(Adds details of release, background)
OTTAWA, May 17 (Reuters) - Canadian manufacturing sales
slipped by 0.9 percent in March on weakness in the
transportation equipment and primary metals industries,
Statistics Canada said on Tuesday.
The drop was less steep than the 1.8 percent fall that
analysts forecast in a Reuters poll. Statscan revised February's
decline to 4.0 percent, the largest month-on-month decrease in
almost seven years, from an initial 3.3 percent.
Sales were down in 16 of 21 industries, representing 88.3
percent of Canadian manufacturing. Transportation equipment
sales fell by 3.4 percent on a 7.0 percent drop in production in
the aerospace product and parts sector.
Primary metals sales declined by 5.6 percent, while those in
the petroleum and coal products industry climbed 11.3 percent,
their first rise in 10 months, on the back of higher petroleum
prices.
Overall inventories edged down by 0.4 percent to their
lowest level since January, while new orders fell 2.2 percent.
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Graphic - Canadian manufacturing sales http://link.reuters.com/nem27s
Graphic - Canada economic dashboard http://graphics.thomsonreuters.com/15/sc-canada/index.html
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