U.K. Urges Fix for Brexit Threat to $137 Trillion of Derivatives

The U.K.’s top financial regulators called for lawmakers on both sides of the Channel to defuse the threat posed by Brexit to 96 trillion pounds ($137 trillion) worth of derivatives contracts.

Ensuring the contracts can be serviced after Brexit is among the most urgent issues facing European markets, Sam Woods, head of supervision at the Bank of England, and Financial Conduct Authority chief Andrew Bailey told lawmakers in London on Thursday. At risk are 26 trillion pounds in over-the-counter derivatives and 70 trillion pounds in contracts settled at central clearinghouses, according to the BOE.