Manufacturing output dipped 1.4% in 2019

The electronics cluster recorded the sharpest decline in output at 7.4%.

Singapore’s manufacturing output declined 1.4% in 2019, according to data from the Economic Development Board (EDB).

For the year, the electronics cluster posted the sharpest drop in output at 7.4% YoY. It is followed by the precision engineering cluster (2.5%), chemicals cluster (2%) and the transport engineering cluster (1.8%).

Meanwhile, the biomedical manufacturing cluster recorded the highest growth in output at 10.7%, followed by the general manufacturing cluster at 1.5%.

In December 2019, manufacturing output dipped 0.7% YoY. On an MoM SA basis, however, it climbed 4.1%. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, where output expanded 10.3%, the overall output fell 3.2%.

Under biomedical manufacturing, the medical technology segment jumped 20% on the back of higher export demand for medical devices. Pharmaceutical output also grew 6.9%, as production of biological products rose.

Precision engineering also recorded a growth in output at 7.0%. The precision modules and components segment jumped 19.1%, as optical products and metal precision components recorded higher output. The machinery & systems segment grew 0.9% with higher output in semiconductor and process control equipment.

Electronics output edged up 0.2%. The data storage segment surged the most at 42.6%, followed by other electronic modules & components (12.4%) and semiconductors segments (1.0%). However, the rest of the segments recorded a fall in output.

Recording the sharpest drop for the month was transport engineering at 14.1% YoY. The land and aerospace segments grew 28.1% and 1.2% respectively, but the marine & offshore engineering segment crashed 31.2% due to weaker offshore and shipbuilding activities.

This is followed by the general manufacturing cluster, where output slipped 10%. The miscellaneous industries segment climbed 1%, but the printing segment and the food, beverages and tobacco segment slumped 3.6% and 20.2% respectively.

Chemicals output also declined 5.2%, with all segments contracting. In particular, the specialty chemicals and petrochemicals segments fell 5.4% and 8.5% respectively, weighed down by maintenance shutdowns.