FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 27, 2007, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (07)-5 

CB07-095

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

May 2007 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in May 

decreased $6.1 billion or 2.8 percent to $213.0 billion, 

the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This 

followed three consecutive monthly increases including 

a 1.1 percent April increase. Excluding transportation, 

new orders decreased 1.0 percent. Excluding defense, 

new orders decreased 3.2 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, down two consecutive 

months, had the largest decrease, $4.5 billion or 6.8 

percent to $62.4 billion. This was led by nondefense 

aircraft and parts, which decreased $4.1 billion. 

 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in May, up 

three consecutive months, increased $0.9 billion or 0.4 

percent to $214.4 billion. This followed a 2.0 percent 

April increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up two of the last three 

months, had the largest increase, $1.0 billion or 1.8 

percent to $57.3 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

May, up twenty-four of the last twenty-five months, 

increased $5.8 billion or 0.8 percent to $725.3 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series was first 

stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.9 

percent April increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up sixteen consecutive 

months, had the largest increase, $5.1 billion or 1.3 

percent to $410.3 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in May, up 

fifteen consecutive months, increased $0.7 billion or 0.2 

percent to $313.2 billion. This was at the highest level 

since the series began and followed a 0.4 percent April 

increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up eight of the last nine 

months, had the largest increase, $0.5 billion or 0.6 

percent to $77.5 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in May 

decreased $6.5 billion or 8.3 percent to $71.8 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.2 billion or 0.3 percent to $65.5 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $6.3 billion or 1.6 

percent to $396.9 billion. Inventories increased $1.1 

billion or 0.9 percent to $121.7 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in May increased 

$0.5 billion or 6.7 percent to $8.2 billion. Shipments 

increased $0.2 billion or 3.0 percent to $8.3 billion. 

Unfilled orders decreased $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to 

$143.3 billion. Inventories decreased $0.1 billion or 0.9 

percent to $16.8 billion. 

Revised April Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted April figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $418.6 

billion (revised from $418.0 billion); shipments, $413.0 

billion (revised from $412.7 billion); unfilled orders, 

$719.5 billion (revised from $719.1 billion); and total 

inventories, $513.5 billion (unchanged).

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 July 3, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The 

advance report on durable goods for June is scheduled for release on July 26, 2007, 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

May Apr Mar Apr - Mar - Feb - May Apr May Change

2007 2 2007 r 2007 May 2 Apr r Mar 2007 2 2007 r 2006 2007 2006 07/06

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments............................... 214,448 213,554 209,287 0.4 2.0 1.3 221,057 208,730 220,527 1,044,870 1,046,787 -0.2

 New Orders 4

........................... 213,017 219,113 216,709 -2.8 1.1 5.1 215,980 213,298 215,310 1,061,584 1,056,554 0.5

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments............................... 157,198 157,295 152,127 -0.1 3.4 1.0 159,611 154,082 157,989 758,590 754,568 0.5

 New Orders 4

........................... 150,618 152,176 148,533 -1.0 2.5 1.6 152,509 149,935 154,136 744,075 746,232 -0.3

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments............................... 204,539 203,937 199,714 0.3 2.1 1.6 211,201 199,672 211,370 997,907 1,001,955 -0.4

 New Orders 4

........................... 203,496 210,210 207,713 -3.2 1.2 5.3 208,894 206,004 209,394 1,015,593 1,013,520 0.2

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments............................... 149,295 148,476 146,962 0.6 1.0 1.9 152,803 144,874 150,097 725,825 712,157 1.9

 New Orders 4

........................... 155,119 161,869 159,717 -4.2 1.3 6.6 154,817 156,895 151,732 776,372 755,404 2.8

 Primary metals:

 Shipments............................... 20,713 20,302 19,747 2.0 2.8 3.0 21,786 20,730 20,839 101,905 95,385 6.8

 New Orders.............................. 20,659 21,435 20,019 -3.6 7.1 5.8 21,534 21,715 21,186 104,091 97,729 6.5

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments............................... 26,099 26,057 25,583 0.2 1.9 0.6 27,344 25,803 26,738 128,131 126,364 1.4

 New Orders.............................. 26,150 26,408 25,491 -1.0 3.6 -1.0 28,281 26,460 28,213 132,884 131,937 0.7

 Machinery:

 Shipments............................... 27,777 28,085 27,077 -1.1 3.7 2.9 28,596 29,189 28,250 136,094 135,414 0.5

 New Orders.............................. 27,627 28,068 28,395 -1.6 -1.2 5.4 27,813 29,458 29,539 142,037 143,924 -1.3

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments............................... 34,155 34,247 31,497 -0.3 8.7 -2.4 32,174 30,779 31,146 157,787 156,193 1.0

 New Orders 4

........................... 27,244 26,758 26,324 1.8 1.6 -1.3 24,461 23,603 23,244 125,955 127,538 -1.2

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments............................... 5,701 5,237 5,171 8.9 1.3 -7.2 4,957 4,674 4,732 24,768 26,407 -6.2

 New Orders.............................. 5,255 5,066 5,379 3.7 -5.8 -2.0 4,511 4,503 4,707 24,217 26,027 -7.0 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments............................... 5,327 5,329 5,354 0.0 -0.5 -1.3 5,037 4,726 5,299 25,049 26,369 -5.0

 New Orders.............................. 5,721 5,317 5,220 7.6 1.9 -0.9 5,174 4,876 4,829 26,171 27,574 -5.1

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments............................... 7,255 7,834 5,333 -7.4 46.9 -10.1 7,091 7,453 6,852 33,833 33,480 1.1

 New Orders 4

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments............................... 10,869 11,146 10,942 -2.5 1.9 2.9 11,099 10,886 10,771 52,865 48,988 7.9

 New Orders.............................. 11,131 11,584 11,197 -3.9 3.5 2.3 11,398 11,408 11,501 55,862 52,427 6.6

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments............................... 57,250 56,259 57,160 1.8 -1.6 2.3 61,446 54,648 62,538 286,280 292,219 -2.0

 New Orders.............................. 62,399 66,937 68,176 -6.8 -1.8 13.6 63,471 63,363 61,174 317,509 310,322 2.3

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments............................... 39,022 38,508 39,508 1.3 -2.5 2.4 42,724 38,343 45,562 200,433 212,134 -5.5

 New Orders.............................. 39,306 38,416 39,533 2.3 -2.8 2.7 42,443 38,029 45,144 200,067 213,646 -6.4 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 8,650 8,427 8,391 2.6 0.4 5.0 9,101 7,438 7,705 40,493 34,822 16.3

 New Orders.............................. 13,942 18,030 20,263 -22.7 -11.0 53.6 13,400 16,200 9,972 70,107 54,648 28.3

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 3,458 3,370 3,266 2.6 3.2 -5.8 3,293 3,062 3,086 15,947 15,066 5.8

 New Orders.............................. 2,652 2,415 2,038 9.8 18.5 -31.5 2,057 1,763 2,003 12,497 15,821 -21.0

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments............................... 37,585 37,458 37,281 0.3 0.5 1.2 38,612 36,695 40,245 181,808 192,224 -5.4

 New Orders.............................. 37,807 37,923 37,107 -0.3 2.2 0.5 39,022 37,291 40,453 183,246 192,677 -4.9

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments............................... 73,810 73,747 72,949 0.1 1.1 1.2 73,527 70,814 73,629 356,260 356,346 0.0

 New Orders.............................. 79,971 85,956 86,021 -7.0 -0.1 12.5 75,786 81,595 73,793 396,666 381,865 3.9

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 65,487 65,663 64,912 -0.3 1.2 1.7 65,193 63,119 65,842 316,629 318,294 -0.5

 New Orders.............................. 71,810 78,307 78,375 -8.3 -0.1 13.8 69,844 75,393 68,854 357,319 346,024 3.3

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 60,339 60,483 59,916 -0.2 0.9 1.6 59,612 58,659 60,726 292,410 296,489 -1.4

 New Orders........................ 61,356 63,260 61,855 -3.0 2.3 4.6 59,836 61,924 61,685 305,230 309,657 -1.4

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 8,323 8,084 8,037 3.0 0.6 -2.9 8,334 7,695 7,787 39,631 38,052 4.1

 New Orders.............................. 8,161 7,649 7,646 6.7 0.0 0.5 5,942 6,202 4,939 39,347 35,841 9.8

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(06), "Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: 2001-2006."

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 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

May Apr Mar Apr - Mar - Feb - May Apr May 2007/

2007 2 2007 r 2007 May 2 Apr r Mar 2007 2 2007 r 2006 2006

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 725,298 719,474 706,081 0.8 1.9 1.8 732,389 730,375 610,652 19.9

 Total Inventories....................... 313,249 312,576 311,315 0.2 0.4 0.1 315,997 314,298 296,890 6.4

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 314,978 314,303 311,588 0.2 0.9 0.6 320,162 320,173 288,596 10.9

 Total Inventories....................... 235,778 235,579 235,544 0.1 0.0 -0.1 238,050 237,011 224,624 6.0

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 569,837 563,625 549,518 1.1 2.6 2.5 574,998 570,214 466,622 23.2

 Total Inventories....................... 292,106 291,385 290,616 0.2 0.3 0.1 294,799 293,086 275,055 7.2

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 725,298 719,474 706,081 0.8 1.9 1.8 732,389 730,375 610,652 19.9

 Total Inventories....................... 246,668 245,892 244,091 0.3 0.7 0.1 248,786 247,230 231,496 7.5

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 28,325 28,379 27,246 -0.2 4.2 1.0 28,878 29,130 28,584 1.0

 Total Inventories....................... 31,562 31,539 31,385 0.1 0.5 1.1 31,580 31,667 28,483 10.9

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 56,087 56,036 55,685 0.1 0.6 -0.2 57,878 56,941 53,701 7.8

 Total Inventories....................... 41,687 41,651 41,592 0.1 0.1 0.1 42,182 42,169 39,337 7.2

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 81,163 81,313 81,330 -0.2 0.0 1.6 82,831 83,614 70,781 17.0

 Total Inventories....................... 50,502 50,414 50,201 0.2 0.4 0.0 50,979 50,761 47,529 7.3

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 111,548 111,204 110,859 0.3 0.3 0.1 112,193 112,815 101,915 10.1

 Total Inventories....................... 44,068 43,941 44,128 0.3 -0.4 -0.9 44,563 43,837 42,511 4.8

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 2,856 3,302 3,473 -13.5 -4.9 6.4 2,856 3,302 3,230 -11.6

 Total Inventories....................... 4,550 4,500 4,559 1.1 -1.3 -0.1 4,685 4,451 4,377 7.0

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 33,533 33,139 33,151 1.2 0.0 -0.4 34,012 33,875 31,338 8.5

 Total Inventories....................... 7,291 7,220 7,201 1.0 0.3 -3.3 7,360 7,166 7,669 -4.0

 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......................... 24,399 24,137 23,699 1.1 1.8 1.1 24,733 24,434 21,078 17.3

 Total Inventories....................... 14,340 14,431 14,365 -0.6 0.5 -0.1 14,667 14,724 13,700 7.1

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 410,320 405,171 394,493 1.3 2.7 2.9 412,227 410,202 322,056 28.0

 Total Inventories....................... 77,471 76,997 75,771 0.6 1.6 0.6 77,947 77,287 72,266 7.9

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 20,863 20,579 20,671 1.4 -0.4 0.1 20,601 20,882 19,437 6.0

 Total Inventories....................... 25,030 25,054 25,242 -0.1 -0.7 -1.3 25,201 25,312 24,814 1.6 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 247,765 242,473 232,870 2.2 4.1 5.4 248,164 243,865 176,227 40.8

 Total Inventories....................... 30,215 29,801 28,888 1.4 3.2 3.0 30,496 29,794 25,067 21.7

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 40,705 41,511 42,466 -1.9 -2.2 -2.8 41,573 42,809 43,723 -4.9

 Total Inventories....................... 12,731 12,702 12,541 0.2 1.3 1.5 12,743 12,695 12,385 2.9

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 13,456 13,234 12,769 1.7 3.6 -1.3 13,649 13,239 12,537 8.9

 Total Inventories....................... 53,619 53,603 53,873 0.0 -0.5 -0.4 54,079 53,853 53,064 1.9

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 540,241 534,080 521,871 1.2 2.3 2.6 544,296 542,037 436,606 24.7

 Total Inventories....................... 138,499 137,508 136,578 0.7 0.7 0.4 139,678 137,776 129,776 7.6

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 396,947 390,624 377,980 1.6 3.3 3.7 399,381 394,730 304,868 31.0

 Total Inventories....................... 121,666 120,530 120,054 0.9 0.4 0.6 122,802 120,770 112,530 9.1

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 175,257 174,240 171,463 0.6 1.6 1.1 177,740 177,516 152,225 16.8

 Total Inventories................... 97,993 97,474 97,466 0.5 0.0 -0.3 99,057 97,813 92,815 6.7

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 143,294 143,456 143,891 -0.1 -0.3 -0.3 144,915 147,307 131,738 10.0

 Total Inventories....................... 16,833 16,978 16,524 -0.9 2.7 -1.1 16,876 17,006 17,246 -2.1

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.