Industrial orders in the UK remain low – research

Companies expect prices to rise and production volumes to decline over the next three months

British industrial orders have fallen sharply again, with price pressures remaining high. This was reported by The Guardian, citing a report by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI).

The CBI’s industrial trends survey showed that order volumes in February were below average. Most companies expect prices to rise and production volumes to decline over the next three months.

In particular, according to the organization’s survey, the monthly balance of orders for manufacturers in February was -28, slightly higher than -30 in January, but significantly below the average of -14.

«Many companies continue to report customer restraint amid low confidence and increased cost pressures,» said Cameron Martin, senior economist at the CBI.

The survey was based on responses from 305 manufacturers received between January 26 and February 12.

Manufacturing accounts for about 9% of the country’s economy, and the Labour government has said that removing barriers to the sector’s expansion is a key priority.

In June 2025, the UK unveiled a new industrial strategy that will see £2 billion invested over the next four years to reduce energy costs for thousands of manufacturing businesses. However, this scheme will not be implemented until 2027, so the CBI believes it should be introduced earlier to help industry now.

It should be noted that industry groups recently warned that the UK’s plan to introduce its own cross-border carbon adjustment mechanism (CBAM) in 2027 has many shortcomings and could accelerate the decline of the country’s industry. Among other things, the associations are concerned about the possible advantages for foreign competitors.