According to a report released by the UK's Office for National Statistics (ONS), in May this year the UK's seasonally adjusted production index of manufacturing was up by 0.4 percent compared to April, showing the first increase in this sector since December 2017. According to the ONS, in the March-May period of this year, the country’s seasonally adjusted production index of manufacturing fell by 1.2 percent quarter on quarter and increased by 1.5 percent compared to the same quarter of last year.
Meanwhile, in May the production index for basic metals and metal products decreased by 0.9 percent compared to the same month of the previous year and was down 1.7 percent compared to April. In the March-May period of this year, the production index for basic metals and metal products decreased by 4.9 percent compared to the previous quarter and increased by 1.8 percent compared to the same quarter of 2017.