Manufacturing sales down in August

Manufacturing sales in Canada posted a 3.7 per cent decrease after four consecutive monthly increases, according to Statistics Canada’s Monthly Survey of Manufacturing.

Sales from manufacturers fell to 52 billion, and constant dollar sales fell 3.7 per cent in August to $46.3 billion. The month’s decreased all of the gains since December 2007, and constant dollar sales were at their lowest level in eight months.

The petroleum and coal products industries were the largest contributors to the decrease, where sales have fallen by nearly one billion dollars in two months.

In August, eight provinces reported a decrease, with only Saskatchewan and Manitoba seeing increases. Manufacturing sales fell by 15.4 per cent in the Atlantic provinces, and by 3.1 per cent in Ontario.