Manufacturing sales rose in February, reflecting increases in the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts industries, following widespread slowdowns and shutdowns in January, Statistics Canada said Thursday.

Manufacturing sales increased 2.2% to $42.9 billion, the first increase since July 2008.

StatsCan said motor vehicle and vehicle parts industries in Ontario were behind most of the gains, after broad slowdowns and shutdowns in January.

Factoring out sales of motor vehicles, parts and accessories, manufacturing sales edged down 0.2%, the seventh monthly decline in a row.

Sales by motor vehicle manufacturers rose by 34.5%, while parts sales were up 38.5%. However, motor vehicle and parts sales were still approximately 40% below February 2008 levels.

Primary metal manufacturers reported a 3.5% increase in February. Falling prices and weak demand have pushed have pushed down sales in the sector by one-third since October 2008.

Petroleum and coal product sales decreased 3.3% in February following an 11% gain in January. Chemical manufacturers posted a drop of 2.1% for February, marking a sixth drop in the last seven months.

IE