Manufacturing sales slip in Canada

OTTAWA, Feb. 14 (UPI) -- Canadian manufacturing sales dropped 0.9 percent in December to $49.8 billion, Statistics Canada said Friday.

Sales have not declined since August 2013. The data agency said December's decline was largely made up of a 6.1 percent decline to $8.8 billion in transportation equipment. Within that industry, sales of aerospace products and parts declined 19.4 percent. Sales also fell in the automotive sector.

Sales or primary metals also slid, dropping 3 percent to $3.6 billion. However, a 5.2 percent sales increase in processed petroleum and coal products partly offset the overall decline, StatsCan said.

Sales declined in 15 of 21 manufacturing industries, representing 75 percent of the country's manufacturing base.