StatCan report shows mfg. sales rose in February to $71.6B

Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales rose 0.7 per cent to $71.6 billion in February, helped by higher sales of petroleum and coal.

The agency says manufacturing sales were up in 13 of the 21 subsectors it tracks as petroleum and coal sales rose 4.3 per cent to $8.7 billion, helped by higher prices and to a lesser extent, volumes. Sales of electrical equipment, appliance and component products rose 12.6 per cent to a record $1.5 billion in February.

Overall manufacturing sales in constant dollars rose 0.1 per cent in February.

In a separate report, Statistics Canada said wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, were essentially unchanged in February at $82.2 billion.

The result came as sales increased in four of the seven subsectors with the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector up 1.1 per cent at $17.6 billion in February, while the food, beverage and tobacco subsector fell 1.3 per cent to $14.6 billion.

In volume terms, wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 0.2 per cent in February.