Singapore wholesale sales drop 10.9% as Q2 trade slows

The steepest drops were seen in energy-related and chemical industries.

Singapore’s wholesale trade sector posted a sharp contraction in the second quarter of 2025, with domestic wholesale sales falling 10.9% YoY and 2.7% QoQ, according to the latest data from the Department of Statistics Singapore.

Foreign wholesale trade also declined, with total overseas sales down 7.1% YoY and 4.6% from the previous quarter. However, when petroleum products are excluded, the picture is slightly more optimistic—non-petroleum foreign sales rose 1.1% YoY and 0.8% QoQ, suggesting demand remains resilient in selected segments.

The steepest drops were seen in energy-related and chemical industries. Domestic sales in Chemicals & Chemical Products plunged 43.7%, whilST Petroleum & Petroleum Products sales dropped 18.9% compared to Q2 2024.

Foreign sales followed similar patterns, with both sectors experiencing double-digit declines due to weaker global demand and lower oil prices.

Despite the overall downturn, some industries delivered robust gains. The General Wholesale Trade segment surged 37.9% domestically and 20.0% in foreign sales QoQ, driven by strong commodity trade flows.

The Electronic Components sector saw foreign sales jump 34.5% YoY.. Meanwhile, Telecommunications & Computers grew both at home (+12.0% QoQ) and abroad (+13.1% QoQ), due to higher sales of software, peripherals, and hardware.

The Industrial & Construction Machinery industry rebounded in Singapore, with an 11.8% QoQ gain, but continued to face foreign demand weakness (-16.7% YoY).

Food, Beverages & Tobacco registered steady growth in both markets, including a 16.8% YoY increase in foreign sales.

On the other hand, sectors like Metals, Timber & Construction Materials, Ship Chandlers & Bunkering, and Household Equipment & Furniture posted broad-based declines across both domestic and international sales.