Manufacturing sales up in September: StatsCan

Boosted by higher sales in the transportation equipment and fabricated metal industries, manufacturing sales in Canada rose 0.3% to $51.5 billion in September, according to new figures from Statistics Canada.

Sales were up in 12 of 21 industries, StatsCan said, representing 70.1% of the total manufacturing sector.

“Sales in the transportation equipment industry rose 1.5% to $10.6 billion in September,” the agency said. “The advance was the result of gains in the railroad rolling stock, and the motor vehicle and the aerospace product and parts industries. The increase in the transportation equipment industry accounted for more than 85% of the total gain in manufacturing sales.”

Sales were up in five provinces in September. Quebec and Ontario reported the largest gains, which were partly offset by lower sales in New Brunswick.

“Sales rose 1.7% in Quebec, the fifth increase in six months,” StatsCan said. “Production in the aerospace products and parts rose 9.2%. An increase of this magnitude is not unusual for the industry, as aerospace production is substantially more volatile than the manufacturing sector as a whole.”

In Ontario, sales increased 0.3% to $25.1 billion, mostly reflecting gains in the machinery, transportation equipment and fabricated metal industries. “Overall, 13 of 21 industries reported higher sales in September, representing 77.4% of total manufacturing in the province,” StatsCan said. “Sales in Ontario were 3.3% higher this September than in September 2015.”