In the final monthly survey of the year, confidence levels were at their highest level of the year having enjoyed positive ratings every month; order levels firmed somewhat with the gainers cohorts making up more than four in 10 of all businesses responding each month in the three-month period September to November and prospective future business as reflected in the enquiry levels looks set fair for a good start to 2018.
Martin Walder, EAMA chairman, says that companies will be able to build on this positive position if government provides an economic environment backed by a “clear, credible and confident vision” for the UK’s future engaging both immediate European neighbours and more distant markets.
He says: “To do this successfully requires us to face facts as the realities of the situation, not delude ourselves into believing they are other than the way they are. All of that requires hard work and detailed knowledge of technical standards and trading which various grouping such as our own are keen to make available to the relevant government departments so that the UK’s vision is rooted in the commercial realities upon which so many the of country’s businesses and jobs depend.
“In that regard it’s worth keeping in mind that less glamourous sectors like machinery, electronics and electrical actually bulk up into leading protagonists in the economy. For example, the near 17,000 companies in those three sectors turn over more than £70 billion a year, employ almost 400,000 people, pay wages and National Insurance totalling £17+ billion as well as business rates and other taxes of over £760 million.
“Most of the companies shape themselves and their output, which in the case of machinery, electronics and electrical totalled £27 billion added value in 2016 or approximately £70,000 for each employee, to meet the performance standards required to sell into the Single Market (including the UK) and of course all the other markets around the world that observe the same or similar standards. These standards are the bedrock of fair, free trade and guarantee clear choice for customers and their collaborative value chains and hence underpin international competitiveness.”
