Statistics Canada announced that Canadian wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain) declined 1.6% to $91.6 billion in August.

The federal agency reports that sales decreased in five of the seven subsectors, representing 70.6% of total wholesale sales. The largest decreases came from the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector (-3.8% to $15.1 billion) and the agricultural supplies industry group (-12.4% to $3.5 billion). Wholesale sales were 7.2% higher in August compared with the same month one year earlier.

Six provinces reported lower wholesale sales in August, led by Ontario and followed by Saskatchewan.

Ontario posted a decrease in sales, down 1.6% to $47.8 billion in August, following six months of consecutive increases. Lower sales were recorded in five of the seven subsectors, with the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector (-3.7% to $10.5 billion) driving the decrease.

Saskatchewan posted the second-largest decrease in provincial wholesale sales in August, declining 8.2% to $3.8 billion. Sales decreased in three of the seven subsectors, with the agricultural supplies industry group within the miscellaneous subsector reporting the largest decrease.

 

Back