Manufacturing output increased 5.2% in May 2010 on a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output rose 0.1%. On a year-on-year basis, manufacturing output increased 58.6% in May 2010. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output grew 30.6%. On a three-month moving average basis, total manufacturing output in May 2010 increased 53.7% compared to the same period last year.

Output of the biomedical manufacturing cluster expanded 117.0% year-on-year in May 2010. The strong performance was largely attributed to the pharmaceutical segment which grew 121.8% in May, on the back of a high value-added product-mix. For the first five months of 2010, biomedical output grew 78.0% compared to the same period a year ago.

Output of the electronics cluster increased 51.8% in May 2010 on a year-on-year basis. All segments within the cluster recorded higher output due in part to strong export demand and a low production base during the economic downturn last year. Within the cluster, the semiconductors segment grew 69.0% while the computer peripherals and other electronic modules & components segments expanded 34.4% and 29.7% respectively. On a year-to-date basis, electronics output was 64.3% higher than that recorded in the same period last year. 

Output of the precision engineering cluster expanded 40.5% year-on-year in May 2010. Strong demand for semiconductor related equipment and industrial refrigerating and air-conditioning parts & equipment fueled the machinery & system segment to a gain of 55.2% in May. On a similar note, higher production of dies & moulds, connectors and metal & plastic precision parts, resulted in an increase of 28.2% in the precision modules and components segment. For the first five months of 2010, output of the precision engineering cluster grew 38.6% compared to the corresponding period in 2009.

The chemicals cluster’s output grew 19.6% year-on-year in May 2010, with a 50.8% gain in the petrochemicals, 28.4% gain in specialties and 18.1% gain in other chemicals segments more than offsetting the decline of 6.7% in the petroleum segment. The strong gain in the petrochemicals segments was due in part to new production capacity and a low base last year as some plants were having maintenance shutdowns. Cumulative output of the chemicals cluster for the first five months of 2010 was 18.9% higher than the same period in the previous year.

Output of the general manufacturing cluster increased 18.5% year-on-year in May 2010, with all segments within the cluster registering higher output. The miscellaneous industries segment expanded 25.6% in May as a result of higher production of batteries & accumulators, iron & steel products and paper boxes/containers. Output of the printing and food, beverages & tobacco segments also increased 16.2% and 5.6% respectively. Cumulative output of the cluster in the first five months of 2010 rose 16.8% compared to the output in the same period last year.

The transport engineering cluster’s output grew 0.3% in May 2010 on a year-on-year basis. The land transport segment expanded 84.4% with higher production of parts and accessories for vehicles. The aerospace segment was up 0.2% while the marine & offshore segment registered a smaller decline of 6.7% compared to previous months, due to a higher percentage of work completed in May. Cumulatively, output of the cluster contracted 13.3% in the first five months of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009.

The next monthly manufacturing performance media release will be issued on 26th July 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 
Ms Cheng Wai San 
(Tel: 68326708 / Handphone: 98418709 / Email waisan@edb.gov.sg)