OTTAWA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Canada's wholesale sales rose 1.2 percent to a record 63.7 billion Canadian dollars (about 48.3 billion U.S. dollars) in May from April this year, according to Statistics Canada on Monday.
The sales went up in four of seven subsectors, representing about 50 percent of total wholesale sales.
The miscellaneous, building material and supplies, and farm product subsectors contributed the most to the gains in May, while the motor vehicle and parts subsector posted the largest decline.
In volume terms, wholesale sales increased 1.3 percent. In dollar terms, the miscellaneous subsector saw the largest increase in May, as sales rose 7.8 percent due to a 25.6 percent increase in the agricultural supplies industry.
Sales in the building material and supplies subsector jumped five percent, while the farm product subsector rebounded from an April decline to post an addition of 25.5 percent in May.
Sales in the motor vehicle and supplies subsector fell 2.5 percent, the second consecutive monthly decrease and the fifth drop in six months, bringing the subsector to its lowest level since December 2016.
Wholesale inventories in the country rose for the second consecutive month, up 1.4 percent to a record 84 billion Canadian dollars (roughly 63.7 billion U.S. dollars) in May. Five of seven subsectors posted increases, representing 90 percent of total wholesale inventories. Enditem
