Statistics Canada says manufacturing sales fell 2.1 percent to $69.9 billion in March as sales of petroleum and coal products and motor vehicles fell.
The agency says sales of petroleum and coal products dropped 8.0 percent to $8.0 billion in March as volumes fell 6.1 percent.
Sales of motor vehicles fell 7.9 percent to $4.6 billion in March as sales of motor vehicle parts lost 2.8 percent.
Statistics Canada says retoolings at several major auto assembly plants in Ontario continued to impact auto manufacturing and contributed to the lower sales for the month.
Meanwhile, sales of machinery rose 2.9 percent to $4.5 billion in March. The increase came as sales in all seven machinery industry groups climbed higher, led by commercial and service industry machinery which gained 41.6 percent.
Overall manufacturing sales in constant dollars fell 2.0 percent in March.
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