Singapore’s exports surge in October, driven by electronics and non-electronics sectors

SINGAPORE’S key exports expanded sharply in October, outpacing expectations, with both electronics and non-electronics contributing to a strong performance, official data showed on 17 November.

The Straits Times reported today that non-oil domestic exports, or Nodx, rose 22.2 per cent year on year, a notable acceleration from September’s revised 7 per cent increase and well above the 7.5 per cent rise forecast in a Bloomberg poll of economists, according to Enterprise Singapore.

Electronics shipments led the expansion, rising 33.2 per cent, following a 30.4 per cent increase in September.

The growth was underpinned by a 77.7 per cent surge in personal computer exports, while shipments of disk media products rose 31.4 per cent and integrated circuits, or chips, grew 40.9 per cent.

Non-electronics exports, which include pharmaceuticals, expanded 18.8 per cent in October after a marginal 0.5 per cent increase in September. The growth was driven by a 176.8 per cent jump in non-monetary gold exports, a 25.2 per cent rise in pharmaceuticals, and a 16.1 per cent increase in specialised machinery.

Regional markets saw particularly strong gains. Nodx to Taiwan rose 61.5 per cent, propelled by a 119.8 per cent jump in specialised machinery exports, a 30.7 per cent increase in integrated circuits, and a 289.1 per cent surge in disk media products.

Exports to Thailand expanded 91.1 per cent as non-monetary gold exports soared 844.6 per cent, IC shipments climbed 73.9 per cent, and bare printed circuit boards rose 71.3 per cent.

Exports to Hong Kong grew 66.9 per cent, supported by 93.3 per cent growth in ICs, an 848.1 per cent rise in specialised machinery, and a 68.9 per cent increase in non-monetary gold.

However, key markets in the West showed weaker demand. Exports to the United States, Singapore’s largest export destination, fell 12.5 per cent, while shipments to Japan edged down 0.1 per cent.

The latest figures underline the resilience of Singapore’s trade sector in the face of global economic fluctuations, with robust demand from regional markets helping to offset softer growth in traditional Western markets. - November 17, 2025