Production of big-ticket items boosts shipments

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OTTAWA, Ont. — Manufacturers of big ticket, durable goods, including aircrafts, motor vehicles and parts, had a strong December with shipments rising 1.2% to $24.2 billion, the first increase since September. Nondurable goods manufacturing edged up 0.7% to $18.5 billion.

Motor vehicle sector in particular had a strong month with shipments increasing 3.0% to $5.0 billion in December, leading all sectors, Statistics Canada figures just released indicate.

The increase indicates a bit of a recovery from shipment declines in October (-2.1%) and November (-4.1%). The trend for motor vehicle manufacturing has been gradually descending since mid-2002.

Other industries reporting higher shipments in December included aerospace, chemical products and motor vehicle parts. Production of aerospace products and parts jumped 13.0% to $920.6 million, regaining ground lost in November (-12.7%). Meanwhile, pharmaceutical manufacturers contributed to a 2.6% rise in shipments of chemical products to $3.3 billion, the highest level since September. The motor vehicle parts industry reported a 2.7% increase in December.

Partly offsetting the rise in total shipments was the wood products industry, where shipments plunged 7.6% to $2.3 billion. This was the third consecutive decline, and was primarily due to a significant drop in the industrial price of wood and a labour dispute in British Columbia’s coastal forestry sector.

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