Canada’s manufacturing sales rose 1.5% month over month to C$79.9 billion in August 2026, exceeding expectations for a 1.1% gain and posting the strongest increase since April. Sales were up in 12 of the 21 subsectors surveyed.
Primary metal sales jumped 14% to a record C$7.6 billion, driven mainly by higher output and processing of non‑ferrous metals (excluding aluminum). Chemical sales advanced 4.4% to C$6.2 billion, with basic chemicals accounting for most of the increase.
By contrast, transportation equipment sales declined 2.6% to C$12 billion, as motor vehicle sales fell 4% and motor vehicle parts sales dropped 4.2%.
Regionally, sales increased in six provinces, led by Quebec, up 4%, and Newfoundland and Labrador, up 58.5%.
