
Wholesale sales fall 2.2% in February: StatsCan
Machinery, equipment and supplies subsector posted the biggest drop.
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wholesale sales
OTTAWA — Statistics Canada says wholesale sales fell 2.2% to $55.8 billion in February.
The federal agency says sales fell in five of the seven subsectors it measures, accounting for 66% of total wholesale sales.
In volume terms, wholesale sales declined 1.9%.
Statistics Canada says the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector posted the biggest drop in dollar terms for the month.
The sector fell 4.8% to $11.0 billion, more than offsetting its 4.1% gain in January.
The motor vehicle and parts subsector fell 3.5% to $10.4 billion, the lowest level in three months.
Sales fell in nine provinces led by Ontario, which fell 1.2% to $28.6 billion, and Saskatchewan, which dropped 12.8% to $2.1 billion, its lowest level since August 2014.
Newfoundland and Labrador was the only province with higher sales in February as it gained 1.7% to $349 million.
© 2016 The Canadian Press