FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 26, 2009, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (09)-07 

CB09-130

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

July 2009 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in July 

increased $7.8 billion or 4.9 percent to $168.4 billion, 

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

third increase in the last four months and the largest 

percent increase since July 2007. This followed a 1.3 

percent June decrease. Excluding transportation, new 

orders increased 0.8 percent. Excluding defense, new 

orders increased 4.3 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up three of the last four 

months, had the largest increase, $6.8 billion or 18.4 

percent to $43.7 billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in July, up 

two consecutive months, increased $3.5 billion or 2.0 

percent to $173.1 billion. This followed a 0.7 percent 

June increase. 

 Computers and electronic products, up three of the last 

four months, had the largest increase, $2.1 billion or 7.4 

percent to $29.8 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

July, down ten consecutive months, decreased $0.4 

billion or 0.1 percent to $740.2 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 0.8 percent June decrease. 

 Machinery, down ten consecutive months, had the 

largest decrease, $0.7 billion or 0.8 percent to $86.9 

billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in July, 

down seven consecutive months, decreased $2.7 billion 

or 0.8 percent to $314.1 billion. This followed a 1.5 

percent June decrease. 

 Primary metals, down ten consecutive months, had the 

largest decrease, $0.7 billion or 2.8 percent to $25.5 

billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in July 

increased $4.6 billion or 8.6 percent to $57.5 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.5 billion or 0.8 percent to $56.9 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $0.6 billion or 0.1 

percent to $426.2 billion. Inventories decreased $1.0 

billion or 0.7 percent to $138.5 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in July increased 

$1.3 billion or 14.8 percent to $9.8 billion. Shipments 

decreased $0.4 billion or 3.6 percent to $10.4 billion. 

Unfilled orders decreased $0.7 billion or 0.5 percent to 

$141.5 billion. Inventories increased $0.1 billion or 0.7 

percent to $20.2 billion. 

Revised June Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted June figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $350.7 

billion (revised from $349.0 billion); shipments, $359.7 

billion (revised from $358.3 billion); unfilled orders, 

$740.7 billion (revised from $740.2 billion); and total 

inventories, $507.2 billion (revised from $508.3 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 September 2, 2009, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The 

advance report on durable goods for August is scheduled for release on September 25, 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

Jul Jun May Jun - May - Apr - Jul Jun Jul Change

2009 2 2009 r 2009 Jul 2 Jun r May 2009 2 2009 r 2008 2009 2008 09/08

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments................................ 173,096 169,634 168,483 2.0 0.7 -2.7 163,971 184,804 199,721 1,197,111 1,482,423 -19.2

 New Orders4

.............................. 168,428 160,621 162,674 4.9 -1.3 1.3 155,665 172,457 195,439 1,110,205 1,495,796 -25.8

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 129,812 126,959 126,434 2.2 0.4 -1.4 128,163 137,859 157,454 898,141 1,111,090 -19.2

 New Orders4

.............................. 124,729 123,699 120,739 0.8 2.5 0.8 122,148 132,699 153,534 848,679 1,100,615 -22.9

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 159,336 155,492 155,038 2.5 0.3 -3.0 151,428 169,734 188,655 1,106,739 1,403,492 -21.1

 New Orders4

.............................. 155,099 148,635 147,619 4.3 0.7 0.9 145,751 160,000 186,657 1,026,196 1,414,621 -27.5

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 124,496 123,289 121,472 1.0 1.5 -2.1 117,583 135,001 145,033 863,353 1,061,787 -18.7

 New Orders4

.............................. 124,054 117,232 119,135 5.8 -1.6 3.2 114,793 124,849 146,959 802,668 1,111,575 -27.8

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 13,044 12,275 12,073 6.3 1.7 -3.2 13,415 13,092 23,312 92,151 158,429 -41.8

 New Orders.............................. 13,417 13,074 11,649 2.6 12.2 -0.2 13,894 13,682 23,505 88,771 161,185 -44.9

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 23,550 23,410 23,223 0.6 0.8 -2.4 23,704 24,930 28,286 166,891 193,967 -14.0

 New Orders.............................. 23,087 22,465 22,410 2.8 0.2 -2.6 23,143 23,348 27,574 160,338 197,747 -18.9

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 22,441 23,293 23,158 -3.7 0.6 1.5 21,703 25,397 28,204 164,809 205,853 -19.9

 New Orders.............................. 21,741 23,271 22,272 -6.6 4.5 7.2 21,428 24,290 31,694 153,731 220,295 -30.2

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments................................ 29,838 27,773 27,718 7.4 0.2 -2.6 28,368 30,814 29,928 192,717 220,893 -12.8

 New Orders4

.............................. 25,481 25,078 24,769 1.6 1.2 2.4 22,301 28,327 22,887 165,487 186,300 -11.2

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 4,485 4,366 4,352 2.7 0.3 -0.5 4,004 5,305 4,341 29,499 35,203 -16.2

 New Orders.............................. 4,529 4,660 4,635 -2.8 0.5 15.9 4,048 5,599 4,207 29,263 35,309 -17.1 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 5,464 5,114 4,579 6.8 11.7 -2.0 4,627 6,300 4,888 32,493 38,691 -16.0

 New Orders.............................. 5,384 4,923 4,952 9.4 -0.6 -0.6 4,425 5,831 4,631 33,186 39,375 -15.7

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments................................ 4,226 2,956 3,472 43.0 -14.9 -14.5 5,516 2,195 6,208 26,221 36,415 -28.0

 New Orders4

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 8,461 8,321 8,297 1.7 0.3 -3.7 8,167 9,030 10,581 58,616 74,159 -21.0

 New Orders.............................. 8,508 8,080 7,947 5.3 1.7 -2.0 8,538 8,547 10,535 57,553 76,708 -25.0

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 43,284 42,675 42,049 1.4 1.5 -6.5 35,808 46,945 42,267 298,970 371,333 -19.5

 New Orders.............................. 43,699 36,922 41,935 18.4 -12.0 2.9 33,517 39,758 41,905 261,526 395,181 -33.8

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 23,436 22,812 22,780 2.7 0.1 -9.0 18,375 24,644 24,236 165,143 236,968 -30.3

 New Orders.............................. 22,852 22,637 22,688 0.9 -0.2 -8.4 18,246 24,347 24,576 163,810 235,994 -30.6 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 7,784 7,347 7,218 5.9 1.8 -7.0 6,708 8,789 7,607 53,109 58,194 -8.7

 New Orders.............................. 9,252 4,465 6,383 107.2 -30.0 60.4 6,695 4,959 8,624 28,351 82,423 -65.6

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 5,608 6,201 5,693 -9.6 8.9 7.4 4,972 6,740 4,443 36,681 30,321 21.0

 New Orders.............................. 5,747 7,076 5,435 -18.8 30.2 0.3 4,743 7,476 4,799 36,608 32,322 13.3

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 32,478 31,887 31,965 1.9 -0.2 -0.4 32,806 34,596 37,143 222,957 257,789 -13.5

 New Orders.............................. 32,495 31,731 31,692 2.4 0.1 -1.0 32,844 34,505 37,339 222,799 258,380 -13.8

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 67,364 67,287 66,240 0.1 1.6 -0.8 62,321 74,450 71,448 464,061 530,225 -12.5

 New Orders.............................. 67,255 61,418 65,137 9.5 -5.7 8.8 59,001 65,868 72,356 414,280 569,830 -27.3

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 56,915 56,447 55,904 0.8 1.0 -1.0 52,597 63,136 62,991 394,323 469,130 -15.9

 New Orders.............................. 57,474 52,901 53,099 8.6 -0.4 9.1 51,975 57,283 65,996 350,314 507,677 -31.0

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 52,968 52,692 52,032 0.5 1.3 -0.4 49,465 58,536 58,971 366,517 437,692 -16.3

 New Orders.......................... 51,975 52,124 50,326 -0.3 3.6 4.3 48,545 56,396 60,988 349,261 453,801 -23.0

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 10,449 10,840 10,336 -3.6 4.9 0.4 9,724 11,314 8,457 69,738 61,095 14.1

 New Orders.............................. 9,781 8,517 12,038 14.8 -29.2 7.1 7,026 8,585 6,360 63,966 62,153 2.9

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

Jul Jun May Jun - May - Apr - Jul Jun Jul 2009/

2009 2 2009 r 2009 Jul 2 Jun r May 2009 2 2009 r 2008 2008

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 740,245 740,687 746,744 -0.1 -0.8 -0.3 738,068 740,858 821,604 -10.2

 Total Inventories....................... 314,108 316,781 321,576 -0.8 -1.5 -1.2 314,969 313,164 338,279 -6.9

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 306,267 307,124 307,428 -0.3 -0.1 -0.7 307,677 308,176 360,961 -14.8

 Total Inventories....................... 220,164 223,528 228,370 -1.5 -2.1 -1.5 220,431 221,000 249,292 -11.6

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 582,366 582,377 586,278 0.0 -0.7 -0.7 581,875 582,036 668,051 -12.9

 Total Inventories....................... 287,897 290,773 295,320 -1.0 -1.5 -1.3 288,734 287,151 313,586 -7.9

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 740,245 740,687 746,744 -0.1 -0.8 -0.3 738,068 740,858 821,604 -10.2

 Total Inventories....................... 252,839 254,633 258,790 -0.7 -1.6 -1.2 253,750 251,872 271,641 -6.6

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 14,708 14,335 13,536 2.6 5.9 -3.0 14,947 14,468 30,019 -50.2

 Total Inventories....................... 25,455 26,195 27,067 -2.8 -3.2 -3.2 25,716 26,036 34,420 -25.3

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 49,350 49,813 50,758 -0.9 -1.9 -1.6 50,182 50,743 63,199 -20.6

 Total Inventories....................... 38,052 38,720 39,625 -1.7 -2.3 -1.9 38,250 38,403 44,731 -14.5

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 86,855 87,555 87,577 -0.8 0.0 -1.0 86,833 87,108 104,829 -17.2

 Total Inventories....................... 50,068 50,782 51,583 -1.4 -1.6 -1.5 49,628 50,078 54,090 -8.2

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 123,956 124,087 123,826 -0.1 0.2 0.4 123,570 124,121 123,589 0.0

 Total Inventories....................... 43,693 44,251 45,590 -1.3 -2.9 -0.8 43,891 43,340 46,924 -6.5

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 3,854 3,810 3,516 1.2 8.4 8.8 3,854 3,810 3,823 0.8

 Total Inventories....................... 4,276 4,333 4,406 -1.3 -1.7 -4.2 4,297 4,154 5,034 -14.6

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 37,385 37,465 37,656 -0.2 -0.5 1.0 37,447 37,649 37,101 0.9

 Total Inventories....................... 9,310 9,531 10,498 -2.3 -9.2 1.7 9,216 9,175 9,530 -3.3

 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......................... 20,149 20,102 20,343 0.2 -1.2 -1.7 20,536 20,165 25,613 -19.8

 Total Inventories....................... 12,878 12,934 13,194 -0.4 -2.0 -1.5 12,891 12,840 15,206 -15.2

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 433,978 433,563 439,316 0.1 -1.3 0.0 430,391 432,682 460,643 -6.6

 Total Inventories....................... 93,944 93,253 93,206 0.7 0.1 -0.3 94,538 92,164 88,987 6.2

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 14,002 14,586 14,761 -4.0 -1.2 -0.6 14,316 14,445 17,591 -18.6

 Total Inventories....................... 18,662 18,776 18,930 -0.6 -0.8 -2.0 18,847 18,471 23,635 -20.3 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 285,883 284,415 287,297 0.5 -1.0 -0.3 283,352 283,365 304,844 -7.1

 Total Inventories....................... 48,176 47,664 47,121 1.1 1.2 0.2 48,473 47,004 39,539 22.6

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 48,324 48,185 47,310 0.3 1.8 -0.5 48,154 48,383 45,303 6.3

 Total Inventories....................... 15,791 15,531 15,482 1.7 0.3 -0.4 15,869 15,604 14,391 10.3

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 11,249 11,232 11,388 0.2 -1.4 -2.3 11,609 11,571 13,712 -15.3

 Total Inventories....................... 50,018 50,646 51,311 -1.2 -1.3 -1.1 50,055 50,303 53,921 -7.2

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 567,734 567,843 573,712 0.0 -1.0 -0.2 564,154 567,474 615,062 -8.3

 Total Inventories....................... 158,640 159,517 161,417 -0.5 -1.2 -0.7 158,667 157,425 158,374 0.2

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 426,233 425,674 429,220 0.1 -0.8 -0.6 424,261 424,883 477,362 -11.1

 Total Inventories....................... 138,461 139,487 141,161 -0.7 -1.2 -0.8 138,542 137,463 139,086 -0.4

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 175,481 176,474 177,042 -0.6 -0.3 -1.0 175,926 176,846 204,893 -14.1

 Total Inventories................... 100,029 101,380 103,585 -1.3 -2.1 -1.2 99,857 99,885 108,082 -7.6

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 141,501 142,169 144,492 -0.5 -1.6 1.2 139,893 142,591 137,700 1.6

 Total Inventories....................... 20,179 20,030 20,256 0.7 -1.1 -0.1 20,125 19,962 19,288 4.3

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 4,300 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.