Surprise rise in UK output

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} Industrial output in the UK rose unexpectedly in April, the first monthly increase since February 2008, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics.   Output rose by 0.3 percent from March, while analysts had been expecting it to fall by 0.1 percent.   Manufacturing rose 0.2 percent, which was also unexpected, but the sector may have been helped by the weaker pound improving competitiveness.   The ONS said six categories of factory production fell and seven rose on the month. The biggest output gain was in the production of cars and other motor vehicles, followed by chemicals and manmade fibers, and paper and publishing.   Transport equipment production is still down by 22 percent from a year earlier, officials said.   ÔÇ£Manufacturing has stabilized and all the indications are that we have passed through the worst phase of the recession, said Lee Hopley, head of economic policy at the engineering lobby EEF. ÔÇ£However, conditions remain patchy and it remains far too early to begin talking of a sustained recovery.ÔÇØ   Exports rose 0.6 percent on the month, while imports increased by 2.6 percent. To put things in perspective, however, industrial production was still 12.3 percent down on April 2008.   The ONS also said the UK's goods and services trade deficit with the rest of the world had widened to its largest since September last year. The total trade deficit was ┬ú3.014 billion in April, up from ┬ú2.716 billion in March.   The pound rose against the dollar for a third day on optimism the economy is emerging from recession.     *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á┬á *