By Paul Vieira

OTTAWA--Canadian manufacturing sales dropped for the first time in three months in November, weighed down by weaker demand for automotive and aerospace products.

Canadian factory shipments declined 0.6% in November from October to a seasonally adjusted 53.66 billion Canadian dollars, or the equivalent to US$42.05 billion, Statistics Canada said Tuesday. Market expectations were for a 0.1% increase, according to economists at Bank of Nova Scotia.

The prior month's data were revised downward, and now indicate sales rose by 0.2% in October versus the earlier estimate of a 0.3% increase.

On a volume, or price-adjusted, basis, factory sales fell 0.6% in November.

Manufacturing sales in Canada are now roughly 3.8% below prepandemic levels, or February of last year.

The drop in November shipments came even though 16 of the 21 components tracked posted month-over-month gains.

The transportation-equipment sector fell 9.1% in November, to C$8.92 billion, led by a steep 23.8% plunge in aerospace--which tends to be a volatile component on a month-over-month basis. The data agency said travel restrictions and market uncertainty generated by the new coronavirus pandemic negatively affected production. On a year-over-year basis, aerospace shipments declined over 45%. Sales of motor vehicles decreased 5.7% in November, and are now 10% below prepandemic levels.

Sales of non-durable goods increased 1.5% to over C$25 billion in November, mainly due to higher sales in the petroleum and coal product industry.

Meanwhile, unfilled orders--the stock of orders that will contribute to future sales assuming they are not cancelled--dropped 3.6% in November to C$85.55 billion, or the lowest level in nearly three years. New orders declined 1.2%, to C$50.43 billion.

Write to Paul Vieira at paul.vieira@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

01-19-21 0925ET