Canada Manufacturing Sales Seen Rising in April

Canada’s manufacturing sales are projected to rise 4.6% month-over-month in April 2026, following a 3% increase in the previous month, according to preliminary estimates. The expected gain is mainly driven by stronger sales in the petroleum and coal products subsector.

Canada’s manufacturing sales rose 3% to C$73.6 billion in March 2026, the highest since January 2025, after a downwardly revised 3.4% gain in February and below preliminary estimates of 3.5%. Sales increased in 9 of 21 subsectors, led by petroleum and coal products (+22.7%) and transportation equipment (+6.0%). Excluding petroleum and coal products, sales rose 0.7%. Manufacturing sales rose in eight provinces in March, with Ontario (+2.2%) and Alberta (+4.4%) posting the largest increases. On a quarterly basis, manufacturing sales edged up 0.1% to $214.1 billion in Q1 2026, the third consecutive quarterly increase, with petroleum and coal products (+4.9%) and primary metals (+4.3%) contributing the most.

Canada’s manufacturing sales are forecast to rise 3.5% in March 2026, following a 3.6% increase in the prior month, according to preliminary estimates. The largest gains are expected in the petroleum and coal product subsector and the transportation equipment subsector.