In Canada, manufacturing sales rose 0.3% to $71.4 billion in December, marking the third consecutive monthly increase, according to Statistics Canada. Wood product sales climbed 11% year-over-year to $3.5 billion, with a 1.5% gain from November.
Construction-related non-metallic mineral product sales increased 2% in December but fell 3% from the previous year. Meanwhile, furniture and related product sales declined 9% year-over-year and 5% from November, reflecting economic uncertainty and weaker consumer demand.
In the broader manufacturing sector, Q4 2024 sales rose 1.6% to $213.3 billion, driven by gains in transportation equipment and wood products. However, annual sales declined 2% due to weaker performance in transportation equipment and petroleum products. Capacity utilization in the wood product sector dropped nearly 5 percentage points in December, while furniture manufacturing declined nearly 8 percentage points, signaling lower production levels in both industries.
