Manufacturing sales drop 1.4% in November 2014

Jan. 20, 2015 – Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales fell 1.4 per cent in November to $51.5 billion, the third drop in four months. The result compared with a drop of 0.7 per cent that economists had expected according to Thomson Reuters.

Sales declined in 16 of 21 industries — including lower sales of motor vehicles, chemicals, primary metals and food — representing more than 80 per cent of total Canadian manufacturing.

Ontario sales fell 2.1% per cent to $23.7 billion as 18 of 21 manufacturing industries, representing nearly 90 per cent of the province’s manufacturing sector, posted lower sales. Meanwhile, Quebec manufacturers reported a 2.2 per cent sales decrease. Alberta sales declined 3.8 per cent — its lowest since January 2014 — reflecting lower sales of petroleum and coal products.

Partially offsetting the declines was an increase of 16.6 per cent in sales in New Brunswick, as a result of gains in non-durable goods.

The agency noted that year-to-date sales in 2014 were 5.2 per cent higher than those in the first 11 months of 2013.

— With files from The Canadian Press