Growth in factory output for August hits nadir for this year

Singapore

THE growth rate in Singapore's factory output for August fell to its lowest this year, on the back of the triple whammy of the Sino-US trade conflict, slowing electronics demand and the high base from last year.

But manufacturers hoping for quick relief will just have to hang tight; economists told The Business Times that they expect factory activity to remain muted over the next few months.

Maybank Kim Eng economists Chua Hak Bin and Lee Ju Ye noted: "The fading electronics cycle and supply-chain disruptions from the US-China trade war will likely lower manufacturing growth to low single digits for the rest of the year."

Industrial production grew by a subdued 3.3 per cent year on year in August, coming in below economist expectations of 4.7 per cent. This continued the downward trend of the past few m…