The Weekly Review, July 13 to 17, 2026

July 17, 2026, 11:00 a.m. (EDT)

Overseas-resident trips to Canada increase

In June, the preliminary number of international arrivals to Canada (Canadian-resident return trips, combined with US-resident and overseas-resident arrivals) by air and automobile totalled 5.5 million, up 3.6% from the same month in 2025. Overseas-resident trips to Canada were up 5.1% in June 2026 from the same month one year earlier. Meanwhile, US-resident trips to Canada increased 5.1% in June, reaching 2.2 million. This marked the fifth consecutive month of year-over-year increase.

Source: Leading indicator of international arrivals to Canada, June 2026

Motor vehicle sales lead increase in the manufacturing sector

Total manufacturing sales reached a record high in May, rising 1.3% to $78.1 billion. This was the fourth consecutive monthly increase. Sales of motor vehicles increased 11.8% to $4.6 billion in May, following a 4.6% decline in April. Sales rose in six provinces in May, led by Ontario and followed by Saskatchewan. Meanwhile, Quebec posted the largest decline.

Source: Monthly Survey of Manufacturing, May 2026

Wholesale sales essentially unchanged in May

Wholesale sales (excluding petroleum, petroleum products, and other hydrocarbons and excluding oilseed and grain) were essentially unchanged (-0.0%), with sales sitting at $90.0 billion in May, after rising 1.4% in April. In May, eight provinces recorded lower sales, led by Quebec (-1.8% to $15.7 billion) and British Columbia (-2.6% to $8.2 billion).

Source: Wholesale trade, May 2026

Difficulties accessing specialist care are associated with unmet health care needs

In 2024, 27.8% of Canadians aged 45 or older (about 4.5 million) experienced difficulty accessing specialist care. Unmet needs were more common among middle-aged and older adults who experienced difficulty accessing specialist care than among those reporting no difficulty. For example, among middle-aged adults, the odds of unmet needs were 6.2 times higher among those who experienced difficulty accessing specialist care than those reporting no difficulty. This disparity was even greater among older adults (14.0 times higher).

Source: Health Reports, July 2026

Price increases expected across the supply chain

Most goods need to be transported before reaching the consumer. Higher energy costs can have a significant effect on getting these goods to market. Prices paid to producers for diesel rose between 35.4% and 76.1%, depending on the region, from May 2025 to May 2026, as measured by the Industrial Product Price Index. From February to March 2026 alone, prices for long-distance general freight trucking rose 4.5%, perhaps an early indication of the effects of fuel prices. In the second quarter, several sectors that rely on the transportation and warehousing sector reported plans to raise prices: accommodation and food services (42.0%), retail trade (39.7%) and wholesale trade (39.5%). 

Source: Fuelling inflation

 

Contact information

For more information, contact the Statistical Information Service (toll-free 1-800-263-1136514-283-8300infostats@statcan.gc.ca) or Media Relations (statcan.mediahotline-ligneinfomedias.statcan@statcan.gc.ca).