TORONTO, March 8(Xinhua) -- Canada's main stock index ended higher Thursday, as U.S. President Donald Trump exempted Canada and Mexico from import tariffs on steel and aluminum.

The Toronto Stock Exchange's benchmark Standard&Poor's/TSX Composite Index rose 66.09 points, or 0.43 percent, to close the day at 15,538.70.

There were 164 advancing issues and 78 declining ones while eight were unchanged.

The Canadian dollar dropped 0.13 cents to 0.77.35 U.S. dollar.

Canadian National Railway Co rose 1.05 percent to 95.08 Canadian dollars and Martinrea International jumped 4.1 percent to 15.22 Canadian dollars.

Intertape Polymar Group and Linamar Corp surged 8.5 percent and 8.4 percent respectively.

The technology group climbed 1.2 percent. The energy group edged up 0.16 percent.

Paramount Resources was the biggest decliner, losing 5.5 percent after posting a fourth-quarter loss that was bigger than expected.

The materials group, which includes precious and base metals miners and fertilizer companies, lost 0.5 percent.