FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

THURSDAY, MAY 28, 2009, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (09)-04 

CB09-81

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

April 2009 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in April 

increased $3.0 billion or 1.9 percent to $161.5 billion, 

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

second increase in the last three months and followed a 

2.1 percent March decrease. Excluding transportation, 

new orders increased 0.8 percent. Excluding defense, 

new orders also increased 1.0 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up three consecutive 

months, had the largest increase, $2.1 billion or 5.4 

percent to $40.5 billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, 

down nine consecutive months, decreased $0.3 billion or 

0.2 percent to $174.2 billion. This was the longest 

streak of consecutive monthly decreases since the series 

was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and 

followed a 1.9 percent March decrease. 

 Machinery, down four consecutive months, had the 

largest decrease, $0.7 billion or 3.1 percent to $23.0 

billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

April, down seven consecutive months, decreased $8.9 

billion or 1.2 percent to $748.9 billion. This followed a 

1.7 percent March decrease. 

 Transportation equipment, down seven consecutive 

months, had the largest decrease, $4.9 billion or 1.1 

percent to $438.8 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, 

down four consecutive months, decreased $2.6 billion or 

0.8 percent to $327.0 billion. This followed a 1.7 

percent March decrease. 

 Primary metals, down seven consecutive months, had 

the largest decrease, $1.0 billion or 3.3 percent to $28.1 

billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in April 

decreased $1.0 billion or 2.0 percent to $49.5 billion. 

Shipments decreased $1.2 billion or 2.0 percent to $56.9 

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $7.4 billion or 1.7 

percent to $432.4 billion. Inventories decreased $0.1 

billion or 0.1 percent to $143.0 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in April 

increased $2.0 billion or 23.2 percent to $10.8 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.2 billion or 2.1 percent to $10.2 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $0.5 billion or 0.4 

percent to $142.4 billion. Inventories increased $0.2 

billion or 1.1 percent to $20.3 billion. 

Revised March Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted March figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $343.4 

billion (revised from $345.3 billion); shipments, $359.5 

billion (revised from $360.0 billion); unfilled orders, 

$757.7 billion (revised from $759.0 billion); and total 

inventories, $523.3 billion (revised from $524.8 billion). 

Figures in text 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 June 3, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The 

advance report on durable goods for May is scheduled for release on June 24, 2009, 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

Apr Mar Feb Mar - Feb - Jan - Apr Mar Apr Change

2009 2 2009 r 2009 Apr 2 Mar r Feb 2009 2 2009 r 2008 2009 2008 09/08

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 174,197 174,523 177,831 -0.2 -1.9 -0.9 171,372 186,772 213,520 680,789 837,865 -18.7

 New Orders4

.............................. 161,454 158,438 161,812 1.9 -2.1 1.6 155,054 174,304 211,131 624,302 858,862 -27.3

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 128,839 129,457 133,284 -0.5 -2.9 -1.2 127,558 136,767 160,512 506,817 620,615 -18.3

 New Orders4

.............................. 120,965 120,036 123,416 0.8 -2.7 1.4 119,086 130,225 159,307 475,214 620,345 -23.4

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 160,898 161,317 164,687 -0.3 -2.0 -2.0 158,560 172,375 202,337 631,444 794,561 -20.5

 New Orders4

.............................. 147,747 146,224 149,662 1.0 -2.3 -0.1 143,300 158,645 202,503 575,451 811,254 -29.1

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 124,890 126,729 128,949 -1.5 -1.7 -0.2 121,092 136,636 151,526 490,108 594,896 -17.6

 New Orders4

.............................. 116,034 113,537 115,933 2.2 -2.1 2.7 110,101 126,568 155,545 448,705 638,114 -29.7

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 12,615 13,125 14,169 -3.9 -7.4 -2.9 12,888 13,647 23,298 53,249 87,189 -38.9

 New Orders.............................. 11,782 11,662 12,818 1.0 -9.0 -2.4 12,151 12,382 23,909 49,321 90,603 -45.6

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 23,993 24,465 24,975 -1.9 -2.0 -0.9 23,851 25,136 28,535 94,681 107,276 -11.7

 New Orders.............................. 23,082 22,243 22,939 3.8 -3.0 -1.5 23,246 24,162 28,901 90,424 111,606 -19.0

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 22,982 23,718 24,563 -3.1 -3.4 -1.3 23,565 25,738 30,316 94,601 116,377 -18.7

 New Orders.............................. 21,322 20,770 22,364 2.7 -7.1 6.4 22,240 23,160 34,178 86,601 126,155 -31.4

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 28,278 27,597 27,885 2.5 -1.0 -2.2 26,858 30,699 30,524 107,576 125,725 -14.4

 New Orders4

.............................. 24,357 25,039 24,687 -2.7 1.4 7.3 21,273 29,171 23,812 92,966 106,326 -12.6

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 4,342 4,391 4,523 -1.1 -2.9 1.5 3,643 5,127 4,249 16,361 20,012 -18.2

 New Orders.............................. 4,038 4,312 4,526 -6.4 -4.7 11.7 3,339 5,048 4,131 15,577 19,701 -20.9 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 4,697 4,782 4,787 -1.8 -0.1 -4.3 3,878 5,574 4,792 17,328 21,183 -18.2

 New Orders.............................. 4,986 4,662 4,761 6.9 -2.1 -1.4 4,324 5,781 5,150 18,547 22,579 -17.9

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 3,887 2,893 3,003 34.4 -3.7 -21.8 5,327 2,400 6,408 15,084 22,221 -32.1

 New Orders4

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 8,676 8,514 8,738 1.9 -2.6 0.0 8,450 8,909 10,597 33,134 41,277 -19.7

 New Orders.............................. 8,225 8,202 8,174 0.3 0.3 -2.1 8,130 8,383 10,987 32,462 42,767 -24.1

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 45,358 45,066 44,547 0.6 1.2 0.0 43,814 50,005 53,008 173,972 217,250 -19.9

 New Orders.............................. 40,489 38,402 38,396 5.4 0.0 2.4 35,968 44,079 51,824 149,088 238,517 -37.5

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 25,315 24,556 24,755 3.1 -0.8 -1.5 25,152 26,793 34,255 99,075 143,575 -31.0

 New Orders.............................. 25,176 24,512 24,636 2.7 -0.5 -0.4 25,151 26,363 34,228 98,620 142,944 -31.0 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 7,839 7,963 7,930 -1.6 0.4 -15.4 7,088 9,530 7,901 30,364 32,200 -5.7

 New Orders.............................. 3,759 4,034 3,751 -6.8 7.5 -31.5 1,005 5,465 9,351 11,595 51,404 -77.4

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 5,269 5,528 5,162 -4.7 7.1 14.5 4,950 6,051 4,127 19,384 16,236 19.4

 New Orders.............................. 5,409 5,357 5,024 1.0 6.6 30.6 4,638 6,566 3,606 19,877 17,835 11.4

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 32,295 32,038 32,954 0.8 -2.8 0.0 31,946 32,638 37,242 123,576 142,771 -13.4

 New Orders.............................. 32,197 32,120 32,434 0.2 -1.0 -1.3 32,046 32,967 37,520 123,440 142,888 -13.6

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 67,112 68,078 68,854 -1.4 -1.1 -0.6 64,205 75,369 74,670 262,660 297,466 -11.7

 New Orders.............................. 60,211 59,172 60,745 1.8 -2.6 8.5 54,713 68,465 77,200 229,889 331,065 -30.6

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 56,888 58,063 58,602 -2.0 -0.9 -3.3 54,268 64,503 65,825 224,437 263,436 -14.8

 New Orders.............................. 49,460 50,448 50,931 -2.0 -0.9 4.7 45,614 56,938 70,752 191,873 294,192 -34.8

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 52,650 53,776 54,684 -2.1 -1.7 -0.2 50,439 59,254 61,648 208,447 246,320 -15.4

 New Orders.......................... 49,269 50,013 50,716 -1.5 -1.4 4.1 47,653 55,917 64,706 196,953 259,403 -24.1

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 10,224 10,015 10,252 2.1 -2.3 17.7 9,937 10,866 8,845 38,223 34,030 12.3

 New Orders.............................. 10,751 8,724 9,814 23.2 -11.1 33.1 9,099 11,527 6,448 38,016 36,873 3.1

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 not 

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, which 

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(07), "Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: 2004-2007."

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; vending,

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

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

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

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 equipment.

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 separately.
 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

Apr Mar Feb Mar - Feb - Jan - Apr Mar Apr 2009/

2009 2 2009 r 2009 Apr 2 Mar r Feb 2009 2 2009 r 2008 2008

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 748,891 757,747 770,939 -1.2 -1.7 -1.7 757,350 768,341 815,034 -7.1

 Total Inventories....................... 326,963 329,589 335,164 -0.8 -1.7 -1.3 327,624 327,974 331,151 -1.1

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 310,109 314,096 320,624 -1.3 -2.0 -2.1 314,399 317,544 356,972 -11.9

 Total Inventories....................... 233,297 236,346 241,016 -1.3 -1.9 -1.7 233,400 235,243 244,863 -4.7

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 590,452 599,716 611,916 -1.5 -2.0 -1.9 595,288 605,221 659,421 -9.7

 Total Inventories....................... 300,669 303,578 309,399 -1.0 -1.9 -1.3 301,226 301,994 306,524 -1.7

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 748,891 757,747 770,939 -1.2 -1.7 -1.7 757,350 768,341 815,034 -7.1

 Total Inventories....................... 263,145 265,060 269,993 -0.7 -1.8 -1.4 263,778 263,360 264,796 -0.4

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 13,939 14,772 16,235 -5.6 -9.0 -7.7 14,399 15,136 30,677 -53.1

 Total Inventories....................... 28,053 29,003 30,179 -3.3 -3.9 -3.6 27,759 28,542 32,339 -14.2

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 51,439 52,350 54,572 -1.7 -4.1 -3.6 52,478 53,083 63,749 -17.7

 Total Inventories....................... 40,655 41,450 42,659 -1.9 -2.8 -1.9 40,795 41,573 43,363 -5.9

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 88,875 90,535 93,483 -1.8 -3.2 -2.3 89,911 91,236 100,165 -10.2

 Total Inventories....................... 52,757 53,225 54,440 -0.9 -2.2 -1.5 53,052 53,637 53,942 -1.6

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 123,482 123,516 123,181 0.0 0.3 -0.2 125,053 125,311 124,589 0.4

 Total Inventories....................... 46,117 46,286 46,994 -0.4 -1.5 -0.5 45,961 45,118 46,280 -0.7

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 3,306 3,610 3,689 -8.4 -2.1 0.1 3,306 3,610 3,406 -2.9

 Total Inventories....................... 4,673 4,691 4,700 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 4,655 4,474 5,149 -9.6

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 37,267 36,978 37,098 0.8 -0.3 -0.1 37,973 37,527 37,813 0.4

 Total Inventories....................... 10,274 10,289 10,307 -0.1 -0.2 0.4 10,272 10,039 9,894 3.8

 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......................... 20,736 21,187 21,499 -2.1 -1.5 -2.6 20,927 21,247 24,554 -14.8

 Total Inventories....................... 13,515 13,695 13,854 -1.3 -1.1 -2.7 13,688 13,734 15,602 -12.3

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 438,782 443,651 450,315 -1.1 -1.5 -1.3 442,951 450,797 458,062 -3.3

 Total Inventories....................... 93,666 93,243 94,148 0.5 -1.0 -0.5 94,224 92,731 86,288 9.2

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 14,999 15,138 15,182 -0.9 -0.3 -0.8 15,194 15,195 17,934 -15.3

 Total Inventories....................... 19,491 19,793 20,455 -1.5 -3.2 -2.5 19,568 19,682 24,032 -18.6 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 287,836 291,916 295,845 -1.4 -1.3 -1.4 289,341 295,424 299,819 -3.5

 Total Inventories....................... 47,080 46,655 46,994 0.9 -0.7 0.7 47,362 46,393 36,561 29.5

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 47,594 47,454 47,625 0.3 -0.4 -0.3 48,720 49,032 44,901 8.5

 Total Inventories....................... 15,557 15,208 14,988 2.3 1.5 -2.6 15,588 15,126 14,012 11.2

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 11,638 11,736 11,654 -0.8 0.7 -4.3 11,631 11,531 13,238 -12.1

 Total Inventories....................... 52,200 52,687 52,890 -0.9 -0.4 -1.3 52,145 52,639 53,337 -2.2

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 574,812 581,713 590,619 -1.2 -1.5 -1.4 581,164 590,656 609,056 -4.6

 Total Inventories....................... 163,336 163,265 165,035 0.0 -1.1 -0.5 163,749 162,506 154,692 5.9

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 432,444 439,872 447,487 -1.7 -1.7 -1.7 435,706 444,360 469,571 -7.2

 Total Inventories....................... 143,044 143,192 145,131 -0.1 -1.3 -0.4 143,384 142,382 135,245 6.0

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 179,397 182,778 186,541 -1.8 -2.0 -2.1 181,688 184,474 201,867 -10.0

 Total Inventories................... 105,454 106,131 107,760 -0.6 -1.5 -0.9 105,624 105,408 107,162 -1.4

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 142,368 141,841 143,132 0.4 -0.9 -0.3 145,458 146,296 139,485 4.3

 Total Inventories....................... 20,292 20,073 19,904 1.1 0.8 -1.6 20,365 20,124 19,447 4.7

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 4,300 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 61 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 4,300 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 4,300 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.