Trade War Fears Hit UK Manufacturing Sector

UK manufacturing output fell during the first quarter of the year for the first time in a decade, as fears over a global trade war and rising taxes hit firms. Output fell one per cent in the first three months of 2025 after a 20 per cent rise in the quarter before, with UK orders dropping seven per cent, according to data from industry body Make UK. “Albeit the sector wide contraction is only minor, the negative balance at the start of a year is an ominous one,” said the industry body. Make UK is now forecasting that the manufacturing…