Â鶹ӰÊÓ

Skip to main content

Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales down, wholesale sales up in August

Statistics Canada in Ottawa on July 3, 2019. (Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS) Statistics Canada in Ottawa on July 3, 2019. (Sean Kilpatrick / THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Share
OTTAWA -

Statistics Canada says 2.0 per cent to $70.4 billion in August as petroleum and coal sales edged down on lower prices and volumes.

The agency said it was the fourth consecutive month manufacturing sales declined.

The decline came as petroleum and coal sales fell 3.9 per cent to $9.9 billion in August and chemical manufacturing industry sales decreased 4.5 per cent to $5.6 billion.

Overall Canadian manufacturing sales in constant dollars fell 1.7 per cent in August, indicating a lower volume of goods sold.

Paul Ashworth, chief North America economist at Capital Economics, said the weak global backdrop is a concern.

"The manufacturing survey evidence has deteriorated markedly over the past few months, as zero-COVID lockdowns have an ongoing dampening effect on Chinese demand and surging utility prices are ravaging European demand," Ashworth wrote in a report.

"Closer to home, the weakness in U.S. housing construction and consumer discretionary goods demand will also weigh on Canadian manufacturing. In short, brace yourselves for more disappointment."

In a separate report, Statistics Canada also said Friday wholesale sales in August rose 1.4 per cent to reach a new high of $81.3 billion.

The gains were led by the miscellaneous goods subsector which rose 3.9 per cent to $12.8 billion, helped by a 13.2 per cent gain to $5.2 billion by the agricultural supplies industry.

The machinery, equipment and supplies subsector gained 1.6 per cent at $17.4 billion as sales in the other machinery, equipment and supplies industry added 6.4 per cent at $4.0 billion and the construction, forestry, mining, and industrial machinery, equipment and supplies industry rose 4.0 per cent to $6.0 billion.

The food, beverage and tobacco subsector rose 1.8 per cent to $14.5 billion.

Wholesale sales in constant dollar terms rose 1.2 per cent in August.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 14, 2022.

CTVNews.ca Top Stories

The British Columbia election campaign is set to officially start today, with Lt.-Gov. Janet Austin issuing the writ for the Oct. 19 vote.

A northern Ontario man is facing a $12,000 fine after illegally shooting a moose near the Batchawan River.

Unusual flippered feet are making their way into the Saint Lawrence River this weekend. Led by underwater explorer and filmmaker Nathalie Lasselin, volunteer divers are combing the riverbed near Beauharnois in Montérégie to remove hundreds of tires that have been polluting the aquatic environment for decades.

A sea lion swam free after a rescue team disentangled it near Vancouver Island earlier this week.

Local Spotlight

Cole Haas is more than just an avid fan of the F.W. Johnson Wildcats football team. He's a fixture on the sidelines, a source of encouragement, and a beloved member of the team.

Getting a photograph of a rainbow? Common. Getting a photo of a lightning strike? Rare. Getting a photo of both at the same time? Extremely rare, but it happened to a Manitoba photographer this week.

An anonymous business owner paid off the mortgage for a New Brunswick not-for-profit.

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

A growing group of brides and wedding photographers from across the province say they have been taken for tens of thousands of dollars by a Barrie, Ont. wedding photographer.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

Stay Connected