Scottish manufacturers see bright outlook for 2013

CBI Scotland’s latest industrial trends survey, released yesterday, showed an improvement in exports in the past three months, as well as a pick-up in business optimism.

The report coincided with official figures showing a rise in the country’s manufacturing export sales in the opening three months of the year.

Sales of goods abroad grew by 2.5 per cent, driven by food and drink and by the combined petroleum, chemical and pharmaceutical sectors – two of Scotland’s largest export areas. But, over the year to 31 March, the volume of exports dipped by 1.4 per cent.

CBI Scotland director Iain McMillan said the business group’s survey pointed to increased optimism and a “continuing trend of exports from Scotland performing fairly well”.

But he warned: “Manufacturing industry in Scotland still faces a difficult economic environment in home markets, although the survey suggests the situation may be improving.”

Finance secretary John Swinney said that the manufacturing export figures showed “Scotland’s food and drink sector is continuing to perform well and it is clear that many countries have developed a taste for Scottish goods”.

But “challenging global economic conditions, particularly in the eurozone, continues to make it a testing time for Scotland’s exports”, he added.

A wider CBI survey of almost 400 companies from across the UK – some ten times more than the Scottish sample – highlighted a pick-up in new manufacturing orders.

It showed optimism regarding export prospects both grew for the second quarter in a row.