with it would raise important questions for business.

Much has been written on the economic consequences for the UK. Very little has been written on the consequences for the rest of the EU. Even less has been written about the issues that businesses outside of Europe - but with European interests - should be considering.

This report seeks to address this gap by systematically assessing the impact of Brexit on both the UK and the rest of Europe. It also identifies some of the issues that matter most for Asian firms that trade and invest in Europe.

At the heart of this analysis are seven channels of impact. For each we consider the impact on the UK and on the rest of the EU. We also assess the specific ways in which different EU member states are exposed through these channels.

We conclude that while the biggest impact of Brexit would be on the UK, there can be little doubt there would also be a significant wider impact. Businesses in Asia that trade and invest in Europe should consider now the potential impact on them.