OTTAWA, Ont. — Total inventories for manufacturers increased 0.3% to $63.6 billion in November, the fifth increase in a row and an increase of $1.5 billion since the start of the year, according to Statistics Canada.

Transportation equipment inventories increased 0.5% to $8.9 billion the highest level since March 2006. Most of the increase was observed in the aerospace industry, which grew 2.6% to $4.2 billion.

Inventory levels in the petroleum and coal industry were also up, increasing 5.0% to $3.6 billion after falling for three months.

By stage of fabrication, goods in process inventories had climbed consistently over the past two years, but fell marginally in November. Inventories of raw materials and finished products rose marginally in November. Petroleum and coal finished product inventories rose on warmer weather in Eastern Canada and the United States, while aerospace inventories progressed from in-process to finished stages of manufacture.