Singapore exports fall to three-year low

Singapore exports tumbled at their fastest pace in three years in March on falling shipments to Europe and China, official data showed Monday, supporting forecasts for slower economic growth and further monetary easing this year.

Non-oil domestic exports shrank 15.6 percent year-on-year for the month, trade promotion body International Enterprise (IE) Singapore said, worse than the 12.3 percent fall analysts had projected.

It was also the trade-reliant city-state's worst export performance since a 30.6 percent year-on-year decline in February 2013, Singapore's United Overseas Bank (UOB) said. "Singapore exports remain entrenched in a rut, raising the odds of downside risks to the local economy's growth," ANZ Research said in a note.

"If the current trend persists, it could increase the possibility of a central bank easing at their next policy review in October."

The Monetary Authority of Singapore last Thursday announced a surprise easing of monetary policy to kickstart the stuttering economy by boosting exports as analysts warned of a possible recession.

In a statement, IE Singapore said electronics exports, such as semiconductors, shrank 9.1 percent in March, compared to a 0.7 percent expansion in February.