SINGAPORE, Aug. 26 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's manufacturing output decreased 3.6 percent in July on a year-on-year basis, said the country's Economic Development Board (EDB) on Friday.
Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output fell 2.0 percent year-on-year, said EDB in the press release. On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, manufacturing output declined 4.0 percent in July compared with the previous month. Excluding biomedical manufacturing, output fell 4.8 percent.
As for performance by cluster, output of electronics cluster increased 16.2 percent in July year-on-year. Higher output was registered in the semiconductor segment but this was partially offset by declines in the rest of the electronic segments.
On the contrary, the transport engineering cluster's output shrank 21.8 percent year-on-year in July. EDB said the decline was largely attributed to the marine and offshore engineering segment, in which rig-building activities and demand for oilfield and gasfield equipment remained weak amidst the low oil price environment.
The aerospace and land transport segments declined 2.3 percent and 2.6 percent respectively.
The general manufacturing industries cluster's output in July decreased 10.2 percent year-on-year. The food, beverages and tobacco segment posted a decline in output of 2.8 percent. The miscellaneous industries segment fell 13.4 percent due to lower output of wooden furniture and fixtures and construction related materials, while the printing segment contracted 21.7 percent as demand for commercial printing was weak.
The biomedical manufacturing cluster's output contracted 9.7 percent in July compared to the same period a year ago, said EDB. The medical technological segment grew 6.3 percent. However, this was offset by a 14.1 percent fall in the pharmaceuticals segment.
Output of the precision engineering cluster registered a 4.9 percent decrease in July year-on-year. The machinery and systems segment fell 1.1 percent. Lower output in optical instruments, wire and cable products, bolts, fasteners and screws led to a 10.6 percent contraction in the precision modules and components segment.
EDB said the output of chemicals cluster fell 3.2 percent in July year-on-year. The other chemicals and specialties segments grew 14.6 percent and 3.6 percent respectively. While on the other hand, the petroleum and petrochemicals segments contracted 1.7 percent and 23.1 percent respectively.
