By Commodity News Service Canada
WINNIPEG, Dec. 18 (CNS Canada) The Canadian dollar was slightly weaker Wednesday morning, as losses in crude oil weighed on the energy-linked currency.
At 8:50 CST Tuesday morning the Canadian dollar was at US$0.7452 or C$1.3419 which compares with Monday’s North American close of US$0.7463 or C$1.3399.
Canadian manufacturing sales declined 0.1 per cent in October, to C$58.2 billion, according to a report from Statistics Canada.
In a separate report, Statistics Canada reported that the volume of rail freight in the country came in at 34.7 million tonnes in October, which was up 5.3 per cent from the same month the previous year. Fuel oils and crude petroleum saw the largest increase, rising 87.3 per cent from 2017, to 1.002 million tonnes. Cereal grain movement was up by 200,000 tonnes, or 47.9 per cent. However, movement of oilseeds, nuts and other agricultural products was down by 427,000 tonnes, or 42.4 per cent, from the previous year.
North American equity markets were stronger early Tuesday, correcting after yesterday’s selloff. The TSX was up by 49.68 points at 8:50 CST at 14,412.33. Crude oil was weaker in early activity.
