Exports in construction tools rise
Exports are providing a vital lifeline for manufacturers of construction products, according to a survey released yesterday. The number of producers exporting constriction products rose by 18 per cent in the first three months of the year, the Construction Products Association said. Yet inflation is severely hitting the industry, with 95 per cent of firms reporting fuel, energy and raw material price hikes in the last year. Manufacturing input prices rose 17 per cent in the last year, the Office for National Statistics has calculated.