This document provides a summary of various market trends in Canada and the United States for January 2017 and December 2016. It includes an agenda covering GDP growth, merchandise trade, automotive sales, steel production, oil rigs, truck sales, agriculture equipment, electrical production, commodity prices, manufacturing sales, and housing starts. The key points are that Canadian automotive sales rose 2.2% in January 2017 to a record high while US sales declined, Canadian steel production increased, and US cutting tool consumption fell 4.3% in 2016. Sources are provided for each topic.

1. MARKET TRENDS – CANADA AND UNITED
STATES (USA) – JAN/17 AND DEC/16
By: Paul Young, CPA, CGA
Date: February 22, 2017

2. AGENDA
 GDP Growth
 Merchandise Trade/Canada
 Merchandise Trade / USA
 Automotive
 Steel Production
 Oil Rigs
 Class 8 Truck Sales
 Agriculture Equipment
 Electrical Production / Canada
 Commodity Prices
 Canada Manufacturing Sales – January 2017
 Housing Starts

3. GDP GROWTH
 Source – Scotiabank Economics

4. NORTH AMERICA FORECAST
 Source -Scotiabank

5. MERCHANDISE TRDE / CANADA
 Source – Stats Canada

6. USA / TRADE
- Source - https://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-
Release/current_press_release/ft900.pdf

7. AUTOMOTIVE
 Source – Scotiabank
• Canadian car and light truck sales
rose 2.2 per cent in January over last
year to an all-time record for the
month, DesRosiers Automotive
Consultants said on Wednesday, as
the big Detroit Three automakers
posted gains that contrasted with
U.S. declines.
• total sales in Canada climbed to
110,945 light vehicles in January, up
from 108,572 in the same month last
year, DesRosiers said, beating the
previous record-setting January sales
of 110,266 vehicles in 2002. Source –
Globe and Mail
Analysts called for a broad range of
results in January. Edmunds.com
estimating a relatively flat performance
for the industry compared with the same
period, while WardsAuto.com forecast a
4.4% decline and a much lower
seasonally-adjusted annual rate of sales
than what was recorded in December or
the prior January – Source – Market
Watch
Canada Automotive sales
up January 2017
USA Automotive sales
decline January 2017

8. STEEL PRODUCTION
 Source – World Steel

9. OIL RIGS

10. CLASS 8 TRUCK SALES
 Source – The Trucker

11. EQUIPMENT
 Source – Association of Equipment
Manufacturers

12. ELECTRICAL PRODUCTION CANADA
 Source - IEG

13. CUTTING TOOLS
 http://americanmachinist.com/cutting-tools/us-cutting-tool-
consumption-fell-43-2016

14. CANADA MANUFACTURING SALES
 Stats Canada

15. HOUSING STARTS
 Source – BMO and Scotia Bank

16. COMMODITY PRICES
 Source BMO and Scotiabank

17. EMPLOYMENT / CANADA
 Source - Stats Canada
Source - CBC