SINGAPORE (July 26): Singapore’s manufacturing output fell 0.3% y-o-y in June, led by the decline in biomedical manufacturing output, according to the statistics provided by the Singapore Economic Development Board.

Without biomedical manufacturing, total output would have increased by 2.4%

On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, manufacturing output fell 2.5% during the month, and would have risen 1.8% if biomedical manufacturing was excluded.

Gains in manufacturing output were seen in the electronics and precision engineering clusters, while the rest of the clusters recorded lower output for the month.

The electronics cluster’s output increased 19.7% y-o-y, on the back of the 39.1% increase in output for the semiconductor segment, and an 11% output increase in the data storage segment. However, this was partially offset by declines in the rest of the electronic segments.

Precision engineering saw a 4.3% increase in output, due to the 8.9% growth in the machinery & systems segment arising higher export demand for semiconductor related equipment, as well as higher volume of mechanical engineering works.

Output at the general manufacturing industries cluster’s output fell 4.5%, as the miscellaneous industries output fell 13.2% on lower output of steel structural components and wooden furniture & fixtures. The printing segment had also fallen 15.3% as it recorded weaker demand for commercial printing.

In the chemicals cluster, output declined 5.1%, despite the increased output for the petroleum and specialties segments. The overall decline was due to the other chemicals and petrochemicals segments, which fell 3% and 14.6% respectively on the back of plant maintenance shutdowns.

Output of the biomedical manufacturing cluster fell 10.2%, as the output from the pharmaceutical segment fell 15.3% from a different mix of active pharmaceutical ingredients being produced, as well as lower output of biological products. The decrease from the pharmaceutical segment offset the 10.2% output increase in the medical technological segment.

In the transport engineering cluster, output fell 17.2%, as the land transport and marine & offshore engineering segments posted declines of 20.5% and 32.1% respectively. The offshore engineering segment had been impacted by lower volumes of rig-building activity and weak demand for oilfield & gas field equipment as oil prices remained low. The aerospace segment, however, grew 21.8%, on the back of more engine repair jobs from commercial airlines.