FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

TUESDAY, MARCH 26, 2013, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Adriana Stoica 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (13)-02 

CB13-55

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

February 2013 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

February increased $12.4 billion or 5.7 percent to $232.1 

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

increase, up five of the last six months, followed a 3.8 

percent January decrease. Excluding transportation, new 

orders decreased 0.5 percent. Excluding defense, new 

orders increased 4.5 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up two of the last three 

months, drove the increase, $13.3 billion or 21.7 percent 

to $74.4 billion. This was led by nondefense aircraft and 

parts, which increased $9.0 billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in February, 

up five of the last six months, increased $2.2 billion or 

1.0 percent to $229.3 billion. This followed a 0.7 

percent January decrease. 

 Transportation equipment, up three of the last four 

months, had the largest increase, $1.0 billion or 1.6 

percent to $66.0 billion. This followed a 1.9 percent 

January decrease. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

February, up five of the last six months, increased $9.4 

billion or 0.9 percent to $999.8 billion. This increase 

followed a 0.1 percent January decrease. 

Transportation equipment, also up five of the last six 

months, led the increase, $8.4 billion or 1.4 percent to 

$592.3 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

February, up sixteen of the last seventeen months, 

increased $1.6 billion or 0.4 percent to $376.9 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series was first 

published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.3 

percent January increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up thirty-one consecutive 

months, drove the increase, $1.8 billion or 1.6 percent to 

$118.0 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in February 

increased $7.4 billion or 10.0 percent to $80.8 billion. 

This was the largest increase in five months. Shipments 

increased $0.1 billion or 0.2 percent to $70.8 billion. 

Unfilled orders increased $10.0 billion or 1.7 percent to 

$596.9 billion. Inventories increased $1.1 billion or 0.6 

percent to $175.5 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in February 

increased $3.3 billion or 68.0 percent to $8.1 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.4 billion or 4.8 percent to $8.4 

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $0.2 billion or 0.1 

percent to $167.8 billion. Inventories increased $0.6 

billion or 2.8 percent to $22.2 billion. 

Revised January Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted January figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $475.2 

billion (revised from $472.9 billion); shipments, $482.6 

billion (revised from $481.8 billion); unfilled orders, 

$990.4 billion (revised from $988.9 billion); and total 

inventories, $618.8 billion (revised from $618.4 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 April 2, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The advance report on durable goods for March is scheduled for release on April 24, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. EDT. See back page for survey description. To receive the latest updates on the Nation's key economic indicators, download the America's Economy app for Apple and Android smartphones and tablets. 
 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 Percent

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

2013 2 2013 r 2012 Feb 2 Jan r Dec 2013 2 2013 r 2012 2013 2012 2013/2012

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Shipments................................ 229,330 227,170 228,867 1.0 -0.7 0.6 214,572 207,019 212,766 421,591 411,684 2.4

 New Orders4

.............................. 232,108 219,688 228,445 5.7 -3.8 3.6 226,875 205,271 224,263 432,146 429,581 0.6

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 163,312 162,161 162,631 0.7 -0.3 0.5 150,452 149,755 151,816 300,207 296,741 1.2

 New Orders

4

.............................. 157,711 158,567 154,068 -0.5 2.9 0.8 152,271 151,240 154,877 303,511 299,860 1.2

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 218,731 216,869 217,506 0.9 -0.3 0.5 204,473 198,629 202,667 403,102 392,644 2.7

 New Orders4

.............................. 222,052 212,524 210,182 4.5 1.1 0.3 216,807 197,633 212,904 414,440 408,732 1.4

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 158,928 158,219 161,036 0.4 -1.7 0.3 148,678 143,229 150,461 291,907 290,959 0.3

 New Orders.............................. 168,334 157,720 168,046 6.7 -6.1 4.4 166,340 149,123 167,984 315,463 322,437 -2.2

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 28,875 29,031 29,927 -0.5 -3.0 1.9 27,886 28,720 29,062 56,606 57,077 -0.8

 New Orders.............................. 29,229 28,736 29,118 1.7 -1.3 1.6 29,115 29,530 29,205 58,645 58,406 0.4

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 28,112 27,874 27,288 0.9 2.1 -0.4 25,905 26,198 26,243 52,103 51,950 0.3

 New Orders.............................. 28,135 29,427 29,011 -4.4 1.4 4.1 27,924 28,907 28,182 56,831 54,603 4.1

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 34,330 33,432 33,272 2.7 0.5 -1.1 31,744 29,639 30,007 61,383 56,849 8.0

 New Orders.............................. 34,815 35,614 30,742 -2.2 15.8 -3.0 33,780 34,117 33,796 67,897 64,667 5.0

 Computers and electronic products4

:

 Shipments................................ 27,074 27,209 28,144 -0.5 -3.3 1.3 23,814 24,753 26,052 48,567 51,961 -6.5

 New Orders.............................. 20,696 20,437 21,412 1.3 -4.6 2.7 19,782 17,908 22,453 37,690 41,799 -9.8

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 2,303 2,298 2,750 0.2 -16.4 13.4 1,670 1,630 2,361 3,300 4,688 -29.6

 New Orders.............................. 2,405 2,293 2,716 4.9 -15.6 6.2 1,772 1,625 2,331 3,397 4,617 -26.4

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 3,191 3,246 3,142 -1.7 3.3 1.7 2,843 2,611 2,831 5,454 5,316 2.6

 New Orders.............................. 3,512 3,800 3,965 -7.6 -4.2 8.4 3,638 3,242 3,753 6,880 6,402 7.5

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 10,151 10,064 10,026 0.9 0.4 0.3 9,309 9,065 9,339 18,374 18,207 0.9

 New Orders.............................. 10,127 9,844 9,891 2.9 -0.5 -3.3 9,696 9,460 9,726 19,156 19,347 -1.0

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 66,018 65,009 66,236 1.6 -1.9 0.8 64,120 57,264 60,950 121,384 114,943 5.6

 New Orders.............................. 74,397 61,121 74,377 21.7 -17.8 9.9 74,604 54,031 69,386 128,635 129,721 -0.8

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 46,191 44,489 44,302 3.8 0.4 0.1 46,065 41,619 42,388 87,684 80,185 9.4

 New Orders.............................. 46,154 44,443 44,085 3.8 0.8 0.2 46,318 41,661 42,631 87,979 80,413 9.4

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 8,908 9,948 10,664 -10.5 -6.7 1.3 7,846 7,276 8,505 15,122 15,661 -3.4

 New Orders.............................. 18,343 9,392 12,361 95.3 -24.0 -3.2 19,053 5,049 16,602 24,102 29,994 -19.6

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 4,508 4,222 4,917 6.8 -14.1 3.6 4,133 3,251 3,957 7,384 7,814 -5.5

 New Orders.............................. 3,018 2,804 8,020 7.6 -65.0 58.5 2,408 3,411 4,660 5,819 8,968 -35.1

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 34,770 34,551 33,974 0.6 1.7 1.1 31,794 31,380 31,113 63,174 60,697 4.1

 New Orders.............................. 34,709 34,509 33,894 0.6 1.8 0.9 31,974 31,318 31,515 63,292 61,038 3.7

 Capital goods3

:

 Shipments................................ 79,130 78,604 80,796 0.7 -2.7 1.1 73,002 67,850 73,429 140,852 140,072 0.6

 New Orders.............................. 88,900 78,227 88,133 13.6 -11.2 11.5 88,319 70,914 88,309 159,233 167,616 -5.0

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 70,763 70,622 71,766 0.2 -1.6 0.5 64,832 61,270 65,457 126,102 125,131 0.8

 New Orders.............................. 80,752 73,378 71,934 10.0 2.0 1.0 79,919 65,650 79,521 145,569 151,468 -3.9

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 65,342 64,099 64,546 1.9 -0.7 0.1 60,159 57,034 60,008 117,193 115,447 1.5

 New Orders.......................... 65,783 67,612 63,346 -2.7 6.7 -0.8 64,005 64,299 66,331 128,304 127,472 0.7

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 8,367 7,982 9,030 4.8 -11.6 5.9 8,170 6,580 7,972 14,750 14,941 -1.3

 New Orders.............................. 8,148 4,849 16,199 68.0 -70.1 107.2 8,400 5,264 8,788 13,664 16,148 -15.4

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 equipment.

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 Inventories 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 Percent

Item Change

Feb Jan Dec Jan - Dec - Nov - Feb Jan Feb 2013/

2013 2 2013 r 2012 Feb 2 Jan r Dec 2013 2 2013 r 2012 2012

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Unfilled Orders4......................... 999,763 990,357 990,856 0.9 -0.1 0.7 1,012,524 994,862 997,401 1.5

 Total Inventories....................... 376,925 375,320 374,087 0.4 0.3 -0.1 378,369 373,668 362,899 4.3

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 407,472 406,445 403,056 0.3 0.8 -0.3 411,515 404,337 421,957 -2.5

 Total Inventories....................... 258,888 259,123 259,302 -0.1 -0.1 -0.3 260,226 258,239 256,743 1.4

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4........................... 806,611 796,662 794,024 1.2 0.3 0.0 817,514 799,821 806,077 1.4

 Total Inventories....................... 349,850 348,972 347,830 0.3 0.3 -0.1 351,156 347,269 337,088 4.2

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 999,763 990,357 990,856 0.9 -0.1 0.7 1,012,524 994,862 997,401 1.5

 Total Inventories....................... 307,309 305,198 303,675 0.7 0.5 0.0 308,060 303,510 294,027 4.8

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 30,483 30,129 30,424 1.2 -1.0 -2.6 31,974 30,745 37,331 -14.4

 Total Inventories....................... 34,537 34,643 34,738 -0.3 -0.3 0.5 34,466 34,316 35,049 -1.7

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 86,540 86,517 84,964 0.0 1.8 2.1 86,892 84,873 80,024 8.6

 Total Inventories....................... 46,095 45,954 45,988 0.3 -0.1 -0.1 46,119 45,766 45,646 1.0

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 124,218 123,733 121,551 0.4 1.8 -2.0 125,288 123,252 142,280 -11.9

 Total Inventories....................... 65,287 65,507 66,063 -0.3 -0.8 -0.7 66,054 65,237 65,022 1.6

 Computers and electronic products4

:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 138,333 138,083 137,872 0.2 0.2 0.5 139,366 138,039 133,531 4.4

 Total Inventories....................... 46,238 46,293 46,317 -0.1 -0.1 -0.5 46,283 46,214 45,558 1.6

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 1,438 1,336 1,341 7.6 -0.4 -2.5 1,438 1,336 1,085 32.5

 Total Inventories....................... 3,806 3,825 3,704 -0.5 3.3 -2.9 3,828 3,702 4,027 -4.9

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 35,991 35,670 35,116 0.9 1.6 2.4 36,378 35,583 32,047 13.5

 Total Inventories....................... 8,309 8,299 8,224 0.1 0.9 -0.6 8,426 8,383 8,717 -3.3

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 20,723 20,747 20,967 -0.1 -1.0 -0.6 21,134 20,747 21,868 -3.4

 Total Inventories....................... 15,735 15,782 15,472 -0.3 2.0 -1.2 15,883 15,780 15,555 2.1

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 592,291 583,912 587,800 1.4 -0.7 1.4 601,009 590,525 575,444 4.4

 Total Inventories....................... 118,037 116,197 114,785 1.6 1.2 0.2 118,143 115,429 106,156 11.3

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 15,500 15,537 15,583 -0.2 -0.3 -1.4 16,129 15,876 17,346 -7.0

 Total Inventories....................... 25,261 25,410 25,609 -0.6 -0.8 -0.2 25,296 25,535 24,628 2.7

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 420,744 411,309 411,865 2.3 -0.1 0.4 427,198 415,991 400,090 6.8

 Total Inventories....................... 65,290 63,849 62,154 2.3 2.7 0.1 65,238 62,917 55,607 17.3

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 63,358 64,848 66,266 -2.3 -2.1 4.9 64,337 66,062 60,510 6.3

 Total Inventories....................... 14,507 13,840 13,816 4.8 0.2 1.4 14,511 13,734 13,282 9.3

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 7,175 7,236 7,278 -0.8 -0.6 -1.1 6,861 6,681 6,923 -0.9

 Total Inventories....................... 50,996 50,944 50,724 0.1 0.4 0.0 51,421 50,926 49,913 3.0

 Capital goods3

:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 764,734 754,964 755,341 1.3 0.0 1.0 774,285 758,968 756,990 2.3

 Total Inventories....................... 197,650 195,984 194,035 0.9 1.0 -0.5 198,347 194,504 185,363 7.0

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 596,897 586,908 584,152 1.7 0.5 0.0 605,127 590,040 590,452 2.5

 Total Inventories....................... 175,469 174,412 172,581 0.6 1.1 -0.6 176,032 172,775 164,504 7.0

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 235,896 235,455 231,942 0.2 1.5 -0.5 238,384 234,538 245,432 -2.9

 Total Inventories................... 120,458 120,802 120,651 -0.3 0.1 -0.7 121,168 120,153 118,269 2.5

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 167,837 168,056 171,189 -0.1 -1.8 4.4 169,158 168,928 166,538 1.6

 Total Inventories....................... 22,181 21,572 21,454 2.8 0.6 -0.2 22,315 21,729 20,859 7.0

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-inprocess, 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-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 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-to-month 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. 

Benchmark Notice 

Revised historical data for Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders will be issued on May 17, 

2013. These revisions reflect: 

 benchmarking the shipments and inventories data to the 2011 Annual Survey of Manufactures 

(ASM) data, as well as revised ASM benchmarks for prior years; 

 incorporating the unfilled orders to shipments ratios obtained from the 2010/2011 Manufacturers’ 

Unfilled Orders Survey by applying these ratios to the respective ASM shipments data, as well as 

incorporating revised unfilled orders to shipments ratios for prior years; 

 adjusting the new orders data to be consistent with the benchmarked shipments and unfilled orders 

data; 

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

previously reported data; 

 migrating the data processing environment from a server having a Linux Red Hat 4 operating system 

that supports SAS® 9.1.3 to a server having a Linux Red Hat 5 operating system that supports SAS® 

9.2; and 

 updating the seasonally adjusted data, based on the results of benchmarking and the recent annual 

review of the seasonal adjustment models. 

An accompanying press release will include the revised 2013 January through March data. Please call 

Jessica Young on (301) 763-4832 with any questions.