Slight drop in Canadian wholesale trade

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OTTAWA, March 19 (UPI) -- The aerospace industry was a big factor in a monthly decline in Canadian wholesale trade in January, Statistics Canada reported Tuesday.

All sectors reported sales decreases, bringing the national total down 0.2 percent to $48 billion from a month earlier.

Durable goods sales fell 0.7 percent to $24.1 billion, while non-durable goods sales rose 0.3 percent to $23.9 billion, the data agency said.

Among durable goods, sales fell 3.8 percent to $7.5 billion in the transportation equipment industry. That was pushed by a 19.7 percent drop in aerospace products and parts, Statistics Canada said.

Petroleum and coal product sales at the wholesale level dropped 1.8 percent to $7 billion. Food industry sales fell 1.3 percent to $6.7 billion.

It was the fourth decline in food sales in five months with sales for the sector at the lowest level since September 2010.