OTTAWA: Canadian industrial capacity use dropped to 80.9pc in the first quarter, the lowest in more than three years, on weakness in the mining, quarrying and oil extraction sector, Statistics Canada said on Friday.
Analysts in a Reuters poll had forecast industries would run at 81.0pc, down from the revised 81.8pc in the fourth quarter.
The first quarter use - which marked the third consecutive quarterly decline - was the lowest since the 80.7pc seen in the third quarter of 2015.
Capacity use in the mining, quarrying and oil extraction sector dropped to 79.6pc from 81.9pc, in part due to temporary output limits on oil sands extraction imposed by the government of energy-rich Alberta.
The manufacturing sector's capacity utilization rate fell to 78.2pc from 79.1pc on a decline in durable goods output.
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