FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2007, AT 8:30 A.M. EST 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (06)-12 

CB07-017

Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories and Orders 

December 2006 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

December increased $6.7 billion or 3.1 percent to $221.9 

billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This 

was the fourth increase in the last five months and 

followed a 2.2 percent November increase. Excluding 

transportation, new orders increased 2.3 percent. 

Excluding defense, new orders increased 3.9 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up four of the last five 

months, had the largest increase, $3.2 billion or 4.8 

percent to $69.9 billion. This was due to nondefense 

aircraft and parts, which increased $3.8 billion. 

 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in 

December, up four of the last five months, increased 

$1.7 billion or 0.8 percent to $211.6 billion. This 

followed a 0.3 percent November increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up four of the last five 

months, had the largest increase, $1.9 billion or 3.3 

percent to $57.9 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

December, up nineteen of the last twenty months, 

increased $15.5 billion or 2.3 percent to $694.9 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series was first 

stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.8 

percent November increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up nineteen of the last 

twenty months, had the largest increase, $12.0 billion or 

3.2 percent to $381.4 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

December, up eleven of the last twelve months, 

increased $1.3 billion or 0.4 percent to $296.0 billion. 

This followed a 0.3 percent November increase. 

 Machinery, up nine of the last ten months, had the 

largest increase, $0.7 billion or 1.5 percent to $47.1 

billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in December 

increased $6.7 billion or 9.0 percent to $80.7 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.3 billion or 0.4 percent to $67.3 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $13.4 billion or 3.7 

percent to $371.8 billion. Inventories increased $1.8 

billion or 1.6 percent to $115.8 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in December 

decreased $2.0 billion or 17.5 percent to $9.4 billion. 

Shipments decreased 0.4 percent to $8.2 billion. 

Unfilled orders increased $1.2 billion or 0.9 percent to 

$140.5 billion. Inventories increased 0.1 percent to 

$14.2 billion. 

Revised November Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted November figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $395.7 

billion (revised from $394.3 billion); shipments, $390.3 

billion (revised from $390.0 billion); unfilled orders, 

$679.4 billion (revised from $678.6 billion); and total 

inventories, $482.2 billion (revised from $481.9 billion).

Figures in text, other than year-to-date, are in seasonally adjusted current dollars. Figures on new and unfilled orders 

exclude data for semiconductor manufacturing. For data, call (301) 763-4673 or go to <http://www.census.gov/m3>.

Revised and more detailed estimates, plus nondurable goods data, will be published on February 2, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. EST. 

The advance report on durable goods for January is scheduled for release on February 27, 2007, at 8:30 a.m. EST. See back 

page for survey description. 
 2

Table 1. Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments and New Orders

[Millions of Dollars]

Seasonally Adjusted Not Seasonally Adjusted 1

Monthly Percent Change Monthly Year to Date

Item Percent

Dec Nov Oct Nov - Oct - Sep - Dec Nov Dec Change

2006 2 2006 r 2006 Dec 2 Nov r Oct 2006 2 2006 r 2005 2006 2005 06/05

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 211,601 209,852 209,145 0.8 0.3 0.2 208,860 205,040 211,608 2,518,602 2,385,367 5.6

 New Orders4.............................. 221,866 215,209 210,481 3.1 2.2 -8.1 227,383 209,584 222,899 2,557,867 2,390,164 7.0

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 153,674 153,779 154,268 -0.1 -0.3 -0.1 152,625 149,108 151,795 1,845,928 1,718,577 7.4

 New Orders4.............................. 151,963 148,537 149,963 2.3 -1.0 -1.8 150,622 143,260 145,512 1,803,187 1,670,081 8.0

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 201,668 199,863 199,246 0.9 0.3 -0.1 197,659 194,678 201,060 2,403,757 2,278,325 5.5

 New Orders4

.............................. 209,748 201,863 200,394 3.9 0.7 -6.4 209,663 196,059 208,835 2,429,246 2,291,922 6.0

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 146,976 146,371 145,817 0.4 0.4 -1.3 146,311 142,598 146,731 1,744,701 1,617,457 7.9

 New Orders4

.............................. 162,484 158,457 154,812 2.5 2.4 -10.9 170,151 154,164 165,216 1,864,223 1,698,648 9.7

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 19,199 18,735 18,846 2.5 -0.6 -2.3 16,693 17,629 15,010 223,979 194,247 15.3

 New Orders.............................. 19,239 18,412 18,775 4.5 -1.9 -0.7 17,203 17,511 16,094 224,587 197,739 13.6

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 24,927 24,395 24,484 2.2 -0.4 -0.5 22,899 23,436 21,990 294,745 275,301 7.1

 New Orders.............................. 24,992 24,394 24,248 2.5 0.6 -3.3 22,452 22,735 22,089 299,572 281,683 6.4

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 28,144 27,846 28,232 1.1 -1.4 1.6 27,760 25,847 26,643 327,104 295,315 10.8

 New Orders.............................. 29,497 28,096 30,719 5.0 -8.5 3.8 28,773 26,800 27,531 341,410 304,955 12.0

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 33,498 35,541 34,846 -5.7 2.0 1.0 38,746 35,330 40,795 419,701 394,644 6.3

 New Orders4.............................. 30,215 29,924 27,702 1.0 8.0 -9.8 36,520 28,921 33,921 352,811 324,505 8.7

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 6,669 6,581 4,846 1.3 35.8 -22.9 8,175 6,006 8,807 76,807 78,405 -2.0

 New Orders.............................. 6,491 6,700 4,898 -3.1 36.8 -23.7 7,997 6,125 8,954 76,316 78,173 -2.4 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 5,237 5,839 5,851 -10.3 -0.2 -1.7 6,633 5,796 6,769 70,076 61,650 13.7

 New Orders.............................. 6,411 5,907 5,282 8.5 11.8 -20.3 7,614 5,647 5,893 73,476 62,959 16.7

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 5,243 6,729 7,659 -22.1 -12.1 29.2 5,317 7,022 7,194 80,257 76,394 5.1

 New Orders4.............................. (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 10,131 9,899 10,070 2.3 -1.7 0.6 9,989 9,821 9,697 120,779 112,096 7.7

 New Orders.............................. 10,089 10,230 10,516 -1.4 -2.7 2.2 9,580 10,083 9,803 124,974 114,951 8.7

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 57,927 56,073 54,877 3.3 2.2 0.9 56,235 55,932 59,813 672,674 666,790 0.9

 New Orders.............................. 69,903 66,672 60,518 4.8 10.2 -20.7 76,761 66,324 77,387 754,680 720,083 4.8

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 40,642 38,401 37,339 5.8 2.8 2.1 36,124 37,342 36,577 469,958 481,835 -2.5

 New Orders.............................. 41,006 38,411 37,564 6.8 2.3 1.7 37,202 37,486 37,498 472,868 483,467 -2.2 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 7,789 8,195 8,219 -5.0 -0.3 -7.3 9,439 8,886 13,143 94,674 79,986 18.4

 New Orders.............................. 17,985 14,220 13,694 26.5 3.8 -42.5 24,516 14,645 27,574 161,269 139,146 15.9

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 3,701 3,733 3,714 -0.9 0.5 8.4 4,448 3,981 4,172 42,149 39,897 5.6

 New Orders.............................. 6,623 5,494 3,720 20.5 47.7 24.5 8,477 5,580 6,490 44,374 36,575 21.3

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 37,775 37,363 37,790 1.1 -1.1 -1.0 36,538 37,045 37,660 459,620 446,974 2.8

 New Orders.............................. 37,931 37,481 38,003 1.2 -1.4 -0.4 36,094 37,210 36,074 459,833 446,248 3.0

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 75,453 75,752 74,513 -0.4 1.7 -1.6 81,437 73,411 84,038 893,091 821,519 8.7

 New Orders.............................. 90,081 85,404 82,470 5.5 3.6 -17.7 103,611 83,163 99,877 990,792 888,344 11.5

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 67,263 67,531 66,324 -0.4 1.8 -2.3 72,425 64,903 75,320 797,375 730,842 9.1

 New Orders.............................. 80,675 74,004 74,238 9.0 -0.3 -14.4 89,203 71,756 89,099 882,129 805,784 9.5

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 62,104 62,262 60,967 -0.3 2.1 -1.5 65,733 59,007 64,894 735,994 683,934 7.6

 New Orders.......................... 64,836 63,301 63,929 2.4 -1.0 -4.0 67,248 60,321 64,726 761,206 698,118 9.0

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 8,190 8,221 8,189 -0.4 0.4 4.6 9,012 8,508 8,718 95,716 90,677 5.6

 New Orders.............................. 9,406 11,400 8,232 -17.5 38.5 -39.1 14,408 11,407 10,778 108,663 82,560 31.6

NA Not Available r Revised

1

 Shipments and new orders are the totals for the period and are adjusted for trading-day and calendar-month variations; unfilled orders and total inventories are as of the end of the period and are no

adjusted for trading-day or calendar-month variations

2

 Based on advance sample. Estimates of manufacturers' shipments, inventories, and orders are subject to survey error and revision. One major component of survey error is nonsampling error, whic

includes errors of coverage, response and nonreporting. Since the survey panel is not a probability sample, estimates of sampling error cannot be calculated. Further details on survey design

methodology, and data limitations are contained in our most recent annual benchmark publication, Current Industrial Reports: M3-3(05), "Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: 1992-2005

3

 The Capital Goods Industries include Nondefense : small arms and ordnance; farm machinery and equipment; construction machinery; mining, oil, and gas field machinery; industrial machinery; vendin

laundry, and other machinery; photographic equipment; metalworking machinery; turbines and generators; other power transmission equipment; pumps and compressors; material handling equipment; a

other machinery; electronic computers; computer storage devices; other computer peripheral equipment; communications equipment; search and navigation equipment; electromedical, measuring, an

control instruments; electrical equipment; other electrical equipment, appliances, and components; heavy duty trucks; aircraft; railroad rolling stock; ships and boats; office and institutional furniture; an

medical equipment and supplies

 Defense Capital Goods include : small arms and ordnance, communications equipment, aircraft; missiles, space vehicles, and parts, ships and boats, and search and navigation equipme

4 Data on new and unfilled orders are not available for the semiconductor industry. Estimates and percent changes for new orders and unfilled orders exclude semiconductor industry data. 

Inventories for semiconductor industry data are included in computers and electronic products and total durable goods industries, but are not shown separatel
 3

Table 2. Durable Goods Manufacturers' Unfilled Orders and Total Inventories

[Millions of Dollars]

Seasonally Adjusted Not Seasonally Adjusted 1

Monthly Percent Change Monthly Percent

Item Change

Dec Nov Oct Nov - Oct - Sep - Dec Nov Dec 2006/

2006 2 2006 r 2006 Dec 2 Nov r Oct 2006 2 2006 r 2005 2005

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 694,864 679,356 667,270 2.3 1.8 1.4 691,950 668,110 572,428 20.9

 Total Inventories....................... 296,040 294,781 293,841 0.4 0.3 0.8 287,511 295,282 264,976 8.5

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 313,471 309,939 308,452 1.1 0.5 1.1 308,804 305,490 271,288 13.8

 Total Inventories....................... 227,462 226,119 225,547 0.6 0.3 0.6 221,750 226,094 202,696 9.4

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 540,508 527,185 518,456 2.5 1.7 1.7 537,629 520,308 431,883 24.5

 Total Inventories....................... 277,275 275,604 274,675 0.6 0.3 0.9 269,251 276,116 245,754 9.6

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 694,864 679,356 667,270 2.3 1.8 1.4 691,950 668,110 572,428 20.9

 Total Inventories....................... 230,881 229,903 229,250 0.4 0.3 1.0 224,675 230,336 205,640 9.3

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 26,298 26,258 26,581 0.2 -1.2 -0.3 25,882 25,372 25,274 2.4

 Total Inventories....................... 29,850 29,975 30,054 -0.4 -0.3 1.6 29,899 29,892 25,295 18.2

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 53,650 53,585 53,586 0.1 0.0 -0.4 51,932 52,379 47,105 10.2

 Total Inventories....................... 38,272 38,000 37,897 0.7 0.3 1.0 37,338 37,360 33,631 11.0

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 77,136 75,783 75,533 1.8 0.3 3.4 76,011 74,998 61,705 23.2

 Total Inventories....................... 47,126 46,440 46,395 1.5 0.1 0.5 45,649 46,761 42,026 8.6

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 121,401 119,441 118,329 1.6 0.9 0.4 120,942 117,851 107,575 12.4

 Total Inventories....................... 46,621 46,315 45,851 0.7 1.0 0.5 44,952 47,120 41,131 9.3

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 4,211 4,389 4,270 -4.1 2.8 1.2 4,211 4,389 4,702 -10.4

 Total Inventories....................... 4,446 4,395 4,220 1.2 4.1 -5.3 4,122 4,668 3,974 3.7

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 36,979 35,805 35,737 3.3 0.2 -1.6 36,412 35,431 33,012 10.3

 Total Inventories....................... 9,896 10,087 10,210 -1.9 -1.2 1.6 9,572 10,550 9,698 -1.3

 Semiconductors:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)

 Total Inventories4....................... (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA) (NA)

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 22,621 22,663 22,332 -0.2 1.5 2.0 22,029 22,438 17,834 23.5

 Total Inventories....................... 14,334 14,194 14,078 1.0 0.8 0.7 13,837 14,047 12,354 12.0

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 381,393 369,417 358,818 3.2 3.0 1.6 383,146 362,620 301,140 27.2

 Total Inventories....................... 68,578 68,662 68,294 -0.1 0.5 1.4 65,761 69,188 62,280 5.6

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 19,936 19,572 19,562 1.9 0.1 1.2 20,002 18,924 17,092 17.0

 Total Inventories....................... 24,437 24,561 24,276 -0.5 1.2 1.2 23,356 24,633 22,445 4.1 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 231,841 221,645 215,620 4.6 2.8 2.6 234,029 218,952 167,434 39.8

 Total Inventories....................... 25,053 24,350 24,257 2.9 0.4 2.2 23,908 24,738 20,517 16.5

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 48,369 45,447 43,686 6.4 4.0 0.0 47,733 43,704 45,508 4.9

 Total Inventories....................... 11,594 12,057 11,933 -3.8 1.0 -1.1 11,293 12,058 11,405 -1.0

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 12,365 12,209 12,091 1.3 1.0 1.8 12,008 12,452 11,795 1.8

 Total Inventories....................... 51,259 51,195 51,272 0.1 -0.2 -0.1 50,075 50,914 48,259 3.8

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 512,243 497,615 487,963 2.9 2.0 1.7 512,396 490,222 414,695 23.6

 Total Inventories....................... 130,037 128,257 127,957 1.4 0.2 0.6 126,059 129,809 117,207 7.6

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 371,762 358,350 351,877 3.7 1.8 2.3 371,668 354,890 286,914 29.5

 Total Inventories....................... 115,797 114,025 113,725 1.6 0.3 0.8 112,023 115,589 102,346 9.5

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 167,126 164,394 163,355 1.7 0.6 1.8 164,418 162,903 139,206 18.1

 Total Inventories................... 96,615 95,541 95,316 1.1 0.2 0.5 93,706 96,751 86,644 8.2

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 140,481 139,265 136,086 0.9 2.3 0.0 140,728 135,332 127,781 10.1

 Total Inventories....................... 14,240 14,232 14,232 0.1 0.0 -0.5 14,036 14,220 14,861 -5.6

See footnotes at end of Table 1 
4 

Survey Description 

This report is compiled from results of the U.S. Census Bureau’s Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders 

(M3) survey. This survey provides statistics on manufacturers' value of shipments, new orders (net of cancellations), 

end-of-month order backlog (unfilled orders), end-of-month total inventory (at current cost or market value), and 

inventories by stage of fabrication (materials and supplies, work-in-process, and finished goods). The M3 includes 

approximately 4,200 reporting units. Units may be divisions of diversified large companies, large homogenous 

companies, or single-unit manufacturers in 89 industry categories. Due to the small monthly sample, these 89 

categories have been combined into 59 publication levels. The survey methodology assumes that the month-tomonth changes of the total operations of those companies in the monthly survey effectively represent the month-tomonth movements of all establishments that make up the category. The current coverage levels in the survey show 

that reported data in the monthly survey represent approximately 62 percent of the shipments estimates at the total 

manufacturing level. Data published represent manufacturing in a calendar month. The data collection is based on a 

voluntary survey authorized by Title 13 of the United States Code. 

The data presented in this release are based on data obtained from a panel of 4,200 reporting units and provide an 

indication of the activity within the manufacturing sector. The results differ from what would be obtained from a 

complete enumeration of all manufacturing companies. In addition, a different panel of 4,200 companies would 

yield different results. The M3 panel is comprised of companies with $500 million or more in shipments and a 

limited number of smaller companies. From a statistical perspective, the panel is not a probability sample; therefore, 

the sampling errors that are normally provided with sample surveys cannot be measured. Nonsampling errors are 

attributable to many sources. The use of company or divisional reports to estimate the monthly change for 

establishments is one source of nonsampling error. The use of primarily large companies to represent the month-tomonth movement of all companies is another potential source. Any corrections will be published in the full report. 

Corrections received after the full report will be released in the next month’s advance report. Any revisions made 

later than two months will be reflected in the annual benchmark publication. 

Additional survey documentation can be found on our web site: http://www.census.gov/m3.

2007 Release Dates for M3 Survey 

Survey Month Advance 8:30 A.M. Preliminary 10:00 A.M. 

Dec 2006 February 2, 2007 

Jan 2007 February 27, 2007 March 6, 2007 

Feb 2007 March 28, 2007 April 4, 2007 

Mar 2007 April 25, 2007 May 2, 2007 

Apr 2007 May 24, 2007 June 4, 2007 

May 2007 June 27, 2007 July 3, 2007 

Jun 2007 July 26, 2007 August 2, 2007 

Jul 2007 August 24, 2007 August 31, 2007 

Aug 2007 September 26, 2007 October 4, 2007 

Sep 2007 October 25, 2007 November 2, 2007

Oct 2007 November 28, 2007 December 5, 2007

Nov 2007 December 27, 2007