Which sectors lead Singapore's manufacturing confidence gains?

The electronics and transport sectors were the most optimistic.

Most manufacturing sectors in Singapore expect positive business conditions up to March 2026.

The electronics and transport engineering sectors were the most optimistic, showing 30 and 13 net weighted balances, respectively, Cushman & Wakefield said in its Singapore Market Outlook 2026.

The entire manufacturing sector expressed a net weighted balance of 8 for the period from October 2025 to March 2026, it added, up from the -6 it showed from April to September 2025.

The sector’s optimism was attributed to the wider US tariff differential between Singapore and other Asia Pacific countries, Cushman & Wakefield said.

The chemicals and precision engineering were the least optimistic, showing -4 and -35 net weighted balance.

This is amidst Singapore’s manufacturing sector faces pressure to achieve its 50% manufacturing value growth by 2030.

However, in November, the city-state’s Purchasing Managers’ Index rose 0.2 points month on month to 50.2 points, making it the fourth consecutive month of growth for the manufacturing sector.

The latest PMI performance was driven by faster expansion in the indexes of new orders, new exports, and input purchases, the Singapore Institute of Purchasing and Materials Management said.