Manufacturing output increased by 11.8% in January 2010 on a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output increased 0.8%. On a year-on-year basis, manufacturing output increased 39.4% in January 2010. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output increased 36.2%. On a three-month moving average basis, total manufacturing output in January 2010 increased 12.8% compared to the corresponding period last year.

The output of the electronics cluster turned in strong growth of 80.6% in January 2010 on a year-on-year basis. This was due to higher demand for chips used in consumer electronics, coupled with the low base last year when the global economic downturn depressed demand for electronics. Amongst the segments, the semiconductors segment posted the largest gain, as it grew 105.0%, followed by the other electronic modules & components segment which expanded 90.8%.

Output of the biomedical manufacturing cluster increased 48.4% year-on-year in January 2010. The pharmaceuticals segment increased 51.1% with higher production of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Output of the medical technology segment also rose 12.0% on the back of higher demand for medical equipment. 

Output of the precision engineering cluster increased 37.4% year-on-year in January 2010. The precision modules & components segment grew 45.8% while the machinery & systems segment expanded 28.3% due to increased demand for equipment supporting the semiconductor industry.

Output of the general manufacturing industries increased by 20.2% year-on-year in January 2010. All segments within the cluster registered positive growth in view of higher demand as well as the low base in January last year when the economic environment was weak. In particular, the miscellaneous industries and the printing segments grew 27.8% and 17.6% respectively.

The chemicals cluster’s output expanded 17.8% year-on-year in January 2010. The petrochemicals, specialties and other chemicals segments posted strong growth in January 2010, attributed mainly to the low base effect a year ago when producers reduced production to manage inventories on the back of weak market demand. The specialties and petrochemicals segments grew by 46.5% and 45.2% respectively. On the other hand, the petroleum segment declined 16.3% on the back of weak refining margins.

The transport engineering cluster’s output declined by 13.4% in January 2010 compared with the same month last year. All segments experienced contraction, apart for the land transport segment which grew 23.6%. Output of the aerospace segment inched down 0.9% while the marine and offshore engineering segment contracted 26.7% on the back of lower percentage of completion for marine and offshore projects and fewer ship conversion projects.

The next monthly manufacturing performance media release will be issued on 26th March 2010.

Editors’ Note: Updates on Monthly Manufacturing Output are available on
http://www.news.gov.sg  and http://www.sedb.com

For media enquiries, please contact
Mr Alex Tan
(Tel: 68326284 / Handphone: 98410392 / Email: alex_tan@edb.gov.sg)

For further information, please contact
Mr Chong Tse Ming
(Tel 68326677 / Handphone: 91547959 / Email quin_chong@edb.gov.sg)