Manufacturing sales up across Canada: StatsCan

Auto sales have risen 24.9 per cent since last June, as supply chain problems originating in Japan have gradually been improving. 

Manufacturing sales rose in November to $49.6 billion, a 2 per cent increase and the fourth increase in five months, according to numbers released today by Statistics Canada. There were gains in sales of machinery, petroleum and coal, and in the motor vehicle industries. Higher sales were reported by approximately 80 per cent of Canadian manufacturers, in 14 of the 21 industries tracked.

The biggest increase was in the machinery industry, where sales rose 13.4 per cent to $3.4 billion, the highest level ever. Most of the growth here was in mining and oil/gas-related machinery. Sales in the petroleum and coal product industry also advanced 3.9 per cent to $7.6 billion. This was the fourth increase in five months for that sector.

Motor vehicle sales have been rising steadily since June, 2011 and in November the rise continued with a 7.1 per cent increase. Statistics Canada says that these gains reflect improvements in the supply chain problems that originated in Japan last year as a result of the earthquake.

Provincially, the largest gains in manufacturing were seen in Ontario, Alberta and Newfoundland/Labrador. Ontario’s increase of 2 per cent, mostly in motor vehicles, aerospace parts and products and machinery industries, put sales up to $22.5 billion.

Statistics Canada also tracks inventory levels and the ratio of those levels to sales. In November, inventories rose slightly, while the inventory-to-sales ratio declined, meaning that sales are up. Unfilled orders also rose, led by the aerospace industry, where the backlog of orders rose 4 per cent, to $29.7 billion.