Two-Fifths of US Businesses Seek Exit From UK Over Brexit - Survey

Almost 40 percent of US businesses want to move their base of operations from the United Kingdom, while half want to abandon future business with the United Kingdom in favor of business with the European Union, due to economic uncertainty cast by the Brexit decision, UK media reported Wednesday, citing a survey.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — The survey conducted by Gowling WLG, an international law firm, revealed that investments decisions of two-thirds of US firms have already been affected by the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union, the Independent newspaper reported.

"The strong UK-US trade relationship that has been carefully nurtured over the past fifty years is in serious jeopardy… Concerns that Brexit will have an effect on current investment decisions mean this needs addressing now, not later," the law firm's head of EU, Trade and Competition Bernardine Adkins said, as quoted by the newspaper.

The report added that the firms most likely to relocate are from the food and beverage, life sciences, and finance categories.

On June 23, the United Kingdom voted in a referendum to leave the European Union. UK Prime Minister Theresa May has said that the country would trigger Article 50 by the end of March 2017, thus kick-starting withdrawal negotiations.