The worsening economic outlook has dented manufacturers’ confidence across most UK regions over the last three months, according to the latest Regional Trends Survey published by the CBI and Experian.

But, while there was a downturn in sentiment across most regions, Welsh firms bucked the trend with an upturn in confidence about the general business situation and for export prospects in the year ahead.

At a national level, the volume of total new orders was stable over the past quarter but the regional picture was mixed. In six regions total new orders fell, notably in the South West and South East.

By contrast, in Wales total orders surged to record the strongest gain since 1995. They also improved markedly in Northern Ireland and modest increases were seen in Scotland and the West Midlands.

Helped by the weaker pound, manufacturers saw an improvement in exports across the majority of regions. Firms in Wales reported the most positive growth in export orders since the survey began, Yorkshire & the Humber also reported a strong increase, as did Scotland, the West Midlands and South West. Only the North West and East Midlands saw marked falls in export demand.

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