On a year-on-year basis, manufacturing output increased 4.8% in February 2011. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output grew 11.9%. On a three-month moving average basis, manufacturing output in February 2011 increased 8.3% compared to the same period in 2010. On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, manufacturing output declined 2.0% in February 2011. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output declined 5.3%.

Output of the precision engineering cluster expanded 30.7% year-on-year in February 2011, mainly because of a 65.1% increase in the machinery & systems' output. There was higher production of semiconductor related equipment, refrigerating & air-conditioning equipment and hoisting machinery including lifts.  On a year-to-date basis, output of the precision engineering cluster was 36.7% higher than the same period a year ago. 

The chemicals cluster's output grew 17.3% year-on-year in February 2011, with all segments recording higher output. The petroleum segment grew 28.0% from the low base in February last year due to maintenance shutdowns. Output of the specialties and petrochemicals segments also grew 16.4% and 11.2% in February respectively. Cumulatively, output of the chemicals cluster grew 16.6% in February 2011.  

Output of the electronics cluster increased 10.7% in February 2011 from the same period in 2010. Robust demand for computing products continued to drive the infocomms & consumer electronics segment to record a gain of 115.0% in February. On a similar note, the semiconductors and computer peripherals segments grew 13.8% and 10.9% respectively. On a year-to-date basis, electronics output expanded 15.8%.

The transport engineering cluster's output rose 3.8% year-on-year in February 2011. Higher production of automotive parts and scheduled deliveries led the land transport segment to record a 48.0% growth in output. The aerospace segment also saw higher volume of maintenance and repair jobs compared to the same month a year ago. However, the marine and offshore engineering segment declined 3.8% with lower level of activity in the shipyard. Cumulatively, output of the cluster expanded 6.2% in the first two months of 2011 compared to the same period last year.

Output of the general manufacturing cluster declined 3.1% year-on-year in February 2011. Printing output was 1.7% higher in February. However, this was offset by lower output in the food, beverages and tobacco and miscellaneous industries segments. This was mainly due to plant shutdowns for the Chinese New Year. Cumulative output of the cluster in the first two months of 2011 inched up 1.0% compared to the same period last year.

Output of the biomedical manufacturing cluster declined 8.7% in February 2011 year-on-year. Within the cluster, the medical technology segment rose 2.5% while the pharmaceuticals output shrank 9.3%. The latter's decline was a result of a different production mix of active pharmaceutical ingredients. On a year-to-date basis, the biomedical output declined 8.4%.

The next monthly manufacturing performance media release will be issued on 26th April 2011.

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 
Ms Karen Lin 
(Tel: 68326587/ Handphone: 96230355/ Email: karen_lin@edb.gov.sg)

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