- Annual output worth £192 billion to the economy overall
- Exports to EU more than double the value of those to the US
- Manufacturing still in the driving seat when it comes to exports and R&D
- World’s 10th largest exporter and 7th largest for trade
- Average pay in manufacturing remains significantly higher than services and economy overall
- UK remains in top ten manufacturing nations at ninth place
According to ‘UK Manufacturing: 2019/20 The Facts’, the annual analysis of the sector published by Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation and Santander, whilst the United States is the single biggest export market for UK manufactured goods and services, worth £118.2bn (1), exports to the top seven EU markets alone amounted to £236.5bn in the same period (£256.1bn including Switzerland).
Broken down by sector the export picture of manufactured goods is dominated by transport (25.5%) and pharmaceuticals and chemicals (17.9%). They highlight the importance of these high value added sectors to the success of UK industry overall, particularly in aerospace and automotive.
The importance of transport and pharmaceuticals and chemicals is also reflected in contributions to business R&D where they accounted for almost 70% of the total spend between them.
The transport sector also led the way in export growth increasing by 7.4%, largely on the back of aerospace, closely followed by food and drink which increased exports by 5.3%.
The analysis by Make UK and Santander shows that manufacturing remains central to the success of the economy overall, accounting for two thirds of overall R&D, 45% of exports, 15% of business investment and 2.7m high value jobs which are better paid than the economic average.
The analysis challenges the myth that manufacturing jobs are badly paid with the average salary of £33,592, compared to £29,832 for the whole economy and significantly above services at £29,014.
By sector size, Food and Drink remains the single biggest contributor to GVA with 15.1%, worth roughly £73.1 billion, closely followed by transport (14.9% worth £72.1bn) and pharmaceuticals and chemicals (14.2% worth £68.7bn).
Commenting, Seamus Nevin, Chief Economist at Make UK, said:
“These figures lay bare the overwhelming importance for manufacturers of trade with our closest market and the need to avoid imposing any barriers which will make this more difficult.
“Whilst the United States remains the biggest market and, presents significant opportunities for export growth, it is a fallacy to believe that geography is not the biggest factor driving trade. For UK manufacturers access to their biggest market must be a premium.
“The figures also provide an important reminder that we’re still one of the top ten biggest manufacturing nations and we want to see policy makers working with industry to help move UK manufacturing up the rankings.”
Paul Brooks, UK Head of Manufacturing, Santander, commented:
“The UK has always punched well above its weight when it comes to exports and it’s vital this trend continues – jobs across the UK count on it.
“While we are helping businesses build strong trade links with partners around the world, the message from manufacturers is clear: Europe must remain a strong trade ally. We’ll continue to support the UK to hold its position as a major global economy and exporter.”
- Ends -
Notes to editor
1. All figures are taken from official data in the period from May 2018 to May 2019
About Make UK
Make UK, the manufacturers’ organisation, is the representative voice of UK manufacturing, with offices in London, Brussels, every English region and Wales.
Collectively we represent 20,000 companies of all sizes, from start-ups to multinationals, across engineering, manufacturing, technology and the wider industrial sector. We directly represent over 5,000 businesses who are members of Make UK. Everything we do – from providing essential business support and training to championing manufacturing industry in the UK and the EU – is designed to help British manufacturers compete, innovate and grow.
From HR and employment law, health and safety to environmental and productivity improvement, our advice, expertise and influence enables businesses to remain safe, compliant and future-focused.
About Santander UK
Santander UK is a financial services provider in the UK that offers a wide range of personal and commercial financial products and services. It has brought real competition to the UK, through its innovative products for retail customers and relationship banking model for UK SMEs. At 30 June 2019, the bank has around 24,000 employees. It serves around 15 million active customers, via a nationwide branch network, telephone, mobile and online banking; and 62 regional Corporate Business Centres. Santander UK is subject to the full supervision of the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) in the UK. Santander UK plc customers’ eligible deposits are protected by the Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS) in the UK.
About Us
Banco Santander (SAN SM, STD US, BNC LN) is a leading retail and commercial bank, founded in 1857 and headquartered in Spain. It has a meaningful presence in 10 core markets in Europe and the Americas, and is the largest bank in the euro zone by market capitalization. At the end of June 2019, Banco Santander had EUR 1.03 trillion in customer funds (deposits and mutual funds), 142 million customers, 13,000 branches and 200,000 employees. Banco Santander made underlying profit of EUR 4,045 million in the first half of 2019, an increase of 2% in constant euros compared to the same period last year.
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