SINGAPORE: Singapore's industrial production in March likely expanded from a year earlier, rising for the ninth straight month, a Reuters poll showed, after a recent survey pointed to a continued expansion in manufacturing activity.

The median forecast in a Reuters survey of 12 economists showed that manufacturing output in March was estimated to have increased by 6.3 percent from a year earlier.

In February, manufacturing output had surged 12.8 percent from a year earlier.

On a month-on-month, seasonally adjusted basis, manufacturing output was seen rising 1.5 percent in March, after a 6.2 percent increase in February.

A survey by the Singapore Institute of Purchasing & Materials Management released earlier this month, showed that Singapore's manufacturing activity slowed slightly in March from February as there were fewer new orders.

The institute's Purchasing Managers' index (PMI), however, still remained above the 50 threshold, indicating that manufacturing sector activity was generally expanding. In addition, the PMI for the electronics sector edged up to 51.6 in March from 51.2 in February.

One potentially negative factor for manufacturing output in March, however, is weakness in Singapore's exports.

Singapore's non-oil domestic exports fell more than expected in March, declining 6.6 percent from a year earlier, due to falls in shipments to the United States and Europe.