Canadian wholesale sales in current dollars fell 0.6% to $40.3 billion in April. Lower sales in the building materials sector and the machinery and electronic equipment sector were the main factors contributing to the decrease, according to Statistics Canada. In terms of the volume of sales, wholesale sales were up 0.5%. This was the first increase since September 2008.

Canadian wholesalers sell to both the domestic and international markets, and are active importers and exporters. The increase in the volume of sales, compared with the decrease in current dollar sales in April, reflects lower prices paid by wholesalers for imported goods, and the effect of the appreciation of the Canadian dollar versus the US dollar during the month.

In April, four of the seven sectors, accounting for …