Statistics Canada says wholesale sales rose 4.2 per cent in January to $79.8 billion, helped by gains in sales of building material and supplies, personal and household goods, and machinery, equipment and supplies.
The agency says it was the sixth consecutive month wholesale sales have increased as five of the seven subsectors tracked by Statistics Canada climbed higher in January.
Sales of building material and supplies rose 14.0 per cent to $14.1 billion as exports of lumber and sawmill products gained 16.3 per cent and exports of plastic and foam building and construction materials rose 20.1 per cent.
Personal and household goods sales rose 10.6 per cent to $12.2 billion, while sales in the machinery, equipment and supplies subsector gained 6.6 per cent at $16.8 billion.
The motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and accessories subsector fell 5.8 per cent to $11.1 billion in January.
In volume terms, overall wholesale sales rose 3.8 per cent in January.
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