Singapore's Non-Oil Domestic Exports Rose 6.0% in April

By Ronnie Harui

SINGAPORE--Singapore's non-oil domestic exports rose 6.0% in April from a year earlier, mainly due to shipments of non-electronics such as specialized machinery, petrochemicals and primary chemicals.

April's export growth missed the median estimate for a 12.0% increase in a survey of 11 economists by The Wall Street Journal. Non-oil domestic exports rose 11.9% from a year earlier in March.

Exports of electronics climbed 10.9% in April after a 24.4% expansion in March. Non-electronics shipments grew 4.7% in April following a 9.2% increase in March, Enterprise Singapore said Monday.

Among non-electronic products, specialized machinery jumped 54.3%, petrochemicals surged 63.3% and primary chemicals soared 104.6%. However, pharmaceuticals slumped 40.9%.

Exports to Malaysia jumped 57.1% in April after increasing 46.9% in March, while those to China climbed 55.5% after growing 46.4%. Shipments to Hong Kong expanded 30.9% in April after falling 13.1% in March.

Shipments to the U.S. plunged 42.3% in April after slipping 19.8% in March, while those to the European Union fell 30.2% after rising 31.6%. Exports to Japan slid 33.2% in April after declining 28.7% in March.

Measured on month, exports fell 8.8% in seasonally adjusted terms in April, after growing 1.1% in March. The median projection from eight economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal was for a 2.8% decline.

Write to Ronnie Harui at [e-mail]

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

05-16-21 2049ET