Transportation equipment sector drives manufacturing sales down in April: StatsCan
June 15, 2011
By The Canadian Press
Manufacturing sales decreased 1.3 percent in April.
Statistics Canada reports manufacturing sales totalled $46.7 billion, down $612 million from March. The agency blamed the transportation equipment sector for most of the decline.
Manufacturers in the petroleum and coal products industry also reported lower sales. The decrease in total manufacturing sales for April reversed much of the 1.9 percent gain for March.
StatsCan says lower sales were reported in 15 of 21 industries, representing about 56 percent of total manufacturing.
Constant-dollar manufacturing sales declined 1.8 percent in April.
Sales of transportation equipment fell 7.8 percent to $7 billion, largely reflecting an 8.6 percent drop in the vehicle industry and a 5.4 percent decrease in the vehicle parts industry, both of which were affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan.
Production in the aerospace product and parts industry fell 11.6 percent to $1.2 billion. Manufacturers in the petroleum and coal products industry reported a 1.7 percent decline.
Higher sales were led by gains in the food (up 1.8 percent), machinery (up 3.2 percent) and chemical (up 1.7 percent) industries.
Nine provinces posted lower sales compared with March, with the largest decreases in dollar terms occurring in Ontario and Quebec. Alberta was the only province to post an increase in April, with sales rising 2.3 percent to $5.9 billion.
