Singapore’s manufacturing output up 10.2 pct in March year-on-year
SINGAPORE, April 26 (Xinhua) — Singapore’s manufacturing output increased 10.2 percent year-on-year in March, said the country’s Economic Development Board (EDB) on Wednesday.
Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output grew 12.4 percent in March, said EDB in the press release. On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, manufacturing output increased 5.0 percent compared to the previous month. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output expanded by 0.3 percent.
As for performance by cluster, the output of electronics cluster increased 37.7 percent year-on-year in March. EDB said this was mainly attributed to the semiconductors segment, posting a robust growth of 54.6 percent. The other electronic modules and components as well as data storage segments also grew 15.8 percent and 10.5 percent respectively.
EDB said the precision engineering cluster expanded 12.8 percent year-on-year in March, with both segments registering output growth. The precision modules and components segment grew 15.7 percent with higher output of dies, molds, tools, jigs and fixture, optical instruments and metal precision components. Output of the machinery and systems segment posted increased 11.2 percent, on the back of higher export demand for semiconductor related equipment.
The chemicals cluster expanded 3.5 percent year-on-year in March, according to the press release. Petroleum and petrochemicals segments grew 6.7 percent and 6.4 percent respectively, and specialties segment output grew 5.8 percent with higher production of additives for mineral oil. On the other hand, the other chemicals segment contracted 4.1 percent with lower output in fragrances.
The output of biomedical manufacturing cluster grew 2.0 percent in March compared to the same period a year ago, said EDB. The medical technology segment grew 16.7 percent on the back of higher export demand for medical devices but this was offset by decline in the pharmaceuticals segment.
In contrast, the output of general manufacturing industries cluster contracted 5.1 percent year-on-year in March. EDB said the food, beverages and tobacco segment grew 4.5 percent, but growth was moderated by declines in the miscellaneous industries and printing segments.
Output of the transport engineering cluster fell 15.6 percent year-on-year in March. The land transport and aerospace segments expanded but this was offset by contraction in the marine and offshore engineering segment which declined by 30.6 percent with a lower level of rig-building activity and lackluster demand for oilfield and gasfield equipment.