Good morning from the MTA Team. We have various updates this week around the announcements on the English lockdown and the financial support that the Government has put in place as a result.
We cover the extension of the Job Retention Scheme - this article also includes a note about the various loan schemes which have also been extended - and the lockdown regulations themselves as they affect companies in the manufacturing industry and its supply chain. Following on from this, our partners at Croner are holding the next in their series of webinars on HR and employment law in a couple of weeks and we have details of the contents and how to register in an article below.
Brexit news this week focuses on an update on the new immigration rules. We have also been working on our guidance for the UKCA/CE mark and there will be an update on this with some more FAQ’s (and their answers) next Friday. Also around Brexit, we highlight a session in the forthcoming BSI conference that will focus on the new regulatory framework, including marking requirements.
The MTA Business Survey for October has been running all week but there is still time for you to let us have your input via the web-site at www.mta.org.uk/mta-business-survey-sep20.
There is news of a couple of exhibitions this week. The largest event in China, CIMT, is taking place next April and we have some space left in the UK pavilion - see below for details. The other event, due to be held next week in Taiwan is going on-line and access details for this are highlighted in a separate article.
The main economic news this week was the PMI data for manufacturing which showed a generally positive trend both overall and compared to September, but with some exceptions. The UK was one of a handful of countries where the PMI fell in October but our reading was still indicating growth in activity, just at a slower pace; there were a few countries (and the ASEAN region) where the PMI remains below 50 which suggests that the manufacturing sector is still contracting.
In other economic news, we have a note about the interest rate and other decisions from the MPC this week, a look at UK productivity in the 2nd quarter and the latest data set for the Contract Price Adjustment Service which we provide for members.
Finally, following on from the piece about the Lloyds Bank International Trade Portal last week (see https://www.mta.org.uk/resources/lloyds-bank-international-trade-portal-0 if you missed our piece about this valuable resource) we have news of the EU’s Access2Markets Portal which has a range of information about exporting from and importing to the EU, including a page about Brexit.
With that, we will wish you a good weekend and, until we return next Friday with more news for and about the manufacturing technology industry, stay safe and keep well.
