Singapore's NODX up 8 percent

Singapore's NODX up 8 percent

SINGAPORE: Key non-oil domestic exports (NODX) rose 8 percent
in December to S$11.3 billion (US$6.8 billion), powered by
electronics, the government said on Monday.

That followed a 16.5 percent gain in November.

Exports grew a seasonally adjusted 0.3 percent in December
from the previous month, reversing November's 9.1 percent
decline, said International Enterprise Singapore.

Total trade rose 14.4 percent on year in December, sustaining
the double-digit growth trend that started in February last year,
the agency said.

Electronics exports, which account for about 50 percent of
non-oil exports, rose 8.3 percent in December while
pharmaceuticals fell 25.9 percent.

NODX to all of Singapore's top 10 markets continued to grow in
December except for Malaysia, which saw a 2 percent drop.

For 2004, NODX rose 17 percent to S$132.8 billion. Total trade
grew 22.5 percent to S$580 billion. -- DPA