PEI

P.E.I. manufacturing has strong start in 2017

Prince Edward Island manufacturers are showing good sales results in 2017, after leading the country in growth in 2016.

Growth is mostly in durable goods

Durable goods manufacturing was up more than 10 per cent. (Pat Martel/CBC)

Prince Edward Island manufacturers are showing good sales results in 2017, after leading the country in growth in 2016.

Statistics Canada released national manufacturing sales figures for May on Wednesday.

They show sales on P.E.I. increased 3.2 per cent in the first five months of the year, as compared to the first five months of 2016. That follows a 5.8 per cent increase in 2016 over 2015.

P.E.I. manufacturing sales
Jan.- May 2016 Jan.- May 2107 % change
Total manufacturing $635M $655.6M 3.2%
Non-durable goods industries $436.4M $436.9M 0.1%
Durable goods industries $198.6M $218.7M 10.1%

About two thirds of manufacturing on the Island is in the non-durable goods sector, such as food processing. That sector, however, was largely flat at the start of 2017. Durable goods manufacturing picked up the slack, growing 10.1 per cent.