Zut Alors! The Brits leapfrog the French to become the eight biggest manufacturer in the world, according to new figures from Make UK, the trade organisation representing the country’s manufacturers.

The latest figures published in Make UK’s annual report “Manufacturing – The Facts” are for 2021 and show that UK manufacturing output was worth some $272bn, compared to $262bn for France, but behind Italy in seventh position at $314bn. The data also shows that six of the top ten exports markets for UK goods are still in the EU and that the aerospace and transport sectors saw the biggest growth in exports. 

Separate data values UK manufacturing output for last year at ÂŁ224 billion. The North West of the UK is still the biggest manufacturing region by output with Wales enjoying the highest share of manufacturing.

Despite dramatic falls in Germany’s exports, the country remains Europe’s biggest exporter with manufacturing exports valued at $803bn, making it the fourth largest in the world.

To put this data in context, China is the largest manufacturing nation worth $4.9tn, followed by the United States $2.5tn and Japan $995bn. 

Make UK’s report stresses that Britain’s climb to eighth position has taken place twice previously since 2002 and is not due to any post-Brexit bounce. Indeed, it cautions reading too much into the figures as both the UK and France were suffering from the lockdown and post-pandemic logjams in the supply chains. Which is why Make UK continues to lobby the government to do more to help British manufacturers grow their businesses so that they contribute to at least 15 per cent of GDP – equivalent to a boost of £142bn to the UK economy – a strategy which would put us seventh with Italy.

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