Canadian new light vehicle sales declined in every province in March 2026, as trade pressures and rising gas prices weighed heavily on consumer demand, according to DAC.
The downturn follows an unusually strong March 2025, when buyers accelerated purchases ahead of anticipated tariffs. This year, however, all ten provinces posted year-over-year declines, with seven experiencing double-digit drops. Alberta saw sales fall 11.1 per cent, while Newfoundland recorded the steepest decline at 19.3 per cent. Quebec posted the smallest decrease at 3.4 per cent.
“A repeat of the strong performance of March 2025 when consumers were pre-buying to get ahead of tariffs was never likely,” said Andrew King, Managing Partner of DAC, in a statement. “Nevertheless the breadth of the weakness this March and the disappointing SAAR of 1.85 million are undoubtedly concerning, with both trade pressures and high gas prices weighing on the market.”
Nationally, sales reached just under 170,000 units in March, down 8.2 per cent from 185,000 units a year earlier.
Across the opening quarter, results were uneven but largely negative. Quebec was the only province to post a gain, with sales up 2.3 per cent, supported by a softer comparison a year earlier. In contrast, Newfoundland, Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan recorded some of the steepest pullbacks, with declines reaching 16.4 per cent, 13.4 per cent and 11.0 per cent.
Over the full quarter, sales totalled about 406,000 units, down 4.4 per cent year over year.
