Canadian GDP fractionally down in April

OTTAWA, June 30 (UPI) -- Canada's gross domestic product dipped 0.1 percent in April, led by declines in manufacturing, energy and retail sales, Statistics Canada reported.

The agency said 15 of the 21 major sectors in manufacturing were down in the month for a 1 percent decline overall, while the energy sector was down 0.5 percent.

"Storage levels of natural gas in Canada and the United States remained high, while the price of natural gas declined to a level below those recorded at the end of 2007," StatsCan said.

There was a teeter-totter effect in sales, as retail trade fell 0.6 percent but wholesale trade rose 0.5 percent, the report said. Retail was brought down based on lower volume at food and beverage stores and new/used car dealers. Wholesale advances were topped by grains, food, beverage/tobacco products, and personal and household goods, the report said.

Construction activity slipped 0.1 percent in April, although real estate agents and brokers saw an 8.2 percent gain in April, which represents a 28 percent gain since January, the agency said.