Financial News: UK Manufacturing Orders Improve In April

UK Manufacturing Orders Improve In April

04/24/2025 - 07:08:00 (RTTNews)

(RTTNews) - UK manufacturing orders improved in April but export orders deteriorated sharply as tariff tensions escalate, the Industrial Trends Survey results from the Confederation of British Industry revealed on Thursday.

The total order books unexpectedly rose to -26 percent in April from -29 percent in March. The score was forecast to fall sharply to -36 percent.

However, the exports order books balance plunged to -41 percent from -29 percent. This was the weakest since December 2020 with the exception of November 2024, the survey showed.

"The wider geopolitical environment is becoming increasingly challenging for exporters, with export optimism falling sharply for a second successive quarter and export order volumes now hovering around post-pandemic lows," CBI Lead Economist Ben Jones said.

"Firms are already feeling the cumulative burden of rises in NICs and the National Living Wage - and tariffs represent another headwind for the business sector," the economist added.

Jones urged the government to view every decision through the lens of kick starting growth and incentivizing investment.

The survey showed that output volumes were broadly unchanged in the quarter to April and a net 5 percent of firms expect volumes to drop in the three months to July.

The business sentiment continued to weaken in April, with the index falling to -33 percent from -47 percent in January.

Further, numbers employed declined at the fastest pace since October 2020. The corresponding index slid to -16 percent from -8 percent. Manufacturers expect numbers employed to drop again in the quarter to July.

The index measuring average costs rose to 48 percent in the quarter to April from +43 percent in January.

Manufacturers expect to reduce spending on buildings, plant and machinery, product and process innovation, and on training and retraining. Respondents cited uncertainty about demand, inadequate net returns and labor shortages as major factors constraining capital expenditure.

For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com

Market News provided by RTTNews

RECENT INTERNATIONAL FINANCIAL NEWS

Eurozone Growth Outlook Downgraded; Disinflation To Proceed More Swiftly: EU (01 hr(s), 05 min(s), 31 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Eurozone economic growth outlook was downgraded substantially for 2025 due to the impa ...Full Story»

Malta HICP Inflation Rises To 2.6% (01 hr(s), 40 min(s), 31 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Malta's EU measure of inflation accelerated further in April to the highest level ...Full Story»

Eurozone Inflation Steady At 2.2% (04 hr(s), 30 min(s), 31 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Eurozone consumer prices logged a steady growth in April, final data from Eurostat sho ...Full Story»

Spain Trade Gap Widens In March (05 hr(s), 0 min(s),31 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Spain's foreign trade deficit increased notably in March from a year ago, as impor ...Full Story»

Slovakia HICP Inflation Eases To 3.9% (05 hr(s), 51 min(s), 31 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Slovakia's EU measure of inflation eased in April to the lowest level in four mont ...Full Story»

Austria Inflation Confirmed At 3.1% (06 hr(s), 22 min(s), 31 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Austria's consumer price inflation rose slightly as initially estimated in April, ...Full Story»

China Industrial Output Growth Tops Expectations; Retail Sales Disappoint (06 hr(s), 35 min(s), 31 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - China's industrial production increased more than expected in April despite trade ...Full Story»

Japan Tertiary Activity Falls 0.3% (07 hr(s), 45 min(s), 31 sec(s) ago)
(RTTNews) - Japan's tertiary activity index decreased for the first time in five months in Mar ...Full Story»