Source: Statistics Canada
 
Canadian manufacturers had a notable pull-back in sales in August following four consecutive monthly increases. Sales decreased 3.7% to $52.0 billion, erasing most of the gains from the previous two months. The largest contributor to the decrease was the petroleum and coal products industry, where sales have fallen by nearly one billion dollars in two months.
 
Manufacturing sales measured in constant dollars, which provide an indicator of volume, decreased for the first time in five months. Constant dollar sales fell 3.7% in August to $46.3 billion. August’s decrease erased all of the gains since December 2007, moving constant dollar sales to the lowest level in eight months.
 
Overall, …