FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 2013, AT 8:30 A.M. EST 

Chris Savage or Adriana Stoica 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (13)-10 

CB13-196

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

October 2013 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

October decreased $4.6 billion or 2.0 percent to $230.3 

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

decrease, down following two consecutive monthly 

increases, followed a 4.1 percent September increase. 

Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.1 

percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 1.3 

percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, also down following two 

consecutive monthly increases, led the decrease, $4.6 

billion or 5.9 percent to $73.0 billion. This was led by 

nondefense aircraft and parts, which decreased $3.0 

billion. 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in October, 

up three consecutive months, increased $0.5 billion or 

0.2 percent to $233.2 billion. This was at the highest 

level since the series was first published on a NAICS 

basis in 1992, and followed a 0.5 percent September 

increase. 

 Transportation equipment, also up three consecutive 

months, drove the increase, $0.7 billion or 1.1 percent to 

$70.9 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

October, up eight of the last nine months, increased $3.5 

billion or 0.3 percent to $1,045.4 billion. This was at the 

highest level since the series was first published on a 

NAICS basis, and followed a 0.9 percent September 

increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up two consecutive months, 

 

led the increase, $2.1 billion or 0.3 percent to $644.4 

billion.

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in October, 

up six of the last seven months, increased $1.2 billion or 

0.3 percent to $383.3 billion. This was at the highest 

level since the series was first published on a NAICS 

basis, and followed a 0.8 percent September increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up seventeen of the last 

eighteen months, led the increase, $1.1 billion or 0.9 

percent to $120.0 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in October 

decreased $3.2 billion or 3.9 percent to $77.9 billion. 

Shipments increased slightly to $74.2 billion. Unfilled 

orders increased $3.7 billion or 0.6 percent to $620.8 

billion. Inventories increased $1.0 billion or 0.6 percent 

to $174.2 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in October 

decreased $1.7 billion or 16.3 percent to $8.7 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.2 billion or 2.4 percent to $9.8 

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $1.0 billion or 0.6 

percent to $167.1 billion. Inventories decreased slightly 

or 0.2 percent to $23.0 billion. 

Revised September Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted September figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $491.3 

billion (revised from $490.8 billion); shipments, $489.2 

billion (revised from $488.9 billion); unfilled orders, 

$1,041.9 billion (revised from $1,041.7 billion); and 

total inventories $633.7 billion (revised from $634.0 

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 December 5, 2013, at 10:00 a.m. EST. The advance report on durable goods for November is scheduled 

for release on December 24, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. EST. 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

Oct Sep Aug Sep - Aug - Jul - Oct Sep Oct Change

2013 2 2013 r 2013 Oct 2 Sep r Aug 2013 2 2013 r 2012 2013 2012 2013/2012

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Shipments................................ 233,245 232,706 231,596 0.2 0.5 1.0 241,583 241,902 230,995 2,304,347 2,231,539 3.3

 New Orders4

.............................. 230,252 234,893 225,686 -2.0 4.1 0.5 232,019 244,210 221,124 2,274,148 2,170,706 4.8

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments................................ 162,346 162,555 161,782 -0.1 0.5 0.7 167,073 168,606 164,269 1,621,221 1,598,742 1.4

 New Orders

4

.............................. 157,237 157,322 157,025 -0.1 0.2 -0.1 158,323 161,285 153,072 1,574,223 1,522,764 3.4

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments................................ 221,217 220,273 219,058 0.4 0.6 0.6 229,919 228,057 219,193 2,184,527 2,111,395 3.5

 New Orders4

.............................. 219,438 222,253 214,893 -1.3 3.4 0.9 223,347 229,325 211,243 2,170,774 2,050,822 5.8

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments................................ 163,346 163,146 162,296 0.1 0.5 1.0 165,800 170,035 160,502 1,612,723 1,585,539 1.7

 New Orders.............................. 166,814 172,172 163,256 -3.1 5.5 0.3 164,467 179,035 161,138 1,652,323 1,599,100 3.3

 Primary metals:

 Shipments................................ 25,932 25,798 25,608 0.5 0.7 0.7 26,357 25,687 24,888 255,972 256,245 -0.1

 New Orders.............................. 26,385 26,254 25,525 0.5 2.9 0.1 26,812 25,212 25,215 258,626 250,317 3.3

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments................................ 29,047 28,934 28,892 0.4 0.1 -0.2 30,786 29,892 30,121 292,843 289,179 1.3

 New Orders.............................. 29,045 29,483 30,267 -1.5 -2.6 0.5 28,452 29,412 29,263 300,705 293,596 2.4

 Machinery:

 Shipments................................ 34,246 33,966 33,753 0.8 0.6 0.5 34,316 34,491 33,566 342,607 332,122 3.2

 New Orders.............................. 34,122 34,236 34,940 -0.3 -2.0 0.7 34,384 34,434 33,096 347,619 325,005 7.0

 Computers and electronic products4

:

 Shipments................................ 27,207 27,919 27,738 -2.6 0.7 1.8 27,881 31,021 30,433 273,819 284,757 -3.8

 New Orders.............................. 21,556 21,483 20,470 0.3 4.9 -4.6 20,595 25,250 19,946 209,712 216,593 -3.2

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments................................ 2,240 2,463 2,332 -9.1 5.6 15.6 1,817 3,509 2,017 22,164 23,899 -7.3

 New Orders.............................. 2,264 2,450 2,253 -7.6 8.7 10.7 1,841 3,496 2,144 22,293 24,145 -7.7

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments................................ 4,030 4,012 4,033 0.4 -0.5 1.9 3,694 4,648 3,802 38,979 37,034 5.3

 New Orders.............................. 4,162 4,213 4,014 -1.2 5.0 -4.3 4,086 5,255 4,042 43,007 40,271 6.8

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments................................ 10,091 10,064 10,141 0.3 -0.8 -1.5 10,215 10,538 10,336 102,776 103,340 -0.5

 New Orders.............................. 10,382 10,097 10,135 2.8 -0.4 -0.4 10,586 10,079 10,439 104,032 103,456 0.6

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments................................ 70,899 70,151 69,814 1.1 0.5 1.6 74,510 73,296 66,726 683,126 632,797 8.0

 New Orders.............................. 73,015 77,571 68,661 -5.9 13.0 1.8 73,696 82,925 68,052 699,925 647,942 8.0

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments................................ 46,785 46,003 45,829 1.7 0.4 1.8 51,531 46,852 44,883 454,427 413,116 10.0

 New Orders.............................. 46,602 45,823 45,911 1.7 -0.2 2.1 51,165 46,664 44,739 453,435 411,394 10.2

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 12,277 11,989 11,527 2.4 4.0 -5.0 11,456 12,809 10,193 109,469 100,325 9.1

 New Orders.............................. 16,047 19,072 11,980 -15.9 59.2 5.4 13,656 21,259 13,114 143,241 118,952 20.4

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments................................ 4,779 4,839 4,864 -1.2 -0.5 10.6 4,514 5,498 4,292 46,235 46,576 -0.7

 New Orders.............................. 3,998 4,998 4,456 -20.0 12.2 -12.0 3,769 6,281 5,251 38,780 48,588 -20.2

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments................................ 35,823 35,874 35,650 -0.1 0.6 1.4 37,518 36,977 34,925 353,204 333,099 6.0

 New Orders.............................. 35,747 35,769 35,688 -0.1 0.2 1.3 37,494 36,898 35,113 353,529 333,797 5.9

 Capital goods3

:

 Shipments................................ 83,947 84,154 84,114 -0.2 0.0 1.5 82,529 89,395 81,163 827,266 810,276 2.1

 New Orders.............................. 86,596 91,447 84,536 -5.3 8.2 -0.4 80,485 98,048 81,160 863,219 828,614 4.2

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 74,192 74,156 73,834 0.0 0.4 0.4 73,103 78,334 71,712 730,198 714,061 2.3

 New Orders.............................. 77,886 81,043 75,867 -3.9 6.8 -0.1 74,209 86,026 74,287 780,131 732,924 6.4

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 65,608 65,707 65,818 -0.2 -0.2 1.4 65,068 69,428 64,440 654,553 645,563 1.4

 New Orders.......................... 66,239 67,034 67,959 -1.2 -1.4 1.0 64,906 69,765 64,319 674,324 647,906 4.1

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments................................ 9,755 9,998 10,280 -2.4 -2.7 9.9 9,426 11,061 9,451 97,068 96,215 0.9

 New Orders.............................. 8,710 10,404 8,669 -16.3 20.0 -3.3 6,276 12,022 6,873 83,088 95,690 -13.2

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

Oct Sep Aug Sep - Aug - Jul - Oct Sep Oct 2013/

2013 2 2013 r 2013 Oct 2 Sep r Aug 2013 2 2013 r 2012 2012

DURABLE GOODS

 Total: 

 Unfilled Orders4......................... 1,045,409 1,041,941 1,032,915 0.3 0.9 0.1 1,030,464 1,031,797 968,535 6.4

 Total Inventories....................... 383,331 382,088 379,164 0.3 0.8 0.1 384,542 380,899 374,715 2.6

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 401,050 399,698 398,092 0.3 0.4 0.5 394,136 394,655 375,585 4.9

 Total Inventories....................... 263,291 263,101 261,949 0.1 0.4 0.0 263,635 262,073 263,496 0.1

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4........................... 847,715 843,033 834,214 0.6 1.1 0.3 836,556 834,897 769,640 8.7

 Total Inventories....................... 355,286 354,073 351,918 0.3 0.6 0.5 356,571 353,071 348,574 2.3

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 1,045,409 1,041,941 1,032,915 0.3 0.9 0.1 1,030,464 1,031,797 968,535 6.4

 Total Inventories....................... 314,257 313,016 310,499 0.4 0.8 0.1 315,026 311,826 304,803 3.4

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 36,433 35,980 35,524 1.3 1.3 -0.2 34,781 34,326 32,029 8.6

 Total Inventories....................... 35,039 35,069 34,985 -0.1 0.2 0.2 34,790 35,048 36,259 -4.1

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 90,695 90,697 90,148 0.0 0.6 1.5 86,814 89,148 78,020 11.3

 Total Inventories....................... 47,802 47,648 47,445 0.3 0.4 0.3 47,581 47,505 47,169 0.9

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 107,527 107,651 107,381 -0.1 0.3 1.1 106,802 106,734 107,329 -0.5

 Total Inventories....................... 66,409 66,355 65,906 0.1 0.7 0.1 66,411 65,926 67,217 -1.2

 Computers and electronic products4

:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 136,604 135,794 135,391 0.6 0.3 -0.3 136,354 135,409 129,645 5.2

 Total Inventories....................... 46,630 46,872 46,377 -0.5 1.1 -0.6 47,269 46,769 46,589 1.5

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 3,356 3,332 3,345 0.7 -0.4 -2.3 3,356 3,332 2,989 12.3

 Total Inventories....................... 4,496 4,458 4,495 0.9 -0.8 -1.9 4,681 4,399 4,568 2.5

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 34,097 33,965 33,764 0.4 0.6 -0.1 34,458 34,066 29,776 15.7

 Total Inventories....................... 7,419 7,565 7,430 -1.9 1.8 1.0 7,503 7,503 7,791 -3.7

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 22,589 22,298 22,265 1.3 0.1 0.0 22,230 21,859 21,149 5.1

 Total Inventories....................... 16,758 16,715 16,831 0.3 -0.7 -0.5 16,746 16,403 16,662 0.5

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 644,359 642,243 634,823 0.3 1.2 -0.2 636,328 637,142 592,950 7.3

 Total Inventories....................... 120,040 118,987 117,215 0.9 1.5 0.3 120,907 118,826 111,219 8.7

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 16,439 16,622 16,802 -1.1 -1.1 0.5 15,793 16,159 16,155 -2.2

 Total Inventories....................... 25,460 25,436 25,208 0.1 0.9 1.0 25,982 25,550 26,386 -1.5

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 469,722 465,952 458,869 0.8 1.5 0.1 465,128 462,928 415,935 11.8

 Total Inventories....................... 66,065 65,164 64,213 1.4 1.5 1.6 66,375 64,983 57,768 14.9

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 66,261 67,042 66,883 -1.2 0.2 -0.6 64,904 65,649 67,534 -3.9

 Total Inventories....................... 13,364 13,450 13,439 -0.6 0.1 -3.8 13,437 13,504 12,846 4.6

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 7,202 7,278 7,383 -1.0 -1.4 0.5 7,155 7,179 7,413 -3.5

 Total Inventories....................... 50,653 50,442 50,405 0.4 0.1 0.3 50,838 50,422 49,600 2.5

 Capital goods3

:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 787,854 785,205 777,912 0.3 0.9 0.1 777,167 779,211 724,281 7.3

 Total Inventories....................... 197,236 196,262 194,178 0.5 1.1 -0.2 198,174 195,237 189,459 4.6

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 620,768 617,074 610,187 0.6 1.1 0.3 613,204 612,098 556,349 10.2

 Total Inventories....................... 174,249 173,240 172,042 0.6 0.7 0.4 175,334 172,456 168,553 4.0

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 231,170 230,539 229,212 0.3 0.6 0.9 227,610 227,772 212,398 7.2

 Total Inventories................... 119,867 119,764 119,335 0.1 0.4 -0.2 120,784 119,020 121,900 -0.9

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 167,086 168,131 167,725 -0.6 0.2 -1.0 163,963 167,113 167,932 -2.4

 Total Inventories....................... 22,987 23,022 22,136 -0.2 4.0 -4.3 22,840 22,781 20,906 9.3

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-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. 

 

2014 Release Dates for the M3 Survey 

Survey month Advance Report 

(8:30 a.m. release time) 

Full Report 

(10:00 a.m. release time) 

October 2013 November 27, 2013 December 5, 2013 

November 2013 December 24, 2013 January 6, 2014 

December 2013 January 28, 2014 February 4, 2014 

January 2014 February 27, 2014 March 6, 2014 

February 2014 March 26, 2014 April 2, 2014 

March 2014 April 24, 2014 May 2, 2014 

April 2014 May 27, 2014 June 3, 2014 

May 2014 June 25, 2014 July 2, 2014 

June 2014 July 25, 2014 August 5, 2014 

July 2014 August 26, 2014 September 3, 2014 

August 2014 September 25, 2014 October 2, 2014 

September 2014 October 28, 2014 November 4, 2014 

October 2014 November 26, 2014 December 5, 2014 

November 2014 December 23, 2014 Not available at this time