Growth in the UK manufacturing sector, which hit near-record levels earlier in the year, slowed in April, according to the CIPS/Markit purchasing managers index.
While exports continued to show strong growth, weaker domestic demand affected overall growth rates. As a result, the UK manufacturing PMI eased to 54.6.
David Noble, chief executive at the Chartered Institute of Purchasing & Supply, said: “The outlook for UK manufacturing is definitely bleaker than it was at the start of the year. The sector was racing ahead just a few months ago but there are now clear signs that it is running out of steam. While the sector is still growing at a relatively healthy rate it is now so reliant on exports for growth that we have to be concerned about how sustainable this is.”
