Manufacturing output continues to expand

Manufacturing performance is at an eight-year high, car sales are accelerating and demand for UK exports is growing. Is UK manufacturing making a comeback?

Manufacturing output grew for a fourth consecutive month, its best sustained performance for eight years, the Office for National Statistics said yesterday.

The sector's contribution to UK economic growth was one per cent higher than the same period last year, undermining perceptions that the UK manufacturing base is dwindling.

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“The increase partly reflects the hunger of accelerating European economies for British exports,” reported the Daily Telegraph.

One notable growth area is the automotive sector where, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, sales of new cars last month were up 4.9 per cent on 2006.

Read the Daily Telegraph’s report on the latest manufacturing data.