CBI survey reveals increased demand for UK-made goods

Of the 485 companies that responded to the latest CBI monthly Industrial Trends Survey, 21 per cent of manufacturers said that total orders were above normal and 34 per cent said they were below. The resulting balance of -14 per cent is the highest since August 2008 (-13 per cent) and a slight improvement on July’s balance of -16 per cent.

Some 24 per cent of respondents reported exports to be above normal and 24 per cent below normal, which gives a balance of -1 per cent, compared with -12 per cent in the July survey.

With overall demand for UK-made goods continuing to improve, manufacturers expect production to rise further over the next three months. Some 30 per cent predict that output will increase, while 20 per cent anticipate a fall. The resulting balance of +10 per cent is an improvement on expectations in July (+6 per cent), with predictions for manufacturing production edging higher after weakening over the past two months.