Canadian Manufacturing Sales Edge Up 0.6% in December

Canada's manufacturing sales saw a modest increase of 0.6% in December, reaching $71 billion, after two consecutive months of decline, according to Statistics Canada. The growth was led by motor vehicle and food product sales, with motor vehicles rising 12% to $4.3 billion due to increased production at an Ontario auto plant that had been affected by semiconductor chip shortages. Food product sales also contributed, increasing 2% to $13.3 billion on higher volumes sold. However, petroleum and coal product sales declined 5.1% due to lower prices from a global surplus, partially offsetting the gains. In real terms, manufacturing sales grew 1.8% in December.