Manufacturing sales up slightly in April on strength in auto parts sales

OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales rose 0.3 per cent to $72.3 billion in April, helped by higher sales of auto parts and petroleum and coal products.

The agency says sales of motor vehicle parts rose 25.1 per cent to a record $3.8 billion in April as sales of engines and other motor vehicle parts in Ontario climbed higher.

Statistics Canada says that as supply chain issues continue to ease, transportation equipment manufacturers were able to increase production in the first four months of the year compared with the same months a year earlier.

Sales in the petroleum and coal industry climbed 4.3 per cent to $9.1 billion in April, as higher volumes offset lower prices for refined petroleum energy products.

Meanwhile, sales in the primary metal industry fell 5.4 per cent to $5.7 billion.

The agency says sales in constant dollars gained 0.8 per cent in April, indicating a higher volume of goods sold for the month.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 15, 2023.