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New motor vehicle sales
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Sales of new motor vehicles declined for the third consecutive month in April, mainly as a result of lower sales in the western provinces.
According to seasonally adjusted data from the New Motor Vehicle Sales Survey, consumers purchased 143,300 new vehicles in April, down 2.6% from March. Sales have levelled off in recent months after an upswing that began in October 2007.
Looking ahead, preliminary industry data for May suggests that the number of new motor vehicles sold will remain relatively unchanged.
Overseas-built cars drive April's decrease
Sales of passenger cars fell 5.0% to 75,020 units. Nearly three-quarters of this decline was due to the first drop in sales of overseas-built passenger cars since November 2007. Even with this decline, overseas-built passenger cars are still following an upward trend. Meanwhile, sales of North American-built passenger cars fell for a third consecutive month, after registering the largest monthly increase in sales in January since 1991.
The number of new trucks (which includes minivans, sport-utility vehicles, light and heavy trucks, vans and buses) sold in April edged up 0.2% to 68,280 units. This was the third consecutive month that truck sales have remained around the same level.
Sales down in seven provinces
Sales were down in seven provinces in April, with significant declines in Nova Scotia and the four western provinces. The national decline was most influenced by an 8.7% drop in sales in Alberta, where dealers sold the fewest new motor vehicles since December 2005.
Sales increased in New Brunswick, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador. The significant gain in New Brunswick brought the number of new motor vehicles sold to its highest level since December 2002.
Available on CANSIM: table 079-0003.
Definitions, data sources and methods: survey number 2402.
The April 2008 issue of New Motor Vehicle Sales (63-007-XWE, free) will be available soon.
Data on new motor vehicle sales for May will be released on July 15.
For general information or to order data, contact Client Services (toll-free 1-877-421-3067; 613-951-3549; retailinfo@statcan.gc.ca). To enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Mark Switzer (613-951-7137), Distributive Trades Division.
Table(s).
