Headline GDP in 2018 may surprise on the upside

WHILE Singapore's external environment still faces many downside risks, some bullish economists say 2018 headline economic growth could come in at between 3 and 3.5 per cent.

This would be the economy's best showing in four years and would build on the strong full year 2017 performance, which has already seen several surprises to the upside in recent quarters.

The technology and biomedical manufacturing clusters have done well, with manufacturing output recording their strongest gains in seven months in July and August this year.