Statistics Canada reports wholesale sales rose in July

OTTAWA - Statistics Canada reported that wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons, and excluding oilseed and grain, increased by 0.3 percent in July, reaching $93.1 billion. The agency noted growth in three of the seven subsectors it monitors, with the building material and supplies sector expanding by 3.5 percent to $13.8 billion.

The food, beverage, and tobacco sector saw a 1.7 percent rise, totaling $16.7 billion. However, sales in the miscellaneous sector declined by 2.9 percent, amounting to $12.3 billion, as the mineral, ore, and precious metal industry group experienced a significant drop of 31.4 percent, to $899.6 million. In terms of volume, wholesale sales, excluding the aforementioned sectors, fell by 0.6 percent in July.

Statistics Canada has begun incorporating oilseed and grain, as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector, into wholesale trade but is withholding these figures from its monthly analysis until sufficient historical data is available for comparison.