Manufacturing sales fall to $51.5 billion in November: Statistics Canada

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OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales fell 1.4 per cent in November to $51.5 billion — the third drop in four months.

The result compared with a drop of 0.

7 per cent that economists had expected according to Thomson Reuters.

However, the agency says year-to-date sales in 2014 were 5.2 per cent higher than those in the first 11 months of 2013.

Statistics Canada says the drop was due to lower sales of motor vehicles, chemicals, primary metals and food.

The agency says manufacturers in 16 of 21 industries — representing more than 80 per cent of total Canadian manufacturing — reported lower sales in November.

It says sales in constant dollars fell 1.4 per cent, indicating that a lower volume of manufactured goods was sold.