Statistics Canada announced that the country's manufacturing sales decreased 0.5% to $69.1 billion in September, the second consecutive monthly decline.

The decline was mainly due to lower sales of petroleum and coal products (-7.5%) and lower production of aerospace products and parts (-4.2%). Excluding petroleum and coal, total manufacturing sales were up 0.4% in September.

The Federal Agency notes that manufacturing sales fell in six provinces in September. The largest declines were posted in Quebec and Saskatchewan, while sales in New Brunswick increased the most.

In Quebec, sales decreased 1.1% to $17.8 billion in September, the lowest sales level since January 2024. The decline was primarily due to lower sales of transportation equipment (-7.5%), followed by petroleum and coal products (-7.9%). In the transportation equipment subsector, production of aerospace products and parts decreased 5.8% in September 2024, while sales of motor vehicles were down 7.2%. On a quarterly basis, total sales in Quebec fell 1.3% in the third quarter, while they were down 0.3% on a yearly basis in September.

Sales in Saskatchewan declined 8.4% to $1.8 billion in September, the second consecutive monthly decline, driven by lower sales of non-durable goods (-11.8%). Despite the monthly decline, sales increased on a quarterly basis in Saskatchewan, rising 6.7% to $5.8 billion in the third quarter, mainly due to higher sales of food products (+13.6%).

In New Brunswick, total manufacturing sales increased 5.3% to $2.1 billion in September, mainly on a 6.2% increase in sales of non-durable goods. The increase was partially offset by a 17.9% decline in sales of non-metallic mineral products. Sales on a quarterly basis in New Brunswick rose 5.3% in the third quarter.

 

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