FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

WEDNESDAY, MAY 26, 2010, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (10)-04 

CB10-74

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

April 2010 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in April 

increased $5.6 billion or 2.9 percent to $193.9 billion, 

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

fourth increase in the last five months and followed a 

slight March decrease. Excluding transportation, new 

orders decreased 1.0 percent. Excluding defense, new 

orders increased 3.4 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up following two 

consecutive monthly decreases, had the largest increase, 

$7.0 billion or 16.1 percent to $50.7 billion. This was 

due to nondefense aircraft and parts which increased 

$7.3 billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, up 

two consecutive months, increased $2.7 billion or 1.4 

percent to $196.0 billion. This followed a 2.1 percent 

March increase. 

 Computers and electronic products, up following two 

consecutive monthly decreases, had the largest increase, 

$2.5 billion or 8.1 percent to $33.4 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

April, up three of the last four months, increased $3.5 

billion or 0.4 percent to $801.3 billion. This followed a 

0.1 percent March decrease. 

 Transportation equipment, also up three of the last four 

months, had the largest increase, $2.3 billion or 0.5 

percent to $480.2 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, up 

four consecutive months, increased $1.9 billion or 0.7 

percent to $301.4 billion. This followed a 0.6 percent 

March increase. 

 Primary metals, up six consecutive months, had the 

largest increase, $1.2 billion or 4.2 percent to $29.9 

billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in April 

increased $5.5 billion or 9.2 percent to $66.1 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.1 billion or 0.2 percent to $62.4 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $3.7 billion or 0.8 

percent to $483.7 billion. Inventories increased $1.2 

billion or 0.9 percent to $125.3 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in April 

decreased $0.2 billion or 2.1 percent to $10.7 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.4 billion or 3.8 percent to $10.6 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $0.1 billion or 0.1 

percent to $139.6 billion. Inventories decreased $0.3 

billion or 1.6 percent to $17.9 billion. 

Revised and Recently Benchmarked March Data 

 Revised and recently benchmarked seasonally adjusted 

March figures for all manufacturing industries were: 

new orders, $414.7 billion (revised from $412.4 billion); 

shipments, $419.6 billion (revised from $418.5 billion); 

unfilled orders, $797.8 billion (revised from $796.5 

billion); and total inventories, $519.1 billion (revised 

from $518.3 billion). 

Figures in text are adjusted for seasonality but not for inflation. 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, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The advance report on durable goods for May is scheduled for release on June 24, 2010, at 8:30 a.m. EDT. See back page for survey 

description. 
 2

Table 1. Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments and New Orders 1

[Estimates are shown in millions of dollars and are based on data from the Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders Survey.]

Seasonally Adjusted Not Seasonally Adjusted 

Monthly Percent Change Monthly Year to Date

Item 

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

2010 2 2010 r 2010 Apr 2 Mar r Feb 2010 2 2010 r 2009 2010 2009 10/09

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Shipments................................ 195,966 193,224 189,328 1.4 2.1 -1.5 196,605 206,936 177,918 751,478 707,484 6.2

 New Orders4

.............................. 193,888 188,334 188,346 2.9 0.0 0.5 190,653 206,388 156,796 743,692 636,550 16.8

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 147,583 144,954 142,297 1.8 1.9 1.1 149,497 153,502 131,720 561,700 523,268 7.3

 New Orders4

.............................. 143,183 144,670 138,090 -1.0 4.8 2.1 143,460 156,777 120,241 553,440 484,009 14.3

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 182,666 179,554 175,515 1.7 2.3 -1.1 184,086 192,134 165,229 698,863 658,816 6.1

 New Orders4

.............................. 180,762 174,808 174,986 3.4 -0.1 1.4 179,314 189,470 145,280 688,062 588,415 16.9

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 142,951 142,551 138,690 0.3 2.8 -0.2 140,788 154,060 126,524 546,474 513,731 6.4

 New Orders.............................. 146,475 141,753 142,729 3.3 -0.7 1.8 142,924 156,597 112,067 562,212 461,684 21.8

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 19,945 19,979 18,886 -0.2 5.8 3.1 20,562 21,105 14,006 76,458 58,219 31.3

 New Orders.............................. 19,708 20,105 19,405 -2.0 3.6 2.2 20,266 21,313 13,177 78,593 53,900 45.8

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 27,373 27,085 26,686 1.1 1.5 1.9 27,326 28,195 25,542 103,761 101,637 2.1

 New Orders.............................. 27,699 27,523 27,106 0.6 1.5 3.9 27,838 29,758 24,898 107,157 97,043 10.4

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 23,628 24,349 23,393 -3.0 4.1 4.8 24,840 26,973 23,393 93,919 94,896 -1.0

 New Orders.............................. 24,631 26,183 23,690 -5.9 10.5 7.1 26,414 29,291 21,257 99,315 85,244 16.5

 Computers and electronic products4

:

 Shipments................................ 33,350 30,837 31,546 8.1 -2.2 -3.1 33,396 33,108 28,143 125,307 110,750 13.1

 New Orders.............................. 27,688 27,089 25,744 2.2 5.2 -1.1 25,044 31,060 20,556 102,102 91,131 12.0

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 6,504 6,023 5,502 8.0 9.5 -2.4 6,251 6,519 4,555 22,150 19,715 12.4

 New Orders.............................. 6,206 6,396 5,414 -3.0 18.1 5.5 5,953 6,892 3,840 21,631 18,230 18.7

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 3,715 3,752 3,637 -1.0 3.2 -1.8 3,025 4,399 2,918 13,309 12,997 2.4

 New Orders.............................. 3,644 3,403 3,510 7.1 -3.0 -7.6 3,147 4,068 3,227 13,557 13,879 -2.3

 Semiconductors4

:

 Shipments................................ NA 4,092 5,021 NA -18.5 -14.8 NA 3,085 6,665 NA NA NA

 New Orders.............................. NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments............................... 9,600 9,418 9,147 1.9 3.0 1.3 9,765 10,010 8,979 36,176 35,192 2.8

 New Orders.............................. 9,698 10,415 9,163 -6.9 13.7 -1.8 9,973 10,862 8,531 38,680 34,418 12.4

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 48,383 48,270 47,031 0.2 2.6 -8.4 47,108 53,434 46,198 189,778 184,216 3.0

 New Orders.............................. 50,705 43,664 50,256 16.1 -13.1 -3.7 47,193 49,611 36,555 190,252 152,541 24.7

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 29,233 28,773 27,584 1.6 4.3 -10.8 29,425 31,298 26,895 116,128 106,776 8.8

 New Orders.............................. 29,119 28,651 27,425 1.6 4.5 -10.9 29,378 30,930 26,768 115,779 106,241 9.0

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 6,954 6,972 6,672 -0.3 4.5 -3.5 6,216 8,442 7,296 25,617 31,093 -17.6

 New Orders.............................. 10,534 3,212 11,135 228.0 -71.2 51.1 8,271 4,609 -94 26,542 7,167 270.3

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 5,631 5,754 5,741 -2.1 0.2 -5.2 5,150 6,225 4,769 21,512 18,675 15.2

 New Orders.............................. 5,257 5,501 5,425 -4.4 1.4 -20.3 4,409 6,444 4,465 22,587 19,326 16.9

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 33,687 33,286 32,639 1.2 2.0 0.7 33,608 34,111 31,657 126,079 122,574 2.9

 New Orders.............................. 33,759 33,355 32,982 1.2 1.1 0.7 33,925 34,493 31,822 127,593 122,273 4.4

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments................................ 72,992 73,311 71,944 -0.4 1.9 0.6 71,203 81,386 66,751 281,418 273,535 2.9

 New Orders.............................. 76,813 71,501 75,907 7.4 -5.8 6.9 73,423 81,608 53,954 289,632 231,798 25.0

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 62,365 62,263 60,703 0.2 2.6 1.6 61,061 69,475 56,449 238,456 234,060 1.9

 New Orders.............................. 66,075 60,530 64,937 9.2 -6.8 9.0 64,003 67,843 44,628 244,483 192,602 26.9

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 58,244 58,139 56,832 0.2 2.3 2.3 57,426 64,344 51,784 223,753 214,576 4.3

 New Orders.......................... 58,481 59,910 56,233 -2.4 6.5 3.0 58,251 66,421 47,172 228,632 199,003 14.9

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 10,627 11,048 11,241 -3.8 -1.7 -4.5 10,142 11,911 10,302 42,962 39,475 8.8

 New Orders.............................. 10,738 10,971 10,970 -2.1 0.0 -4.3 9,420 13,765 9,326 45,149 39,196 15.2

NA Not Available r Revised data due to late receipts and concurrent seasonal adjustment

1

 Estimates of shipments and new orders are for the duration of the period, while estimates of unfilled orders and total inventories are for the end of the period. Not seasonally adjusted estimates of 

shipments and new orders include adjusted data for non-calendar reporters. Seasonally adjusted estimates include concurrent adjustments for holiday and trading-day differences, where appropriate, 

as well as seasonal variation, based on the results of the latest annual review of the model parameters. Estimates are not adjusted for price changes

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. For further details on survey design, 

methodology, and data limitations, see http://www.census.gov/manufacturing/m3.

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 equipmen

4 Estimates of shipments for the semiconductor industry are no longer shown separately. Estimates and percent changes of shipments and inventories for the semiconductor industry are included 

 in computers and electronic products, and all other applicable aggregate totals. Estimates and percent changes for new orders and unfilled orders exclude semiconductor industry data. 
 3

Table 2. Durable Goods Manufacturers' Unfilled Orders and Total Inventories1

[Estimates are shown in millions of dollars and are based on data from the Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders Survey.]

Seasonally Adjusted Not Seasonally Adjusted 

Monthly Percent Change Monthly Percent

Item 

Apr Mar Feb Mar - Feb - Jan - Apr Mar Apr 2010/

2010 2 2010 r 2010 Apr 2 Mar r Feb 2010 2 2010 r 2009 2009

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Unfilled Orders 4........................ 801,278 797,754 798,552 0.4 -0.1 0.5 808,424 806,288 840,603 -3.8

 Total Inventories....................... 301,423 299,476 297,545 0.7 0.6 0.7 303,722 299,273 320,567 -5.3

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders 4

........................ 321,084 319,882 316,074 0.4 1.2 0.3 324,993 322,942 322,319 0.8

 Total Inventories....................... 223,216 221,440 219,999 0.8 0.7 0.4 224,196 221,342 239,337 -6.3

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Order 4........................... 648,062 644,364 645,018 0.6 -0.1 0.7 651,857 648,541 672,822 -3.1

 Total Inventories....................... 278,239 275,909 273,882 0.8 0.7 0.7 280,454 275,641 297,249 -5.7

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders ........................ 801,278 797,754 798,552 0.4 -0.1 0.5 808,424 806,288 840,603 -3.8

 Total Inventories....................... 244,929 242,687 240,987 0.9 0.7 0.7 246,727 242,102 257,924 -4.3

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 18,241 18,478 18,352 -1.3 0.7 2.9 18,506 18,802 15,617 18.5

 Total Inventories....................... 29,892 28,675 28,006 4.2 2.4 1.7 29,682 28,193 29,105 2.0

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 54,465 54,139 53,701 0.6 0.8 0.8 55,470 54,958 57,519 -3.6

 Total Inventories....................... 40,828 40,555 40,061 0.7 1.2 1.0 40,972 40,824 43,463 -5.7

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 91,576 90,573 88,739 1.1 2.1 0.3 92,562 90,988 90,806 1.9

 Total Inventories....................... 49,368 49,339 49,335 0.1 0.0 -0.4 49,832 49,872 55,660 -10.5

 Computers and electronic products4:

 Unfilled Orders ........................ 120,582 120,642 120,298 0.0 0.3 -0.6 121,828 122,092 124,113 -1.8

 Total Inventories....................... 43,496 43,179 43,134 0.7 0.1 0.3 43,567 42,434 45,981 -5.2

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 4,852 5,150 4,777 -5.8 7.8 -1.8 4,852 5,150 4,033 20.3

 Total Inventories....................... 4,696 4,509 4,569 4.1 -1.3 0.7 4,692 4,369 4,732 -0.8

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 28,620 28,691 29,040 -0.2 -1.2 -0.4 29,022 28,900 29,394 -1.3

 Total Inventories....................... 7,467 7,401 7,812 0.9 -5.3 1.7 7,511 7,311 8,493 -11.6

 Semiconductors4:

 Unfilled Orders ........................ NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

 Total Inventories ...................... NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA NA

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 23,383 23,285 22,288 0.4 4.5 0.1 23,605 23,397 22,515 4.8

 Total Inventories....................... 13,609 13,595 13,507 0.1 0.7 0.2 13,903 13,752 15,083 -7.8

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 480,194 477,872 482,478 0.5 -1.0 0.7 483,431 483,346 518,284 -6.7

 Total Inventories....................... 78,207 78,036 77,546 0.2 0.6 1.5 79,526 77,931 81,230 -2.1

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 14,122 14,236 14,358 -0.8 -0.8 -1.1 14,299 14,346 15,693 -8.9

 Total Inventories....................... 19,966 19,863 19,726 0.5 0.7 7.0 20,502 20,018 20,597 -0.5

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 323,670 320,090 323,850 1.1 -1.2 1.4 324,490 322,435 342,092 -5.1

 Total Inventories....................... 35,451 34,912 34,381 1.5 1.5 0.6 36,084 34,691 35,598 1.4

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 47,813 48,187 48,440 -0.8 -0.5 -0.6 48,823 49,564 51,684 -5.5

 Total Inventories....................... 12,198 12,271 12,382 -0.6 -0.9 1.2 12,190 12,204 12,094 0.8

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 12,837 12,765 12,696 0.6 0.5 2.8 13,022 12,705 11,749 10.8

 Total Inventories....................... 46,023 46,097 45,956 -0.2 0.3 0.3 46,240 46,267 50,045 -7.6

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 623,231 619,410 621,220 0.6 -0.3 0.6 628,666 626,446 663,728 -5.3

 Total Inventories....................... 143,188 142,307 142,478 0.6 -0.1 0.3 144,494 142,186 152,621 -5.3

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 483,666 479,956 481,689 0.8 -0.4 0.9 486,196 483,254 510,337 -4.7

 Total Inventories....................... 125,279 124,103 124,254 0.9 -0.1 0.2 126,493 123,850 134,587 -6.0

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 189,669 189,432 187,661 0.1 0.9 -0.3 191,741 190,916 198,293 -3.3

 Total Inventories.................. 97,977 97,467 97,997 0.5 -0.5 0.1 98,645 97,303 107,307 -8.1

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 139,565 139,454 139,531 0.1 -0.1 -0.2 142,470 143,192 153,391 -7.1

 Total Inventories....................... 17,909 18,204 18,224 -1.6 -0.1 0.8 18,001 18,336 18,034 -0.2

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 65 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 60 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.