UK Trade Balance Swings to Deficit While Construction Output Falls More than Expected
UK Industrial Output Rebounds More than Expected
Industrial production in the UK rose 0.5% month-on-month in February 2026, exceeding market expectations of a 0.2% increase and rebounding from a 0.1% fall in January. Output in mining and quarrying recovered sharply (3.9% vs -5.3% in January), driven by increased extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas (5.1%), while electricity, gas, steam, and air-conditioning supply expanded at a faster pace (1.5% vs 0%). However, manufacturing production edged down 0.1%, reversing a 0.2% rise in the previous month, mainly due to lower output of transport equipment (-2.1%), basic metals and metal products (-2.1%), and food products (-1.2%). Growth in water supply, sewerage, and waste management also slowed (0.2% vs 1.5%). On an annual basis, industrial activity decreased by 0.4%, after an upwardly revised 0.5% gain.
UK Construction Output Falls More than Expected
UK construction output dropped 1.0% year-on-year in February 2026, slowing from a revised 1.9% decline in the previous month but underperforming market estimates for a 0.5% fall. The latest reading marked the fourth straight month of yearly decline, with new work down for the fifth month running (-4.8% vs -6.0% in January) even as repair and maintenance activity accelerated (4.5% vs 4.0%). On a monthly basis, construction output grew 1.0%, accelerating from 0.5% growth in January and marking the second consecutive month of rise, amid increases in new work (1.0%) and repair and maintenance (0.9%). Over the three months to February, total construction output fell 2.0%, with new work dipping 3.4% while repair and maintenance showed no growth.
UK Trade Balance Swings to Deficit
The UK posted a trade deficit of £0.72 billion in February 2026, shifting from a downwardly revised surplus of £3.12 billion in the previous month, as exports fell while imports rose. Exports dropped 1.5% month-on-month to £80.20 billion, while imports grew 3.2% to a three-month high of £80.92 billion.
