Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales up 0.6% in December

Statistics Canada says total manufacturing sales increased 0.6% to $71 billion in December, after two consecutive monthly declines.

The agency says the two areas that contributed most to the increase were motor vehicle and food product sales.

Motor vehicles sales alone rose 12% to $4.3 billion as production increased at a major auto assembly plant in Ontario, which had been operating partially in October and November due to semiconductor chip shortages.

Sales of food products were up 2% to $13.3 billion in December as higher volumes were sold.

The gains were partially offset by a 5.1% decline in petroleum and coal product sales attributed to a drop in prices that came as a global surplus continued to put downward pressure on energy markets.

In real terms, manufacturing sales rose 1.8% in December.

The Canadian Press

The Canadian Press is a national news agency headquartered in Toronto and founded in 1917.