LONDON, Aug. 20 : British manufacturing output stabilized in the three months to August, according to figures published Tuesday by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).
CBI’s monthly Industrial Trends Survey showed that 15 percent of manufacturers reported total order books to be above normal, with 28 percent being below normal, bring a balance of negative 13 percent, less than the reading of negative 34 percent in July.
Meanwhile, 11 percent of firms revealed their export order books were above normal, compared with a 26 percent being below normal, giving a balance of negative 15 percent, also less than the number of negative 32 percent in July.
In terms of stockpiles, 18 percent of companies said their present stocks of finished goods were more than adequate, with only 4 percent saying they were less than adequate, sending a balance of positive 14 percent, slightly higher than the long-run average of positive 13 percent.
Anna Leach, the deputy chief economist in CBI, said: “Despite signs of stabilization in the data this month, UK manufactures remain on the receiving end of a double whammy: the slowdown in the global economy and Brexit uncertainty. “
“As we get closer to October, it’s crucial that the new prime minister secures a Brexit deal ahead of that deadline and gets on with pressing domestic priorities, from improving our infrastructure to fixing the apprenticeship levy,” Leach said.
Tom Crotty, chair of CBI Manufacturing Council, said: “relentless Brexit uncertainty has continued to be a millstone around the neck of manufacturing firms as we approach the end of the summer.”
Crotty said it was vital for the government to lift the burden by ending the Brexit deadlock, adding that “only then can our manufacturers turn their full attention to long-standing issues affecting the sector, such as solving the skills challenge and improving productivity.”
