(Ottawa) Wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products and other hydrocarbons as well as oilseeds and grains, increased 0.1% to reach 82.4 billion in January, according to Statistics Canada.
The federal agency says the increase from December came as sales rose in three of the seven subsectors it studies, including machinery, equipment and supplies, and personal and household goods. .
Sales in the machinery subsector alone climbed 1.4% to $17.4 billion in January, its first increase in five months.
For a fourth consecutive month, the personal and household goods subsector also increased, jumping 1.8% to 12 billion in January.
In terms of volume, wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, other hydrocarbons, oilseeds and cereal grains, remained unchanged in January.
Statistics Canada began introducing oilseeds and cereal grains as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector into wholesale trade earlier this year.
However, the figures are excluded until there is sufficient historical data to carry out a “proper” monthly and annual analysis, the agency explains.