In the face of rising energy prices, coupled with political and economic uncertainty, the latest Contract Manufacturing Index (CMI) reveals that the UK subcontract manufacturing market held steady in the third quarter of the year. The CMI for Q3 2022 was 102, compared with 101 in Q2 2022, an increase of 1%. Overall the market was marginally up on the average level of activity during 2021.

In Q3 2022, machining accounted for 39% of the total market with fabrication making up 54%. Other processes, such as moulding and assembly accounted for the remainder. Commenting on the figures, Karl Wigart, owner of CMI producer Qimtek, says: “Although the overall figures suggest that the market has steadied, there is still a lot of turbulence and uncertainty out there. September was slow across all categories and, while October is much better, we still have many buyers who are waiting for clarification.”
For further information www.qimtek.co.uk