Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales rose 1.5 per cent to $49.5 billion in August, the highest level since March 2012.
The gains mainly came in higher sales in the petroleum and coal products, and vehicle industries. Constant dollar sales were up 1.8 per cent in August, indicating a gain in the volume of manufactured goods sold.
Sales in the petroleum and coal industry rose 8.6 per cent to $6.8 billion as some refineries emerged from slowdowns for maintenance and retooling. Sales in the motor vehicle assembly industry rose 4.4 per cent to $4.7 billion as plants reported higher-than-usual seasonal increases.
