On Thursday, February 16, Statistics Canada reported that manufacturing sales increased by 0.6 percent month on month to C$49.9 billion during December last year, the fifth month-month increase in the past six months. Most of the increase was attributed to durable goods, which increased by 2.1 percent, while non-durable goods decreased by 0.9 percent.
The month-on-month increase in seven of 21 manufacturing industries in December surpassed sales data recorded in October 2008. Most notable were transportation equipment, petroleum and coal products and machinery manufacturing. The transportation equipment industry as a whole had the largest dollar gains of any industry, with a 3.7 percent increase month on month in sales to $8.5 billion, seeing the seventh consecutive monthly increase. Sales by motor vehicle manufacturers advanced 2.9 percent in December compared to November to $4.3 billion, which was the highest monthly sales level since November 2007. In addition, sales in the motor vehicle parts industry rose 5.5 percent month on month to $1.9 billion.
New orders decreased 2.8 percent month on month in December to C$49.0 billion, following a 4.2 percent gain in November compared to October.
For 2011 as a whole, manufacturing sales amounted to C$571 billion, up 7.8 percent from 2010. The main contributors to the annual increase included higher sales in the petroleum and coal products, primary metal, machinery and transportation equipment industries.