Manufacturers' export order books were fuller in December than for nearly three years and output is expected to grow for the first time in almost a year, according to the latest CBI monthly industrial trends survey published yesterday.
The employers' organisation said UK manufacturers were still struggling but it was clear the global recovery was filtering through and conditions were gradually improving.
Of the 886 firms answering the survey, 11 per cent said their export order books were above normal, while 32 per cent said they were below normal. The balance of minus 21 per cent compares with minus 27 in the November survey. It means export orders were still below normal in December but were at their highest level since January 2001.
