FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

THURSDAY, JULY 27, 2006, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Patrick Kent 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (06)-6 

CB06-116

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

June 2006 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in June 

increased $6.5 billion or 3.1 percent to $216.3 billion, 

the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This is the 

fourth increase in the last five months and follows a 0.3 

percent May increase. Excluding transportation, new 

orders increased 1.0 percent. Excluding defense, new 

orders increased 1.3 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up following two 

consecutive monthly decreases, had the largest increase, 

$5.1 billion or 8.6 percent to $63.5 billion. 

 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in June, up 

four of the last five months, increased $0.2 billion or 0.1 

percent to $212.8 billion. This was at the highest level 

since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 

1992 and followed a 3.0 percent May increase. 

 Machinery, up four consecutive months, had the 

largest increase, $0.4 billion or 1.6 percent to $27.4 

billion. This was at the highest level since the series 

began. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

June, up thirteen of the last fourteen months, increased 

$10.1 billion or 1.7 percent to $621.9 billion. This was 

at the highest level since the series began and followed a 

0.7 percent May increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up five consecutive months, 

had the largest increase, $6.3 billion or 2.0 percent to 

$327.4 billion. This was at the highest level since the 

series began. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in June, up 

five of the last six months, increased $1.8 billion or 0.6 

percent to $282.6 billion. This followed a 0.7 percent 

May increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up four consecutive 

months, had the largest increase, $0.6 billion or 0.9 

percent to $66.2 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in June 

increased $0.9 billion or 1.3 percent to $71.4 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.2 billion or 0.2 percent to $66.4 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $5.0 billion or 1.6 

percent to $319.5 billion. Inventories increased $1.3 

billion or 1.1 percent to $109.9 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in June increased 

$3.5 billion or 51.2 percent to $10.4 billion. Shipments 

increased slightly or 0.3 percent to $7.9 billion. Unfilled 

orders increased $2.5 billion or 2.0 percent to $127.9 

billion. Inventories decreased $0.2 billion or 1.1 percent 

to $14.1 billion. 

Revised May Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted May figures for all 

manufacturing industries are: new orders, $401.0 billion 

(revised from $399.9 billion); shipments, $403.8 billion 

(revised from $403.1 billion); unfilled orders, $611.8 

billion (revised from $611.3 billion); and total 

inventories, $463.1 billion (revised from $462.3 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 August 3, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. 

The advance report on durable goods for July is scheduled for release on August 24, 2006, at 8:30 a.m. EDT. 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

Jun May Apr May - Apr - Mar - Jun May Jun Change

2006 2 2006 r 2006 Jun 2 May r Apr 2006 2 2006 r 2005 2006 2005 06/05

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 212,799 212,585 206,474 0.1 3.0 -1.2 233,206 218,059 214,937 1,268,045 1,178,402 7.6

 New Orders4.............................. 216,347 209,829 209,227 3.1 0.3 -4.7 232,578 213,097 219,059 1,278,567 1,172,870 9.0

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 155,601 154,978 151,745 0.4 2.1 -0.3 169,014 157,096 153,922 919,970 844,158 9.0

 New Orders4.............................. 152,812 151,350 149,081 1.0 1.5 -1.0 162,402 153,090 149,338 903,870 823,353 9.8

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 203,476 203,165 196,941 0.2 3.2 -1.3 223,098 208,838 205,152 1,212,976 1,126,172 7.7

 New Orders4

.............................. 204,407 201,729 200,772 1.3 0.5 -3.5 220,256 207,019 209,206 1,221,975 1,125,054 8.6

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 146,876 146,106 142,609 0.5 2.5 -0.3 160,794 149,071 145,445 868,967 797,844 8.9

 New Orders4

.............................. 156,990 150,386 151,421 4.4 -0.7 -5.5 167,276 150,947 156,124 920,317 829,039 11.0

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 19,459 19,071 17,712 2.0 7.7 0.6 20,440 19,988 16,381 111,992 99,345 12.7

 New Orders.............................. 19,775 19,637 18,552 0.7 5.8 4.5 20,100 20,326 15,621 113,921 97,657 16.7

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 24,921 24,748 24,408 0.7 1.4 0.3 26,535 25,779 24,426 147,680 136,405 8.3

 New Orders.............................. 25,920 25,270 25,344 2.6 -0.3 2.4 26,699 27,140 24,781 153,215 141,388 8.4

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 27,368 26,928 26,590 1.6 1.3 0.3 30,183 27,849 26,614 163,432 146,817 11.3

 New Orders.............................. 28,542 28,639 27,446 -0.3 4.3 -0.1 30,016 29,108 27,046 171,435 152,144 12.7

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 34,616 34,975 34,560 -1.0 1.2 -1.2 39,316 33,067 36,784 205,977 189,749 8.6

 New Orders4.............................. 28,774 27,841 28,425 3.4 -2.1 -11.2 32,828 25,220 32,365 170,339 159,063 7.1

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 6,211 6,266 6,536 -0.9 -4.1 -3.6 7,474 5,369 7,496 38,052 37,383 1.8

 New Orders.............................. 6,328 6,232 6,424 1.5 -3.0 -5.6 7,591 5,335 7,770 37,667 37,089 1.6 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 5,858 5,872 6,368 -0.2 -7.8 5.6 6,580 5,660 5,897 34,664 29,495 17.5

 New Orders.............................. 6,138 5,668 5,315 8.3 6.6 -28.6 6,626 5,187 6,337 35,907 32,133 11.7

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 6,566 7,036 6,059 -6.7 16.1 -9.8 7,110 6,838 6,557 40,828 36,727 11.2

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 10,317 10,424 10,064 -1.0 3.6 0.7 11,001 10,592 9,960 59,838 53,878 11.1

 New Orders.............................. 10,957 11,070 10,780 -1.0 2.7 6.8 11,315 11,288 9,993 63,562 55,189 15.2

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 57,198 57,607 54,729 -0.7 5.3 -3.5 64,192 60,963 61,015 348,075 334,244 4.1

 New Orders.............................. 63,535 58,479 60,146 8.6 -2.8 -12.7 70,176 60,007 69,721 374,697 349,517 7.2

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 40,750 40,790 39,116 -0.1 4.3 -2.8 45,186 44,091 43,976 249,850 247,081 1.1

 New Orders.............................. 40,894 40,825 39,719 0.2 2.8 -2.1 44,996 43,644 43,682 251,055 246,774 1.7 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 7,974 7,952 6,586 0.3 20.7 -13.1 9,665 8,153 7,365 46,574 35,068 32.8

 New Orders.............................. 11,487 10,558 13,064 8.8 -19.2 -29.7 13,848 10,573 14,302 72,107 52,299 37.9

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 3,202 3,513 3,410 -8.9 3.0 -1.2 3,686 3,254 3,773 19,742 19,433 1.6

 New Orders.............................. 3,102 2,747 2,235 12.9 22.9 -34.1 3,286 2,118 2,735 19,888 15,019 32.4

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 38,920 38,832 38,411 0.2 1.1 -1.1 41,539 39,821 39,757 231,051 217,964 6.0

 New Orders.............................. 38,844 38,893 38,534 -0.1 0.9 0.0 41,444 40,008 39,532 231,398 217,912 6.2

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 74,303 74,433 73,262 -0.2 1.6 -0.9 83,152 74,047 75,513 441,867 398,040 11.0

 New Orders.............................. 81,748 77,338 79,262 5.7 -2.4 -8.9 89,560 74,661 84,200 476,289 423,964 12.3

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 66,386 66,539 65,203 -0.2 2.0 -1.4 74,787 66,221 67,196 395,587 353,639 11.9

 New Orders.............................. 71,380 70,480 71,864 1.3 -1.9 -6.5 79,009 69,568 75,593 428,670 382,749 12.0

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 61,181 61,313 61,329 -0.2 0.0 0.4 68,348 60,705 63,020 365,582 335,845 8.9

 New Orders.......................... 63,244 62,975 62,153 0.4 1.3 -2.1 68,753 61,857 63,809 379,296 346,162 9.6

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 7,917 7,894 8,059 0.3 -2.0 3.2 8,365 7,826 8,317 46,280 44,401 4.2

 New Orders.............................. 10,368 6,858 7,398 51.2 -7.3 -26.8 10,551 5,093 8,607 47,619 41,215 15.5

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

Jun May Apr May - Apr - Mar - Jun May Jun 2006/

2006 2 2006 r 2006 Jun2 May r Apr 2006 2 2006 r 2005 2005

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 621,932 611,818 607,538 1.7 0.7 1.5 623,778 617,296 522,432 19.4

 Total Inventories....................... 282,559 280,737 278,885 0.6 0.7 1.2 281,601 283,593 267,985 5.1

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 294,582 290,805 287,397 1.3 1.2 1.2 296,016 295,518 259,312 14.2

 Total Inventories....................... 216,380 215,163 213,733 0.6 0.7 1.1 216,069 217,569 204,777 5.5

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 481,320 473,823 468,223 1.6 1.2 2.2 481,710 477,442 377,501 27.6

 Total Inventories....................... 263,727 261,565 259,882 0.8 0.6 1.3 262,657 264,414 248,890 5.5

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 621,932 611,818 607,538 1.7 0.7 1.5 623,778 617,296 522,432 19.4

 Total Inventories....................... 219,679 218,371 216,842 0.6 0.7 1.2 218,940 220,535 207,497 5.5

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 27,499 27,183 26,617 1.2 2.1 3.3 27,203 27,543 20,094 35.4

 Total Inventories....................... 27,343 27,154 26,468 0.7 2.6 1.7 27,293 27,227 25,734 6.1

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 51,829 50,830 50,308 2.0 1.0 1.9 52,640 52,476 45,706 15.2

 Total Inventories....................... 35,801 35,512 35,295 0.8 0.6 0.9 35,995 36,105 34,782 3.5

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 69,489 68,315 66,604 1.7 2.6 1.3 69,708 69,875 57,392 21.5

 Total Inventories....................... 44,939 44,925 44,567 0.0 0.8 0.7 44,694 45,315 42,255 5.8

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 112,093 111,369 111,467 0.7 -0.1 -0.1 112,765 112,143 107,361 5.0

 Total Inventories....................... 44,463 44,364 44,439 0.2 -0.2 1.8 44,098 44,836 40,679 8.4

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 4,317 4,200 4,234 2.8 -0.8 -2.6 4,317 4,200 4,640 -7.0

 Total Inventories....................... 4,119 4,066 4,101 1.3 -0.9 -2.6 4,021 4,208 4,253 -5.5

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 33,926 33,646 33,850 0.8 -0.6 -3.0 34,255 34,209 34,341 -0.3

 Total Inventories....................... 10,088 10,187 10,592 -1.0 -3.8 4.9 9,736 10,253 9,347 4.2

 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......................... 21,636 20,996 20,350 3.0 3.2 3.6 21,558 21,244 16,290 32.3

 Total Inventories....................... 13,599 13,315 13,299 2.1 0.1 0.6 13,638 13,694 12,467 9.4

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 327,350 321,013 320,141 2.0 0.3 1.7 327,762 321,778 263,120 24.6

 Total Inventories....................... 66,179 65,574 65,152 0.9 0.6 1.4 65,532 66,024 63,208 3.7

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 18,636 18,492 18,457 0.8 0.2 3.4 18,297 18,487 15,153 20.7

 Total Inventories....................... 23,667 23,625 23,599 0.2 0.1 0.9 23,444 23,832 23,725 -1.2 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 193,223 189,710 187,104 1.9 1.4 3.6 192,967 188,784 125,505 53.8

 Total Inventories....................... 23,340 22,721 22,690 2.7 0.1 3.2 22,930 22,963 20,281 13.1

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 44,907 45,007 45,773 -0.2 -1.7 -2.5 45,654 46,054 44,416 2.8

 Total Inventories....................... 11,728 11,719 11,490 0.1 2.0 0.3 11,808 11,712 11,386 3.7

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 12,036 12,112 12,051 -0.6 0.5 1.0 12,142 12,237 12,469 -2.6

 Total Inventories....................... 50,235 49,893 49,665 0.7 0.5 0.8 50,351 50,392 48,860 3.1

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 447,406 439,961 437,056 1.7 0.7 1.4 449,117 442,709 373,794 20.2

 Total Inventories....................... 124,094 123,004 123,072 0.9 -0.1 0.8 123,164 124,134 116,228 6.0

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 319,531 314,537 310,596 1.6 1.3 2.2 319,997 315,775 241,082 32.7

 Total Inventories....................... 109,946 108,696 108,758 1.1 -0.1 1.0 108,984 109,812 101,854 7.0

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 152,070 150,007 148,345 1.4 1.1 0.6 152,920 152,515 135,339 13.0

 Total Inventories................... 92,080 91,400 91,466 0.7 -0.1 0.8 91,518 92,473 86,882 5.3

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 127,875 125,424 126,460 2.0 -0.8 -0.5 129,120 126,934 132,712 -2.7

 Total Inventories....................... 14,148 14,308 14,314 -1.1 0.0 -0.9 14,180 14,322 14,374 -1.3

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.