FX.co ★ Canada Wholesale Sales Stall in May

Wholesale sales in Canada were flat month-over-month at C$90.0 billion in May 2026, following an upwardly revised 1.4% increase in April. This contrasts with the earlier preliminary estimate, which had pointed to a 0.7% decline. Sales fell in four of the seven subsectors.

The food, beverage, and tobacco subsector declined 1.5% to C$16.0 billion, driven by a 1.5% drop in the food industry group. The personal and household goods subsector also contracted, with sales down 0.6% to C$13.1 billion. Within that category, the pharmaceuticals industry recorded the largest decrease, with sales falling 3.1%.

Part of this overall weakness was offset by a 14.2% surge in the non-agricultural chemical and allied products industry group, which helped lift the miscellaneous subsector by 2.2%.

Regionally, wholesale sales declined in eight provinces, led by Quebec (-1.8%) and British Columbia (-2.6%). On a year-over-year basis, wholesale sales were 7.4% higher in May.