Canadian manufacturing sales down 0.4 per cent at $78.7 billion in July

OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales fell 0.4 per cent to $78.7 billion in July.

The agency says the move lower, which followed five consecutive monthly increases, came as sales fell in eight of the 21 subsectors it tracks.

Sales of chemical products fell 6.6 per cent to $5.9 billion in July, as sales of resin, synthetic rubber, and artificial and synthetic fibres and filaments dropped.

Food manufacturing sales fell 1.4 per cent to $13.9 billion on lower sales in the grain and oilseed milling industry group.

The petroleum and coal products subsector saw a 1.9 per cent increase in sales to $10.4 billion in July, boosted by higher prices.

In constant dollars, total manufacturing sales fell 1.4 per cent in July.