Canadian manufacturing sales rose 1.5 percent in August to $79.9 billion
The primary metal subsector set a record with a 14 percent gain, while transportation equipment sales fell.
OTTAWA · Canadian manufacturing sales increased by 1.5 percent in August to reach $79.9 billion, according to Statistics Canada. The growth was led by the primary metal and chemical subsectors. Primary metal sales jumped 14.0 percent to a record $7.6 billion, boosted by higher volumes and prices. Chemical sales rose 4.4 percent to $6.2 billion, while transportation equipment sales declined 2.6 percent to $12.0 billion.
When adjusted for price changes, total manufacturing sales showed no growth from July. Sales in the wood products industry increased 2.8 percent on a seasonally adjusted basis to $3.10 billion. Compared to August of the previous year, unadjusted wood product sales were up 4.2 percent. Unfilled orders for wood product manufacturers climbed 13.0 percent to $774 million. Breaking down the wood industry figures, which are not seasonally adjusted, sawmill and wood preservation sales were 2.9 percent higher than a year earlier at $1.20 billion. Sales of veneer, plywood and engineered wood dipped 0.2 percent to $774 million. Other wood products, including millwork and pallets, saw a 9.0 percent increase to $1.11 billion.
On a provincial basis, seasonally adjusted wood product sales rose 4.9 percent in Quebec to $963 million and surged 12.7 percent in Ontario to $581 million. Sales in British Columbia fell 5.5 percent to $841 million. Paper manufacturers' sales grew 1.0 percent to $2.57 billion, and were 7.1 percent higher than in August 2025 without seasonal adjustment. Pulp, paper and paperboard mill sales were 11.0 percent above the level of a year earlier.
Overall unadjusted manufacturing sales were 14.6 percent higher than in August 2025. In a separate report, Statistics Canada said wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, other hydrocarbons, oilseed and grain, fell 1.6 percent to $91.6 billion in August. Measured by volume, sales in those same categories declined 1.8 percent. The agency noted it has begun including oilseed, grain, and petroleum products in its wholesale trade data. It is excluding these new categories from its monthly analysis until sufficient historical data is available for comparison.
With files from The Canadian Press, BNN Bloomberg and The Globe and Mail