FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2006, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Patrick Kent 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (06)-9 

CB06-161

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

September 2006 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

September increased $16.3 billion or 7.8 percent to 

$226.7 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced 

today. This was at the highest level since the series was 

first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed two 

consecutive monthly decreases including a 0.1 percent 

August decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders 

increased 0.1 percent. Excluding defense, new orders 

increased 6.3 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up two consecutive months, 

had the largest increase, $16.2 billion or 27.6 percent to 

$74.9 billion. This was the largest increase in 

transportation equipment since June 2000. This was due 

to nondefense aircraft and parts, which increased $14.5 

billion. 

 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in 

September, down two of the last three months, decreased 

$5.9 billion or 2.8 percent to $208.6 billion. This 

followed a 2.0 percent August increase. 

 Transportation equipment, down three of the last four 

months, had the largest decrease, $2.4 billion or 4.3 

percent to $54.3 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

September, up sixteen of the last seventeen months, 

increased $23.9 billion or 3.8 percent to $655.9 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series began and 

followed a 0.4 percent August increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up sixteen of the last 

seventeen months, had the largest increase, $20.5 billion 

 

or 6.2 percent to $351.9 billion. This was also at the 

highest level since the series began. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

September, up eight of the last nine months, increased 

$2.8 billion or 1.0 percent to $290.8 billion. This 

followed a 0.6 percent August increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up six of the last seven 

months, had the largest increase, $0.8 billion or 1.3 

percent to $67.3 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in September 

increased $15.2 billion or 21.9 percent to $84.5 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.7 billion or 1.0 percent to $67.4 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $17.2 billion or 5.3 

percent to $342.3 billion. Inventories increased $1.7 

billion or 1.5 percent to $112.4 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in September 

increased $4.1 billion or 41.9 percent to $13.7 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.4 billion or 4.9 percent to $7.8 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $5.9 billion or 4.5 

percent to $136.3 billion. Inventories increased slightly 

or 0.1 percent to $14.3 billion. 

Revised August Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted August figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $403.1 

billion (revised from $403.6 billion); shipments, $407.3 

billion (revised from $407.8 billion); unfilled orders, 

$632.0 billion (unchanged); and total inventories, $476.4 

billion (revised from $475.5 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 November 2, 2006, at 10:00 a.m. 

EST. The advance report on durable goods for October is scheduled for release on November 28, 2006, 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

Sep Aug Jul Aug - Jul - Jun - Sep Aug Sep Change

2006 2 2006 r 2006 Sep 2 Aug r Jul 2006 2 2006 r 2005 2006 2005 06/05

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 208,590 214,518 210,220 -2.8 2.0 -1.3 219,957 219,803 215,367 1,891,076 1,767,433 7.0

 New Orders4.............................. 226,699 210,354 210,561 7.8 -0.1 -2.8 233,411 211,155 209,496 1,906,062 1,750,805 8.9

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 154,263 157,766 156,460 -2.2 0.8 0.3 162,388 160,315 154,706 1,387,686 1,275,527 8.8

 New Orders4.............................. 151,834 151,660 153,911 0.1 -1.5 -0.1 157,517 151,292 150,364 1,356,295 1,241,068 9.3

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 199,232 204,654 200,918 -2.6 1.9 -1.3 209,893 210,010 205,594 1,807,436 1,688,701 7.0

 New Orders4

.............................. 211,613 199,082 200,116 6.3 -0.5 -2.2 218,815 201,610 202,034 1,817,699 1,684,619 7.9

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 147,461 150,424 147,557 -2.0 1.9 0.3 155,274 153,261 144,177 1,308,369 1,196,277 9.4

 New Orders4

.............................. 171,333 153,216 154,770 11.8 -1.0 -1.6 175,101 151,461 145,389 1,383,529 1,235,731 12.0

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 19,602 20,000 19,961 -2.0 0.2 2.2 19,687 20,743 16,642 170,620 146,451 16.5

 New Orders.............................. 19,349 19,548 20,050 -1.0 -2.5 1.6 19,151 20,407 17,750 171,736 146,938 16.9

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 24,671 25,041 24,723 -1.5 1.3 -0.7 25,556 26,629 24,376 222,974 206,434 8.0

 New Orders.............................. 25,135 25,491 24,912 -1.4 2.3 -6.5 25,422 26,351 24,745 229,244 212,454 7.9

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 27,829 28,169 27,685 -1.2 1.7 0.9 28,420 27,732 25,831 245,416 219,700 11.7

 New Orders.............................. 28,961 28,577 28,908 1.3 -1.1 0.6 28,901 27,474 26,114 254,356 225,484 12.8

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 33,758 35,718 35,392 -5.5 0.9 1.3 38,133 34,462 37,806 310,745 288,277 7.8

 New Orders4.............................. 29,837 29,862 30,680 -0.1 -2.7 4.1 33,618 27,492 31,287 259,299 238,752 8.6

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 6,261 6,699 6,933 -6.5 -3.4 15.2 7,075 6,100 7,472 57,776 56,997 1.4

 New Orders.............................. 6,198 6,343 7,064 -2.3 -10.2 15.3 7,012 5,744 7,658 57,095 56,863 0.4 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 5,521 5,735 5,346 -3.7 7.3 -12.0 6,463 5,491 6,079 51,525 44,855 14.9

 New Orders.............................. 6,185 6,530 5,970 -5.3 9.4 -9.3 7,399 5,408 5,978 54,260 47,033 15.4

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 5,763 6,956 6,872 -17.2 1.2 3.6 6,373 6,848 7,083 60,174 56,082 7.3

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 10,134 10,376 10,286 -2.3 0.9 0.5 11,112 10,678 10,566 90,941 82,777 9.9

 New Orders.............................. 10,247 9,879 10,822 3.7 -8.7 0.0 10,879 9,977 10,889 94,552 85,136 11.1

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 54,327 56,752 53,760 -4.3 5.6 -5.8 57,569 59,488 60,661 503,390 491,906 2.3

 New Orders.............................. 74,865 58,694 56,650 27.6 3.6 -9.4 75,894 59,863 59,132 549,767 509,737 7.9

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 36,785 39,427 37,517 -6.7 5.1 -7.3 38,703 42,598 45,387 355,745 362,485 -1.9

 New Orders.............................. 36,977 39,376 37,907 -6.1 3.9 -6.9 38,745 42,140 45,697 357,417 362,939 -1.5 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 8,667 8,141 7,469 6.5 9.0 -6.5 8,941 7,710 5,390 69,031 51,388 34.3

 New Orders.............................. 22,401 7,910 9,877 183.2 -19.9 -12.5 22,056 7,358 6,734 109,625 79,068 38.6

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 3,380 3,611 3,396 -6.4 6.3 5.1 3,794 3,587 3,822 30,189 29,250 3.2

 New Orders.............................. 2,829 3,297 3,052 -14.2 8.0 1.8 2,585 2,518 2,548 27,042 20,993 28.8

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 38,269 38,462 38,413 -0.5 0.1 -1.3 39,480 40,071 39,485 346,990 331,888 4.6

 New Orders.............................. 38,305 38,303 38,539 0.0 -0.6 -0.5 39,546 39,591 39,579 347,108 332,304 4.5

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 75,181 76,244 74,624 -1.4 2.2 0.2 80,274 74,832 73,666 664,887 599,495 10.9

 New Orders.............................. 98,274 79,056 79,838 24.3 -1.0 -2.7 101,385 74,001 73,314 722,407 629,732 14.7

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 67,360 68,018 66,857 -1.0 1.7 0.6 71,961 66,647 65,465 594,741 532,707 11.6

 New Orders.............................. 84,548 69,384 70,978 21.9 -2.2 -0.9 88,167 65,827 67,160 646,941 573,226 12.9

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 61,479 62,785 62,139 -2.1 1.0 1.5 66,003 61,663 62,729 550,340 506,247 8.7

 New Orders.......................... 65,118 64,432 63,890 1.1 0.8 0.6 68,902 61,161 63,195 567,861 517,664 9.7

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 7,821 8,226 7,767 -4.9 5.9 -3.1 8,313 8,185 8,201 70,146 66,788 5.0

 New Orders.............................. 13,726 9,672 8,860 41.9 9.2 -15.0 13,218 8,174 6,154 75,466 56,506 33.6

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

Sep Aug Jul Aug - Jul - Jun - Sep Aug Sep 2006/

2006 2 2006 r 2006 Sep 2 Aug r Jul 2006 2 2006 r 2005 2005

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 655,917 632,045 629,253 3.8 0.4 1.2 647,588 627,761 530,691 22.0

 Total Inventories....................... 290,841 288,051 286,383 1.0 0.6 1.1 289,918 290,934 268,878 7.8

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 304,061 300,727 299,877 1.1 0.3 1.5 300,071 298,569 265,013 13.2

 Total Inventories....................... 223,566 221,623 219,237 0.9 1.1 1.1 222,270 223,637 204,815 8.5

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 507,121 488,977 487,593 3.7 0.3 1.3 502,320 487,025 393,892 27.5

 Total Inventories....................... 271,591 269,004 267,351 1.0 0.6 1.1 270,509 271,751 249,518 8.4

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 655,917 632,045 629,253 3.8 0.4 1.2 647,588 627,761 530,691 22.0

 Total Inventories....................... 226,399 223,600 222,475 1.3 0.5 1.0 225,601 225,583 208,378 8.3

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 26,792 27,045 27,497 -0.9 -1.6 0.3 26,390 26,926 22,269 18.5

 Total Inventories....................... 29,375 28,594 28,041 2.7 2.0 2.1 29,175 28,568 25,053 16.5

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 53,714 53,250 52,800 0.9 0.9 0.4 53,375 53,509 46,743 14.2

 Total Inventories....................... 37,485 36,978 36,467 1.4 1.4 1.2 37,066 37,078 33,804 9.6

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 72,362 71,230 70,822 1.6 0.6 1.8 70,645 70,164 57,849 22.1

 Total Inventories....................... 46,036 45,411 45,148 1.4 0.6 0.6 45,858 45,790 43,162 6.2

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 117,551 115,709 114,609 1.6 1.0 1.9 116,303 114,445 107,877 7.8

 Total Inventories....................... 45,519 45,560 45,018 -0.1 1.2 0.9 45,431 46,705 41,590 9.2

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 4,021 4,084 4,440 -1.5 -8.0 3.0 4,021 4,084 4,800 -16.2

 Total Inventories....................... 4,453 4,249 4,202 4.8 1.1 0.6 4,457 4,500 4,400 1.3

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 36,297 35,633 34,838 1.9 2.3 1.8 35,747 34,811 33,881 5.5

 Total Inventories....................... 10,039 9,966 9,930 0.7 0.4 0.3 9,960 10,068 9,583 3.9

 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......................... 21,733 21,620 22,117 0.5 -2.2 2.5 21,445 21,678 17,338 23.7

 Total Inventories....................... 14,064 14,111 13,873 -0.3 1.7 2.0 13,760 14,157 12,296 11.9

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 351,856 331,318 329,376 6.2 0.6 0.9 347,517 329,192 265,678 30.8

 Total Inventories....................... 67,275 66,428 67,146 1.3 -1.1 1.1 67,648 67,297 64,063 5.6

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 19,267 19,075 19,126 1.0 -0.3 2.1 18,764 18,722 15,914 17.9

 Total Inventories....................... 23,975 24,227 24,031 -1.0 0.8 1.3 24,119 24,462 23,311 3.5 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 208,887 195,153 195,384 7.0 -0.1 1.2 208,028 194,913 135,954 53.0

 Total Inventories....................... 23,680 22,677 23,665 4.4 -4.2 0.7 23,815 23,140 21,176 12.5

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 43,568 44,119 44,433 -1.2 -0.7 -0.8 42,361 43,570 40,573 4.4

 Total Inventories....................... 12,065 11,799 11,837 2.3 -0.3 1.1 12,173 11,862 11,535 5.5

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 11,909 11,873 12,032 0.3 -1.3 1.1 11,913 11,847 12,937 -7.9

 Total Inventories....................... 51,087 50,969 50,690 0.2 0.6 0.9 50,980 51,339 48,910 4.2

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 478,614 455,521 452,709 5.1 0.6 1.2 472,215 451,104 378,107 24.9

 Total Inventories....................... 126,715 125,034 125,281 1.3 -0.2 1.0 126,464 126,736 119,648 5.7

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 342,349 325,161 323,795 5.3 0.4 1.3 339,114 322,908 252,491 34.3

 Total Inventories....................... 112,414 110,747 110,935 1.5 -0.2 0.9 112,112 112,376 104,897 6.9

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 159,288 155,649 154,002 2.3 1.1 1.2 156,727 153,828 136,439 14.9

 Total Inventories................... 94,403 93,784 92,892 0.7 1.0 0.9 93,898 95,060 88,495 6.1

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 136,265 130,360 128,914 4.5 1.1 0.9 133,101 128,196 125,616 6.0

 Total Inventories....................... 14,301 14,287 14,346 0.1 -0.4 1.7 14,352 14,360 14,751 -2.7

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 4,200 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.