Manufacturing sales drop 0.6% in October 2014

Dec. 16, 2014 – Canadian manufacturing sales fell 0.6 per cent in October to $52.7 billion, the second drop this year, says Statistics Canada.

The drop is due to lower production of aerospace products and parts and a decrease in primary metal sales, it notes.

Notwithstanding the lower overall sales, manufacturers in 15 of 21 industries, representing more than 60 per cent of total manufacturing, reported higher sales in October. Excluding the aerospace product and parts, and primary metals industries, sales in the manufacturing sector rose 0.4 per cent.

An increase of 1.8 per cent in motor vehicle sales partly offset the decline — the third rise in four months. Sales in October were 9.1 per cent higher than those in October a year earlier.

Manufacturing sales fell in six provinces, with Quebec and New Brunswick posting the largest declines. Sales in Quebec decreased 3.0 per cent, with manufacturers of aerospace product/parts and primary metals reported the largest declines. New Brunswick sales fell 11.7 per cent to $1.3 billion — the lowest level since November 2010 — mainly as result of lower sales of non-durable goods.

Lower sales in these provinces were partially offset by gains in Newfoundland and Labrador, where sales more than doubled as a result of a jump in the sale of non-durable goods. In addition, sales in Alberta rose 1.3 per cent to $6.8 billion, the second consecutive increase.