India, April 24 -- UK manufacturing orders improved in April but export orders deteriorated sharply as tariff tensions escalate, the Industrial Trends Survey results from the Confederation of British Industry revealed on Thursday.
The total order books unexpectedly rose to -26 percent in April from -29 percent in March. The score was forecast to fall sharply to -36 percent.
However, the exports order books balance plunged to -41 percent from -29 percent. This was the weakest since December 2020 with the exception of November 2024, the survey showed.
"The wider geopolitical environment is becoming increasingly challenging for exporters, with export optimism falling sharply for a second successive quarter and export order volumes now hover...