Manufacturing sales in Canada were on the downslope in October,
Figures released Tuesday showed manufacturing decreasing 0.7% over a month earlier to $57.1 billion in October 2019, following a 0.2% drop in September and against market expectations of a flat reading. Sales fell mostly in the transportation equipment and fabricated metal product industries (-3.1%), namely motor vehicle assembly (-4.7%) and motor vehicle parts (-4.6%), amid lower activity at some assembly plants as well as at several parts plants which were impacted by the United Auto Workers strike in the U.S.
The agency also said sales also went down for fabricated metal products (-8.2%); plastics and rubber products (-5.7% and wood (-3.3%). In contrast, gains were recorded in the petroleum and coal product industry (6.2%), as several major refineries ramped up production following shutdowns and maintenance in September; and food industry (1.9%), mainly the result of higher sales of meat products in Alberta and Ontario Manufacturing
