The following export product groups represent the highest dollar value in Singaporean global shipments during 2017. Also shown is the percentage share each export category represents in terms of overall exports from Singapore.

1. Electrical machinery, equipment: US$124.1 billion (33.3% of total exports)
2. Machinery including computers: $52.4 billion (14.0%)
3. Mineral fuels including oil: $47.8 billion (12.8%)
4. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $17.6 billion (4.7%)
5. Gems, precious metals: $17.1 billion (4.6%)
6. Organic chemicals: $15.5 billion (4.2%)
7. Plastics, plastic articles: $14.6 billion (3.9%)
8. Aircraft, spacecraft: $6.6 billion (1.8%)
9. Perfumes, cosmetics: $6.5 billion (1.7%)
10. Pharmaceuticals: $5.9 billion (1.6%)

Note that the results listed above are at the categorized two-digit Harmonized Tariff System (HTS) code level. For a more granular view of exported goods at the four-digit HTS code level, see the section Searchable List of Singapore’s Most Valuable Export Products further down near the bottom of this article.

Singapore’s top 10 exports represent 82.5% of the overall value of its global shipments.

Boosted by accelerating international sales of gold, gems and precious metals was the fastest-growing among the top 10 export categories, up 97.6% from 2016 to 2017.

In second place for improving export sales was the mineral fuels including oil category which appreciated by 27.6%.

Singapore’s perfumes and cosmetics posted the third-fastest gain in value up 25.8% year over year.

Aircraft and spacecraft was the only declining category from 2016 to 2017 via its -1.4% downtick.

Overall, Singapore posted a $45.5 billion trade surplus in 2017 down by -2.8% since 2016.

The following types of Singaporean product shipments represent positive net exports or a trade balance surplus. Investopedia defines net exports as the value of a country’s total exports minus the value of its total imports.

In a nutshell, net exports represent the amount by which foreign spending on a home country’s goods or services exceeds or lags the home country’s spending on foreign goods or services.

1. Electrical machinery, equipment: US$31 billion (Up by 3.3% since 2016)
2. Organic chemicals: $9.3 billion (Down by -5.4%)
3. Machinery including computers: $7.2 billion (Up by 5.7%)
4. Plastics, plastic articles: $6.9 billion (Up by 8.3%)
5. Optical, technical, medical apparatus: $6.3 billion (Up by 38.5%)
6. Pharmaceuticals: $3.4 billion (Up by 3.3%)
7. Perfumes, cosmetics: $2.9 billion (Up by 34.3%)
8. Miscellaneous food preparations: $1 billion (Up by 4.8%)
9. Cereal/milk preparations: $1 billion (Up by 8.1%)
10. Other chemical goods: $820.4 million (Down by -30.8%)

Singapore has highly positive net exports in the international trade of electronics including consumer gadgets. In turn, these cashflows indicate Singapore’s strong competitive advantages under the electrical machinery and equipment category.

Below are exports from Singapore that result in negative net exports or product trade balance deficits. These negative net exports reveal product categories where foreign spending on home country Singapore’s goods trail Singaporean importer spending on foreign products.

1. Mineral fuels including oil: -US$24.5 billion (Up by 80.1% since 2016)
2. Gems, precious metals: -$3 billion (Up by 10%)
3. Vehicles: -$1.6 billion (Down by -22%)
4. Aircraft, spacecraft: -$1.4 billion (Reversing an $854.8 million trade surplus)
5. Salt, sulphur, stone, cement: -$945.4 million (Up by 40.6%)
6. Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, prefab buildings: -$831.2 million (Up by 0.3%)
7. Articles of iron or steel: -$824.3 million (Down by -43.3%)
8. Iron, steel: -$821.9 million (Up by 32.3%)
9. Animal/vegetable fats, oils, waxes: -$804 million (Up by 128.7%)
10. Meat: -$759.3 million (Up by 8.3%)

Singapore has highly negative net exports and therefore deep international trade deficits for mineral fuels, particularly crude oil and petroleum gases.

These cashflow deficiencies clearly indicate Singapore’s competitive disadvantages in the international fossil fuel market, but also represent key opportunities for Singapore to improve its position in the global economy through focused innovations especially alternative energy sources.

Singaporean Export Companies

Seventeen corporations rank among Forbes Global 2000. Below is a sample of the major Singaporean export companies that Forbes included:

• Wilmar International (food processing)
• Keppel Corp (industrial conglomerates)
• Flextronics International (electronics)
• Avago Technologies (semiconductors)
• ST Engineering (aerospace )
• Olam International (food processing)
• Golden Agri-Resources (food processing)
• China Aviation Oil (jet fuel trading)

Wikipedia also lists exporters from Singapore. Selected examples are shown below:

• Singapore Technologies Engineering (electronics manufacturing)
• Medical Technology (medical/healthcare equipment)
• Singapore Telecommunications Limited (communications)

According to global trade intelligence firm Zepol, the following smaller companies are also examples of Singaporean export companies:

• Wajilam Export Singapore (wood, chocolate)
• Asahi Glass Singapore (glass sheets)
• Sephora Singapore (copper pipes/tubes, cabinets)
• Ltt Veneer Singapore (soybean flours, hams)