UK Manufacturing Orders Fall in August: CBI

The UK’s total order book balance dropped to -33 in August 2025, down from -30 in July and missing expectations of -28, the CBI Industrial Trends Survey showed.

Manufacturing output fell sharply in the quarter to August after being broadly flat in July, with further declines expected through November.

Total and export order books were below “normal” and long-run averages, while stocks of finished goods remained adequate but below historic norms.

Price inflation expectations eased to +9%, the weakest since October 2024.

Output fell across 14 of 17 sub-sectors, notably chemicals, paper, printing & media, and metal products.

CBI Lead Economist Ben Jones noted that rising costs, cautious customers, weak demand, trade frictions, and policy uncertainty are pressuring margins and orders.

He emphasized that the Autumn Budget is crucial for restoring business confidence through tax certainty, energy cost support, and industrial strategy implementation.