Total manufacturing sales surged 4.2% to USD 54.74 (CAD 77.10) billion in April ’26. This follows a 3.4% increase in March ’26. Sales surged in 17 of the 21 subsectors. It was led by petroleum & coal products (+22.6%), besides food (+2.9%) subsectors. Sales of primary metals (-4.6%) declined the most. Total manufacturing sales excluding petroleum & coal products were up 1.4% on a month-over-month basis in April. This was while they increased 10.6% on a year-over-year basis.
In constant dollars, total manufacturing sales rose 1.8% in April. This is while the Industrial Product Price Index increased 2.0%.
Petroleum & coal product subsectors lead sales increases in manufacturing sectors.
In April, sales of coal and petroleum products hit yet another record high. It rose 22.6% to USD 8.38 (CAD 11.8) billion. This follows a 25.5% increase reflected in March ’2026. This gain was driven primarily by higher volumes. The increase was in sales in constant dollars that rose 17.5% in April. Several refineries ramped up production after maintenance shutdowns recorded during March. In addition to these factors, the ongoing closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global shipping route for crude oil, continued to exert upward pressure on energy prices, including those of petroleum products, during April. It reflected heightened supply concerns in international markets. On a year-over-year basis, petroleum product sales in current dollars were up 77.1% during April. Meantime, exports of refined petroleum energy products (including liquid biofuels) increased 56.3% month over month.
Sales of food products reached their record high. It rose 2.9% to USD 9.87 (CAD 13.9) billion in April. Sales in constant dollars were up 2.4%. Higher sales of grain & oilseed milling contributed the most to the increase. On a year-over-year basis, total sales of food in current dollars increased 5.9%.
Sales in the primary metal subsector fell 4.6% to USD 4.47 (CAD 6.3) billion in April. This decrease was following a 0.7% decline in March.
