Canada's real gross domestic product down in February

OTTAWA, April 30 (Xinhua) -- Canada's real gross domestic product (GDP) was down 0.2 percent in February, partly offsetting January's 0.4 percent increase, Statistics Canada said Wednesday.

After driving growth in January, goods-producing industries drove the decline in February, as mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction and construction contributed the most to the aggregate's decline, said the national statistical agency.

Services-producing industries edged down in February as contractions in transportation and warehousing and real estate and rental and leasing were partially offset by a rise in finance and insurance, said the agency.

Advance information indicated that real GDP increased 0.1 percent in March and the economy is expected to expand 0.4 percent in the first quarter of this year, said Statistics Canada. ■