SINGAPORE: Singapore’s manufacturing output declined 5.5 percent in November on a yearly basis, said the country’s Economic Development Board (EDB) on Thursday.
Excluding biomedical manufacturing, manufacturing output fell 6.4 percent year-on-year, according to an EDB press release.
On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, manufacturing output decreased 3.6 percent in November compared with the previous month. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, the output fell 1.0 percent.
The transport engineering cluster’s output declined 11.2 percent in November year-on-year, weighed down by the marine and offshore engineering and land transport segments. However, the aerospace segment recorded an increase of 17.6 percent, on account of more engine repair jobs.
The electronics cluster also saw a decrease of 11.1 percent year-on-year. The other electronic modules and components segment, and the data storage segment grew by 37.1 percent and 7.1 percent respectively, while the rest of the electronics segments declined.
Output of the precision engineering cluster decreased 4.3 percent. The machinery and systems segment fell 0.8 percent due to lower demand for back-end semiconductor equipment, hydraulic equipment and mechanical engineering works. The precision modules and components segment fell 8.3 percent as there was lower production of industrial rubber, metal precision components and dies, moulds, jigs and fixtures.
For the general manufacturing cluster, output fell 4.3 percent on a yearly basis, with the miscellaneous industries and printing segments recording output declines of 7.3 percent and 7.5 percent respectively. In contrast, the food, beverages and tobacco segment increased 2.7 percent because of festive demand.
Output of the biomedical manufacturing cluster fell 1.3 percent on a year-on-year basis, with the medical technology segment growing 25.4 percent, but this was offset by a 9.0 percent decline in the pharmaceuticals segment.
The chemicals cluster’s output increased 11.6 percent year-on-year. The petroleum and petrochemicals segments grew 20.9 percent and 12.2 percent respectively due to the low base effect last year as some plants shut down for maintenance. The specialties segment grew 12.2 percent on the back of expanded production, while the other chemicals segment declined 6.0 percent because of lower demand for glass products.
