The figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that the largest contribution to the decrease in manufacturing came from the manufacture of basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations, which decreased by 6.5%, having increased in the previous month by 9%.
In the three months to May 2016, production and manufacturing were 8% and 4.9% respectively below the level they reached in the pre-downturn gross domestic product (GDP) peak in Quarter 1 (Jan to Mar) 2008.
Meanwhile, the ONS said the deficit on trade in goods and services in May 2016 was £2.3 billion, compared with a deficit of £2bn in April 2016. The trade position reflects exports minus imports; the widening of the deficit was attributed to a decrease in both exports and imports between April 2016 and May 2016.
Between April 2016 and May 2016, total exports decreased by £2bn to £43.1bn (4.4%); this decrease comprised a £2.1bn (8.2%) fall in the exports of goods and a £0.1bn (0.7%) rise in the export of services. Total imports decreased by £1.7bn to £45.4bn (3.5%) over the same period, reflecting a £1.6 billion decrease in imports of goods.
The deficit on trade in goods was £9.9bn in May 2016, widening by £0.5bn from April 2016. This widening reflected a decrease in exports (down £2.1bn to £23.7bn) and a decrease in imports (down £1.6 billion to £33.5bn).
Exports of goods to EU countries decreased by £0.3bn between April 2016 and May 2016 with imports of goods from EU countries increasing by £0.1bn to £18.8bn in May 2016.
Between April 2016 and May 2016, exports of goods to countries outside the EU decreased by £1.8bn.
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