Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on December 17, 2025
1 min readLast updated: January 20, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleUK industrial orders fell slightly in December, marking the smallest decline since September. The CBI reports improved output expectations despite ongoing economic challenges.
LONDON, Dec 17 (Reuters) - British industrial orders fell again in December but by the smallest amount since September, while the expected decline in output was also less severe, the Confederation of British Industry said on Wednesday.
The CBI's monthly order book balance rose to -32 in December from -37 in November after weakening in the run-up to finance minister Rachel Reeves' November 26 budget. But the index level remains well below its long-run average of -14.
Export orders fell by the smallest amount since July.
"Activity was clearly held back by uncertainty ahead of the Budget, and with that now out of the way firms can look to 2026 with a little more certainty," CBI economist Ben Jones said.
Output expectations for the next three months also rose to their highest since September.
"Significant headwinds remain nonetheless, with demand still soft, high energy, labour and regulatory costs squeezing margins, and uncertainty around key policies and global conditions continuing to weigh on confidence," Jones added.
(Reporting by David Milliken; editing by Suban Abdulla)
The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is a UK business organization that represents companies and advocates for policies to support economic growth and business interests.
Industrial orders refer to requests for goods and services from manufacturers, indicating demand levels in the industrial sector and influencing production planning.
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