Manufacturing output increased 24.3% in April 2010 on a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output rose 3.5%. On a year-on-year basis, manufacturing output increased 51.0% in April 2010. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output grew 31.0%. On a three-month moving average basis, total manufacturing output in April 2010 increased 39.2% compared to the corresponding period last year.
 

Output of the biomedical manufacturing cluster surged 95.8% year-on-year in April 2010, driven mainly by the 101.7% jump in the pharmaceuticals segment. The growth in the pharmaceuticals segment was largely attributed to a different production mix in the active pharmaceutical ingredients. The medical technology segment edged up 2.2%.  Cumulatively, output of the cluster grew 54.9% in the first four months of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009.

The electronics cluster’s output grew 60.0% in April 2010 on a year-on-year basis. The semiconductors segment posted strong growth of 97.8% as global demand for electronics remained strong. The other electronic modules & components, infocomms & consumer electronics and computer peripherals segments also recorded output growth of 34.1%, 8.7% and 7.5% respectively. For the first four months of 2010, cumulative output of the electronics cluster was 67.6% higher than the same period last year.

Output of the precision engineering cluster expanded 56.2% in April 2010 year-on-year. The machinery & system segment rose 70.8%, spurred by strong demand for semiconductor related equipment worldwide. Higher demand for metal stampings, bearings and metal & plastic precision parts also lifted the precision modules & components segment to a growth of 41.8%. For the first four months of 2010, output of the precision engineering cluster grew 50.3% compared to the corresponding period in 2009. 

The chemicals cluster’s output increased 24.8% year-on-year in April 2010. The strong growth was due in part to new capacity coming online, as well as low base of production last year amidst the global economic downturn. Within the cluster, all segments recorded higher output, with significant gains made in the petrochemicals, specialty chemicals and other chemicals segments. Cumulative output of the chemicals cluster for the first four months of 2010 was 18.7% higher than the same period in the previous year. 
 

Output of the general manufacturing cluster increased 17.0% year-on-year in April 2010, with all segments registering growth. Cumulative output of the cluster in the first four months of 2010 rose 16.0% compared to the output during the same period last year.
 

The transport engineering cluster’s output declined 23.2% in April 2010 on a year-on-year basis. The aerospace segment fell 5.5% while the marine & offshore segment declined 39.3%. The decline in the marine & offshore segment was due to fewer ship repair and conversion jobs, and also partly due to the high base in April last year. Cumulatively, output of the cluster contracted 16.3% in the first four months of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009.
 

The next monthly manufacturing performance media release will be issued on 25th June 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)