Explanatory Notes — Manufacturing Shipments

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Note: Manufacturing Shipments are only available in the Trade by Industry (NAICS codes) module.

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Manufacturing Shipments - also known as "shipments of goods of own manufacture" - report the production of goods produced by Canadian establishments in the "Manufacturing Sector (NAICS 31-33)". It measures the $ value, not the quantity of manufactured goods produced.

Manufacturing Establishments

These are establishments primarily engaged in the physical or chemical transformation of materials or substances into new products. These products may be finished, in the sense that they are ready to be used or consumed, or semi-finished, in the sense of becoming a raw material for an establishment to use in further manufacturing.

Related activities, such as the assembly of the component parts of manufactured goods; the blending of materials; and the finishing of manufactured products by dyeing, heat-treating, plating and similar operations are also treated as manufacturing activities.

Manufacturing establishments are known by a variety of trade designations, such as plants, factories or mills.

The manufactured goods include those made under contract as well as those for custom and repair work, but excludes consignment shipments.

Source of Data

Data is collected by Statistics Canada on an annual basis through its Annual Survey of Manufactures and Logging.

The Annual Survey of Manufactures underwent several methodological changes in reference year 2000. Most relevant to the data used in Trade Data Online was an improvement in the survey frame which led to an expansion in coverage and an increase in published manufacturing shipments.

In reference year 2004 the Annual Survey of Manufactures was replaced by the Annual Survey of Manufactures and Logging, ushering in methodological changes that included a change in the coverage for published statistics. Beginning with reference year 2004, manufacturing shipments data cover the activities of all businesses classified as manufacturers in Canada. Prior to 2004, the data covered the activities of incorporated businesses with employees having annual sales greater than or equal to $30,000.

These changes impact all Trade Data Online variables that incorporate data on manufacturing shipments. Caution should be used when interpreting trends in the data.

A Monthly Survey of Manufacturing is also carried out. Unlike the annual survey, which as a census is intended to cover all manufacturing establishments, the monthly survey is carried out using a sample. Its intent is to monitor the manufacturing activity from month to month.

It should be noted that adding the results for each of the 12 monthly surveys in a year will not equal the results of the annual survey - as different methodologies are employed.

Only annual data from the annual survey are reported on this site.

Valuation

Canadian Manufacturing Shipments are based on net selling values "excluding discounts, returns, allowances, sales taxes, excise duties and taxes, and transportation charges by common or contract carriers". Transfers to other units are treated as shipments.

Use in Conjunction with Trade Data

Using this data in conjunction with trade data allows the possibility to calculate an export intensity ratio as well as estimate the apparent domestic market for a given industry.

However, as outlined in the section called Integrating Trade Data with Manufacturing Data, there are potential pitfalls and important limitations to this approach.