According to the CBI’s latest Industrial Trends Survey (ITS), UK manufacturing output volumes fell in the three months to May, extending a period of flat or falling volumes that began in late 2022. Manufacturers also anticipate output volumes falling again in the three months to August. Cameron Martin, CBI Senior Economist, said: “Against an increasingly uncertain global backdrop, the conflict in the Middle East is feeding through to higher energy costs and renewed supply chain disruption, adding another layer of challenges for manufacturers, who are already grappling with weak demand.” To read the CBI’s news release, go to https://www.cbi.org.uk/media-centre/articles/manufacturing-order-books-at-their-weakest-since-2020-cbi-industrial-trends-survey-may-2026/.