Singapore March exports jump due to gold, pharma shipments

SINGAPORE: Singapore’s annual exports growth accelerated by 17.6% in March, blowing past expectations due to a jump in shipments of pharmaceuticals and gold, official data showed on Friday.

The sharp jump in non-oil domestic exports (NODX) compared with a revised 3.1% rise the month before, data from trade agency Enterprise Singapore showed, and partly reflected base effects due to the downturn in the electronics industry last year.

The city-state is a big regional player in the gold trade, and exports can be impacted by sharp swings in value.

The surge in exports defied expectations for a 8.9% decline predicted by economists in a poll.

On a seasonally adjusted month-on-month basis, exports expanded 12.8% in March after declining a revised 4.7% in February. – April 17, 2020, Reuters

Subscribe and get top news delivered to your Inbox everyday for FREE