OTTAWA – Statistics Canada says wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products and other hydrocarbons, and excluding oilseed and grain, rose 2.0 per cent in December to $86.1 billion.
It says sales rose in four of seven subsectors, with the motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector rebounding from a steep drop in November to rise 9.3 per cent in December.
Statistics Canada says the increase followed semiconductor chip shortages that affected automotive production in October and November.
Sales were up 6.8 per cent in the miscellaneous subsector, boosted by the mineral, ore and precious metal industry group, which rose 85.6 per cent to a record $1.5 billion.
Sales in the food, beverage and tobacco subsector fell 3.4 per cent.
In volume terms, wholesale sales, excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and oilseed and grain, gained 2.1 per cent.
Statistics Canada has started including oilseed and grain as well as the petroleum and petroleum products subsector as part of wholesale trade, but is excluding the data from its monthly analysis until there is enough historical data for comparison.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 17, 2026.
