On a year-on-year basis, manufacturing output declined 17.5% in May 2011. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output increased 2.3%. On a three-month moving average basis, manufacturing output in May 2011 declined 0.4% compared to the same period in 2010. On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, manufacturing output fell 3.8% in May 2011. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output increased 2.2%.

Output of the precision engineering cluster grew 37.0% year-on-year in May 2011. Within the cluster, the machinery & systems segment recorded a growth of 72.7% on the back of strong export demand for semiconductor related equipment as well as lifting & hoisting machinery. The precision modules & components segment, on the other hand, shrank 1.3%. On a year-to-date basis, output of the precision engineering cluster was 30.8% higher than the same period a year ago. 

The chemicals cluster's output grew 5.0% year-on-year in May 2011. All except the petrochemicals segment recorded higher output. The petrochemicals segment’s output shrank 3.1%, mainly due to maintenance shutdowns in some plants during the month. Cumulatively, output of the chemicals cluster grew 8.6% from January to May 2011, compared to the same period a year ago.  

The transport engineering cluster's output declined 1.9% year-on-year in May 2011. The aerospace segment expanded 7.7% as it benefitted from a higher volume of repair jobs from commercial airlines. In contrast, output of the land transport and marine & offshore engineering segments fell 7.0% and 10.5% respectively. The marine & offshore engineering segment's contraction was due to a lower percentage of completion in oil rigs and conversion projects as well as a smaller scope of ship repair and maintenance jobs. Cumulatively, output of the cluster grew 4.2% in the first five months of 2011, compared to the same period last year.

Output of the electronics cluster declined 5.4% in May 2011 from the same period in 2010. The infocomms & consumer electronics as well as computer peripherals segments expanded 63.2% and 18.3% respectively, while the semiconductors segment contracted 11.0% year-on-year in May 2011, due to weaker demand for semiconductor products. On a year-to-date basis, electronics output expanded 4.4% compared to the same period a year ago.

The general manufacturing cluster's output declined 12.2% year-on-year in May 2011. Most segments recorded output declines except the food, beverages & tobacco segment which recorded an output growth of 4.4%. Output of the printing segment was 5.6% lower while the miscellaneous segment declined 21.2% with lower production of metal tanks, secondary batteries, and paperboard boxes. Cumulative output of the cluster in the first five months of 2011 declined 3.1%, compared to the same period last year.

Output of the biomedical manufacturing cluster fell 42.1% in May 2011 year-on-year. The pharmaceuticals segment contracted 43.2% due to a different mix of active pharmaceutical ingredients being produced. The medical technology segment also declined 9.5% on the back of lower export demand for medical supplies. On a year-to-date basis, the biomedical output shrank 6.7% compared to the same period a year ago.

The next monthly manufacturing performance media release will be issued on 26th July 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 
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