FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2006, AT 8:30 A.M. EST 

Chris Savage or Patrick Kent 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (06)-2 

CB06-46

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

February 2006 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

February increased $5.5 billion or 2.6 percent to $215.8 

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

was the fourth increase in the last five months and 

followed an 8.9 percent January decrease. Excluding 

transportation, new orders decreased 1.3 percent. 

Excluding defense, new orders increased 0.3 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up four of the last five 

months, had the largest increase, $7.4 billion or 13.4 

percent to $63.0 billion. The increase was led by 

nondefense aircraft and parts, which increased $4.0 

billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in February, 

up four of the last five months, increased $0.5 billion or 

0.2 percent to $218.9 billion. This followed a 1.8 

percent January decrease. 

 Computers and electronic products, up four of the last 

five months, had the largest increase, $1.4 billion or 3.6 

percent to $39.2 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

February, up nine of the last ten months, increased $5.6 

billion or 0.9 percent to $642.8 billion. This was at the 

highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS 

basis in 1992 and followed a 0.2 percent January 

decrease. 

 Transportation equipment, up nine of the last ten 

months, had the largest increase, $4.1 billion or 1.2 

percent to $332.0 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

February, down following five consecutive monthly 

increases, decreased $1.4 billion or 0.5 percent to $287.3 

billion. This followed a 1.0 percent January increase. 

 Computer and electronic products, down two of the 

last three months, had the largest decrease, $1.2 billion 

or 2.6 percent to $45.4 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in February 

increased $1.2 billion or 1.6 percent to $72.8 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.4 billion or 0.6 percent to $70.5 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $2.3 billion or 0.7 

percent to $349.8 billion. Inventories decreased $0.2 

billion or 0.1 percent to $114.7 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in February 

increased $4.8 billion or 104.1 percent to $9.4 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.4 billion or 4.4 percent to $8.1 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $1.3 billion or 1.0 

percent to $129.3 billion. Inventories decreased $0.1 

billion or 0.8 percent to $15.4 billion. 

Revised January Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted January figures for all 

manufacturing industries are: new orders, $400.9 billion 

(revised from $398.2 billion); shipments, $409.0 billion 

(revised from $410.0 billion); unfilled orders, $637.2 

billion (revised from $633.7 billion); and total 

inventories, $474.9 billion (revised from $472.8 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 March 31, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. EST. 

The advance report on durable goods for March is scheduled for release on April 26, 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

Feb Jan Dec Jan - Dec- Nov - Feb Jan Feb Change

2006 2 2006 r 2005 Feb 2 Jan r Dec 2006 2 2006 r 2005 2006 2005 06/05

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 218,877 218,363 222,438 0.2 -1.8 4.0 208,742 194,027 194,194 402,769 376,859 6.9

 New Orders4.............................. 215,773 210,284 230,706 2.6 -8.9 2.5 210,862 195,508 195,524 406,370 377,032 7.8

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 159,933 159,742 158,965 0.1 0.5 3.1 150,001 143,288 138,300 293,289 271,214 8.1

 New Orders4.............................. 152,778 154,714 152,254 -1.3 1.6 1.9 148,068 143,638 139,290 291,706 269,361 8.3

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 209,132 208,322 212,757 0.4 -2.1 4.1 199,453 186,011 185,416 385,464 360,583 6.9

 New Orders4

.............................. 204,543 203,945 220,995 0.3 -7.7 2.0 199,825 189,032 188,030 388,857 361,555 7.6

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 149,142 149,753 152,906 -0.4 -2.1 4.2 141,832 133,272 131,210 275,104 255,734 7.6

 New Orders4

.............................. 154,705 148,717 168,963 4.0 -12.0 2.0 152,656 141,085 139,461 293,741 269,807 8.9

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 16,773 16,942 16,425 -1.0 3.1 0.8 16,569 16,828 15,551 33,397 31,053 7.5

 New Orders.............................. 16,561 16,989 16,790 -2.5 1.2 -4.1 16,902 17,731 16,029 34,633 31,593 9.6

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 25,271 25,259 25,061 0.0 0.8 3.1 24,233 23,378 22,511 47,611 44,169 7.8

 New Orders.............................. 25,374 25,876 25,233 -1.9 2.5 2.4 25,090 24,682 23,702 49,772 46,276 7.6

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 27,973 28,627 29,128 -2.3 -1.7 6.8 26,182 25,209 24,234 51,391 47,369 8.5

 New Orders.............................. 28,245 30,153 31,243 -6.3 -3.5 9.2 28,845 28,010 27,933 56,855 52,461 8.4

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 39,239 37,867 38,629 3.6 -2.0 2.6 36,008 32,347 32,977 68,355 64,809 5.5

 New Orders4.............................. 31,129 29,874 30,055 4.2 -0.6 0.3 28,862 26,569 27,958 55,431 54,551 1.6

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 8,346 8,324 8,827 0.3 -5.7 2.7 6,949 7,076 6,672 14,025 13,881 1.0

 New Orders.............................. 8,272 7,895 9,018 4.8 -12.5 4.3 6,875 6,647 6,813 13,522 13,664 -1.0 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 6,092 6,394 5,898 -4.7 8.4 6.0 5,294 5,419 4,859 10,713 9,429 13.6

 New Orders.............................. 6,210 5,985 5,094 3.8 17.5 -3.3 6,066 5,601 5,650 11,667 11,180 4.4

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 8,667 7,043 7,789 23.1 -9.6 4.1 8,704 6,332 6,921 15,036 13,900 8.2

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 10,109 10,259 9,835 -1.5 4.3 -0.9 9,419 9,044 8,732 18,463 16,847 9.6

 New Orders.............................. 10,713 11,063 10,198 -3.2 8.5 -0.1 10,572 10,185 9,281 20,757 18,027 15.1

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 58,944 58,621 63,473 0.6 -7.6 6.6 58,741 50,739 55,894 109,480 105,645 3.6

 New Orders.............................. 62,995 55,570 78,452 13.4 -29.2 3.6 62,794 51,870 56,234 114,664 107,671 6.5

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 40,500 41,566 42,962 -2.6 -3.2 5.3 41,272 38,075 42,118 79,347 79,996 -0.8

 New Orders.............................. 40,510 41,900 43,305 -3.3 -3.2 6.6 41,509 38,969 42,407 80,478 80,423 0.1 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 8,941 7,810 10,968 14.5 -28.8 14.1 8,436 5,348 5,025 13,784 9,294 48.3

 New Orders.............................. 11,752 7,707 25,804 52.5 -70.1 -2.8 10,922 6,987 6,420 17,909 11,302 58.5

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 4,015 3,720 3,863 7.9 -3.7 1.3 3,686 2,868 3,302 6,554 6,406 2.3

 New Orders.............................. 3,988 4,786 5,328 -16.7 -10.2 32.0 3,683 4,984 2,696 8,667 5,634 53.8

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 40,568 40,788 39,887 -0.5 2.3 2.8 37,590 36,482 34,295 74,072 66,967 10.6

 New Orders.............................. 40,756 40,759 38,735 0.0 5.2 0.6 37,797 36,461 34,387 74,258 66,453 11.7

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 78,582 78,551 81,414 0.0 -3.5 5.0 72,747 66,753 65,317 139,500 126,901 9.9

 New Orders.............................. 82,192 76,232 96,162 7.8 -20.7 1.9 79,379 70,030 70,955 149,409 136,889 9.1

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 70,464 70,056 73,256 0.6 -4.4 5.2 64,931 59,892 57,807 124,823 113,083 10.4

 New Orders.............................. 72,777 71,619 89,318 1.6 -19.8 1.9 70,164 65,339 64,373 135,503 123,712 9.5

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 64,541 65,291 65,321 -1.1 0.0 3.8 59,253 57,245 55,435 116,498 109,162 6.7

 New Orders.......................... 65,417 66,977 66,750 -2.3 0.3 4.9 63,635 61,174 60,848 124,809 117,683 6.1

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 8,118 8,495 8,158 -4.4 4.1 2.8 7,816 6,861 7,510 14,677 13,818 6.2

 New Orders.............................. 9,415 4,613 6,844 104.1 -32.6 1.4 9,215 4,691 6,582 13,906 13,177 5.5

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(04), "Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: 1992-2004

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

Feb Jan Dec Jan - Dec - Nov - Feb Jan Feb 2006/

2006 2 2006 r 2005 Feb 2 Jan r Dec 2006 2 2006 r 2005 2005

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 642,788 637,225 638,261 0.9 -0.2 2.6 652,971 642,147 557,639 17.1

 Total Inventories....................... 287,277 288,711 285,928 -0.5 1.0 0.1 290,334 287,731 283,014 2.6

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 310,809 309,297 307,282 0.5 0.7 0.4 316,219 309,448 287,000 10.2

 Total Inventories....................... 220,617 221,410 218,731 -0.4 1.2 0.1 223,068 220,982 216,905 2.8

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 499,871 495,793 493,127 0.8 0.5 3.4 508,223 499,147 404,329 25.7

 Total Inventories....................... 268,073 269,289 266,307 -0.5 1.1 0.1 270,998 268,474 263,811 2.7

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 642,788 637,225 638,261 0.9 -0.2 2.6 652,971 642,147 557,639 17.1

 Total Inventories....................... 223,400 223,524 221,344 -0.1 1.0 0.1 225,485 222,821 220,059 2.5

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 24,087 24,299 24,252 -0.9 0.2 1.5 24,952 24,619 21,026 18.7

 Total Inventories....................... 24,561 24,272 23,888 1.2 1.6 0.3 24,797 24,512 24,087 2.9

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 49,133 49,030 48,413 0.2 1.3 0.4 49,157 48,300 43,917 11.9

 Total Inventories....................... 37,696 37,602 37,181 0.2 1.1 1.1 38,185 37,534 37,700 1.3

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 88,275 88,003 86,477 0.3 1.8 2.5 90,932 88,269 79,692 14.1

 Total Inventories....................... 48,189 48,256 47,783 -0.1 1.0 0.0 48,935 48,147 46,604 5.0

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 115,261 114,704 115,654 0.5 -0.8 -0.7 116,909 115,351 112,393 4.0

 Total Inventories....................... 45,443 46,640 45,896 -2.6 1.6 -1.1 45,679 46,332 45,942 -0.6

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 5,613 5,687 6,116 -1.3 -7.0 3.2 5,613 5,687 6,200 -9.5

 Total Inventories....................... 5,080 5,099 5,309 -0.4 -4.0 0.6 5,088 4,907 5,258 -3.2

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 36,885 36,767 37,176 0.3 -1.1 -2.1 37,423 36,651 36,976 1.2

 Total Inventories....................... 10,450 10,413 10,093 0.4 3.2 -4.9 10,563 10,476 10,806 -2.2

 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......................... 20,343 19,739 18,935 3.1 4.2 2.0 20,813 19,660 16,591 25.4

 Total Inventories....................... 13,392 13,396 13,163 0.0 1.8 1.2 13,730 13,373 12,790 7.3

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 331,979 327,928 330,979 1.2 -0.9 4.7 336,752 332,699 270,639 24.4

 Total Inventories....................... 66,660 67,301 67,197 -1.0 0.2 0.1 67,266 66,749 66,109 1.8

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 17,346 17,336 17,002 0.1 2.0 2.1 18,152 17,915 15,697 15.6

 Total Inventories....................... 24,273 24,386 24,384 -0.5 0.0 -1.4 24,409 24,187 24,286 0.5 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 193,815 191,004 191,107 1.5 -0.1 8.4 196,542 194,056 124,594 57.7

 Total Inventories....................... 22,994 23,330 22,731 -1.4 2.6 1.3 23,260 23,133 22,789 2.1

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 53,409 53,436 52,370 -0.1 2.0 2.9 53,692 53,695 54,625 -1.7

 Total Inventories....................... 11,474 11,675 11,792 -1.7 -1.0 0.1 11,579 11,550 11,207 3.3

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 13,710 13,522 13,551 1.4 -0.2 -7.8 13,456 13,249 13,381 0.6

 Total Inventories....................... 51,336 51,244 50,820 0.2 0.8 0.3 51,742 51,084 49,782 3.9

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 479,111 475,501 477,820 0.8 -0.5 3.2 486,748 480,116 408,432 19.2

 Total Inventories....................... 130,109 130,395 129,134 -0.2 1.0 0.1 131,359 129,633 127,098 3.4

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 349,837 347,524 345,961 0.7 0.5 4.9 355,904 350,671 268,593 32.5

 Total Inventories....................... 114,680 114,838 113,462 -0.1 1.2 0.0 115,903 114,116 111,323 4.1

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 177,627 176,751 175,065 0.5 1.0 0.8 181,066 176,684 165,472 9.4

 Total Inventories................... 96,026 95,908 94,987 0.1 1.0 -0.4 96,988 95,344 93,292 4.0

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 129,274 127,977 131,859 1.0 -2.9 -1.0 130,844 129,445 139,839 -6.4

 Total Inventories....................... 15,429 15,557 15,672 -0.8 -0.7 0.9 15,456 15,517 15,775 -2.0

See footnotes at end of Table 1 
NOTICE

Revised historical data for Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders will be issued on 

May 19, 2006. These revisions reflect:

• benchmarking the shipments and inventory data to the 2004 Annual Survey of Manufactures

(ASM) data;

• adjusting new orders and order backlog to be consistent with the benchmarked shipments

and inventory data;

• correcting monthly data for late receipts, reclassifications of reported data, and revisions to

previously reported data; and

• updating the seasonal adjustment factors for all series.

For revised historical data go to http://www.census.gov/m3/hist/naicshist.htm. An accompanying

press release will include the revised 2006 January through March data. Please call Chris Savage on

(301)763-4832 with questions.

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), and end-of-month total inventory (at current cost or market value). 

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-to-month changes of the total operations of those companies in the monthly survey effectively represent the

month-to-month 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.

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