Canadian manufacturing sales increased 5.5 percent to $41.4 billion in July, but remained well below last year's levels, Statistics Canada reported Wednesday.
''Manufacturing sales in July remained 22.4 percent below the $53.3 billion posted a year earlier,'' the agency said.
The most recent increase came on the heels of a 2.2 percent gain June and was attributed largely to gains in the motor vehicle, motor vehicle parts and the primary metals industries, the report said.
Sales in the motor vehicle industry rose 48.2 percent in July to $3.3 billion, the motor vehicle parts industry increased 30 percent to $1.5 billion and sales in the primary metals industry rose 11.2 percent to $2.7 billion, StatsCan said.
''Sales in 15 of 21 manufacturing industries increased in July, representing 66 percent of total sales,'' the agency said.
