Canada Wholesale Trade Expected to Decline in August

Canada’s wholesale trade, excluding petroleum, petroleum products and other hydrocarbons, as well as oilseed and grain, is estimated to have decreased 1.5% month-over-month in August 2026, following a 0.3% increase in July. Advance estimates indicate that the decline mainly reflected lower sales in the agricultural supplies industry group within the miscellaneous subsector, as well as in the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector.

Wholesales sales in Canada, excluding petroleum and hydrocarbon products, rose by 0.3% from the previous month to C$93.1 billion in July of 2026. The result was revised higher from the flash estimate of a 0.6% decline, extending the 2.8% jump in June to reflect some resilience to higher energy costs from the Canadian manufacturing sector. Higher sales were observed from building materials and supplies subsector (3.5% to C$13.8 billion) and food, beverage, and tobacco producers (1.7% to C$16.67 billion). In turn, sales fell for farm products (-1.9% to C$1.8 billion) and personal and household goods (-1.5% to C$12.8 billion). Wholesalers raised prices in the period to support turnover, as volumes shrank by 0.6% from the previous month.

Canada’s wholesale trade is estimated to have decreased 0.6% month-over-month in July 2026, following a 2.8% increase in the previous month, marking the first decline since January. The advance results for July indicate lower sales in the agricultural supplies and mineral, ore and precious metals industry groups within the miscellaneous subsector.