Manufacturing sales in British Columbia were down 4.5% to $3.2 billion in June compared with the previous month, according to Statistics Canada data released this morning (August 16).
The biggest contributors to the decline were the wood product and petroleum and coal product industries.
Across the country, manufacturing sales dipped 0.5% to $48.2 billion in June – the fourth decrease in six months, with sales on a slow overall decline since spring 2012. The decline was mostly due to lower sales in the wood product, fabricated metal and miscellaneous manufacturing industries. Sales fell in 16 of 21 industries.
Miscellaneous manufacturing industry sales fell by 20.2% to $902 million, driven largely by lower sales in the jewelry and silverware manufacturing sub-industry.
Year-over-year, manufacturing sales dipped 0.9% in B.C. and 3.7% nationwide.
The provinces with the largest drops in June 2013 compared with June 2012 were:
- Newfoundland and Labrador (down 11.3%);
- Nova Scotia (down 9.5%); and
- Quebec (down 6.5%).
The province with the biggest year-over-year increase was New Brunswick, up 8%.
