LONDON, Sept. 24 (Xinhua) -- The UK manufacturers have become noticeably gloomier in September and expect output to contract at a fast pace in the coming quarter, the Confederation of British Industry(CBI) said in its report on Tuesday.
The CBI survey of 269 manufacturing firms found that 19 percent of them predict growth, and 38 percent expect a decline, the weakest expectations since April 2009.
Anna Leach, CBI Deputy Chief Economist, said: "Following a stabilization in last month's data, UK manufacturers have become noticeably gloomier in September. This likely reflects a combination of heightened Brexit uncertainty and the ongoing global slowdown in manufacturing."
"Each day of Brexit uncertainty sees firms forced to withhold key investment and recruitment decisions," said Tom Crotty, chair of CBI Manufacturing Council. "It is therefore crucial that no more time is wasted in ending the Brexit deadlock, and that a damaging no-deal cliff-edge is avoided at all costs."
UK economy grew by a surprising 0.5 percent in the first quarter of the year, boosted by stockpiling ahead of the original Brexit day on March 29. The economy contracted by 0.2 percent in second quarter as the drive to build stocks ahead Brexit unwound and car makers shut down factories to mitigate against Brexit in the spring.
Early indications of growth for the third quarter are subdued, with underlying momentum weak. At the same time, global growth is expected to slow as trade tensions continue to erode world trade flows, the CBI said.
