Finance
UK Industrial Orders Remain in the Doldrums, Cbi Says
Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 19, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 3, 2026
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Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 19, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 3, 2026
Add as preferred source on GoogleUK industrial orders stayed weak, with the CBI order book balance at -28 in February after -30 in January. Price expectations eased to +26 from +29 as factories face high energy costs, trade headwinds and elevated interest rates.
LONDON, Feb 19 (Reuters) - British industrial orders have fallen heavily again and price pressures remain high, the Confederation of British Industry said on Thursday.
The CBI's monthly order book balance stood at -28 in February compared with -30 in January. The index level remains well below its long-run average of -14.
Britain's manufacturers - who account for about 9% of British economic output - have had to contend with a surge in energy costs, the fallout from U.S. President Donald Trump's trade tariffs and high interest rates.
The survey's gauge of expected prices stood at +26 having risen to +29 in January, the highest reading since February 2023 when Britain was suffering from an energy price shock following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
Cameron Martin, CBI senior economist, said many firms reported their customers were still cautious due to low confidence and the strong cost pressures.
The survey was based on responses from 305 manufacturers received between January 26 and February 12.
(Writing by William Schomberg; editing by Suban Abdulla)
The CBI’s February 2026 Industrial Trends Survey shows UK industrial orders remain weak, with the order book balance at -28 and price pressures still elevated.
Orders improved slightly from -30 in January to -28 in February, but the level remains well below the long‑run average of -14, indicating continued weakness.
Expected selling prices registered +26 in February, easing from +29 in January. While off the peak, this still signals persistent cost and inflation pressures.
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