The ceramics industry appears less fragile than you might think at first glance, with British manufacturing booming. Employing more than 22,000 people in the UK and an increase of 44% in economic output over the previous decade – the future should be bright for British ceramics.
Should being the operative word.
The government is considering plans to slash import tariffs to zero in the event of a no-deal Brexit. This could spell disaster for the UK’s ceramics industry, with the domestic market being opened up to drastically cheaper imported goods from the rest of the world. India, for instance, produced 12.9% of the world’s total ceramics output in 2018.
To quash such a promising industry in the midst of its rise would be a blow for the 22,000 people whose jobs would be at risk.
No final decision has been made – much like with everything else Brexit related.
Despite being around for more than 12 millennia, the sector is thriving, and the UK in particular is experiencing somewhat of a renaissance.
In real terms, the sector’s economic contribution has increased by some 44% over the past decade.
