Manufacturing industry in the UK is showing encouraging signs after a two-month slump in order books, according to a new report.
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) said total order books had returned to August's levels and export orders were now at their highest for nearly a year and a half.
But the employers' organisation tempered its optimism with a warning that order books remained below normal levels and pricing conditions were expected to become tougher in the next three months.
Reporting on its monthly industrial trends survey, the CBI said 37 per cent of the firms polled recorded total order books below normal levels, with 13 per cent above normal.
Tuesday November 25, 2003
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