Except biomedical manufacturing, which expanded 87.7% y-o-y in December, output grew 5.0% during the month.
On a month-on-month (m-o-m) basis, manufacturing output increased 4.3%, although it shrank by 1.1% excluding biomedical manufacturing.
Overall manufacturing output for 2021 increased by 13.2% y-o-y.
In December, all clusters registered expansions with the exception of the electronics cluster, which fell 2.9% y-o-y from the high production base from a year ago.
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The infocomms & consumer electronics and other electronic modules & components segments grew 30.8% and 5.3% respectively, while computer peripherals & data storage and semiconductors segments saw declines of 0.1% and 6.9% respectively.
Within the biomedical manufacturing cluster, the pharmaceuticals segment surged 162.3% y-o-y from a low production base in 2020 with higher production of biological products and a different mix of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
The medical technology segment within the cluster, however, fell 3.4%, with lower export demand for medical devices.
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In transport engineering, the cluster saw overall output expansion of 40.8% y-o-y in December. The aerospace segment grew 58.9% with higher demand for maintenance, repair and overhaul activities, due to the easing of global travel restrictions. The marine and offshore engineering segment rose 49.8% with more work done in shipbuilding and repairing activities.
Output for the precision engineering cluster grew 16.4% y-o-y in December, with the machinery and systems segment improving 26.0% y-o-y with higher output in semiconductor and process control equipment. The precision modules and components segment, on the other hand, fell 1.6% y-o-y with lower output of optical products.
General manufacturing output expanded 7.7% y-o-y with the miscellaneous industries segment improving 15.9% y-o-y with higher production of construction-related products, jewellery and wearing apparel.
The food, beverage & tobacco segment expanded 7.0% on account of higher production of beverage products and animal feed. In contrast, the printing segment fell 10.3%.
The chemicals cluster recorded output of 1.2% y-o-y in December, with the expansion of the petroleum and petrochemicals segments by 14.7% and 8.2% y-o-y respectively. To be sure, the petroleum segment saw throughput growth from the low production base from a year ago due to softer export demand.
Meanwhile, the specialties segment declined 2.3% with lower production of mineral oil additives while the other chemicals segment contracted 11.1% with lower output in fragrances.
Photo: File photo
