FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

THURSDAY, MAY 24, 2007, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (07)-4 

CB07-075

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

April 2007 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in April 

increased $1.3 billion or 0.6 percent to $217.9 billion, 

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

fifth increase in the last six months and followed a 5.0 

percent March increase. Excluding transportation, new 

orders increased 1.5 percent. Excluding defense, new 

orders increased 0.6 percent. 

 

 Fabricated metal products, up following two 

consecutive monthly decreases, had the largest increase, 

$1.0 billion or 3.8 percent to $26.5 billion. 

 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, up 

two consecutive months, increased $4.0 billion or 1.9 

percent to $213.1 billion. This followed a 1.3 percent 

March increase. 

 Computers and electronic products, up following two 

consecutive monthly decreases, had the largest increase, 

$2.5 billion or 7.9 percent to $34.0 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

April, up twenty-three of the last twenty-four months, 

increased $12.5 billion or 1.8 percent to $718.6 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series was first 

stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.8 

percent March increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up fifteen consecutive 

months, had the largest increase, $10.9 billion or 2.8 

percent to $405.4 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, up 

fourteen consecutive months, increased $1.5 billion or 

0.5 percent to $313.0 billion. This followed a 0.1 

percent March increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up seven of the last eight 

months, had the largest increase, $1.4 billion or 1.8 

percent to $77.1 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in April 

decreased $0.6 billion or 0.8 percent to $77.6 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.6 billion or 0.9 percent to $65.5 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $12.2 billion or 3.2 

percent to $390.1 billion. Inventories increased $0.2 

billion or 0.2 percent to $120.3 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in April 

increased $0.1 billion or 0.8 percent to $7.7 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.1 billion or 0.8 percent to $8.1 

billion. Unfilled orders decreased $0.4 billion or 0.3 

percent to $143.5 billion. Inventories increased $0.5 

billion or 2.8 percent to $17.0 billion. 

Revised from Recently Benchmarked March Data 

 Revised and recently benchmarked seasonally adjusted 

March figures for all manufacturing industries were: 

new orders, $416.0 billion (revised from $414.6 billion); 

shipments, $408.6 billion (revised from $407.7 billion); 

unfilled orders, $706.1 billion (revised from $705.6 

billion); and total inventories, $511.0 billion (revised 

from $511.2 billion).

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 June 4, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The 

advance report on durable goods for May is scheduled for release on June 27, 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

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

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

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments............................... 213,099 209,126 206,521 1.9 1.3 -1.5 208,744 229,363 200,633 823,617 826,260 -0.3

 New Orders 4

........................... 217,861 216,560 206,150 0.6 5.0 0.5 212,296 238,798 202,775 844,523 841,244 0.4

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments............................... 156,719 151,960 150,671 3.1 0.9 -1.4 153,726 164,025 147,185 598,440 596,579 0.3

 New Orders 4

........................... 150,551 148,395 146,141 1.5 1.5 -0.6 148,281 161,638 145,819 589,873 592,096 -0.4

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments............................... 203,469 199,554 196,665 2.0 1.5 -1.6 199,657 218,781 191,544 786,481 790,585 -0.5

 New Orders 4

........................... 208,910 207,575 197,238 0.6 5.2 1.3 204,956 226,516 195,084 805,572 804,126 0.2

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments............................... 148,306 146,837 144,283 1.0 1.8 0.0 145,076 161,043 138,514 573,059 562,060 2.0

 New Orders 4

........................... 160,852 159,609 149,841 0.8 6.5 1.2 156,073 176,119 146,285 620,664 603,672 2.8

 Primary metals:

 Shipments............................... 20,122 19,663 19,164 2.3 2.6 -1.7 20,663 20,895 18,590 79,949 74,546 7.2

 New Orders.............................. 20,747 19,888 18,913 4.3 5.2 -3.8 21,066 21,167 18,932 81,740 76,543 6.8

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments............................... 26,048 25,549 25,435 2.0 0.4 -1.0 25,827 26,741 24,800 100,773 99,626 1.2

 New Orders.............................. 26,526 25,564 25,760 3.8 -0.8 -2.0 26,539 27,797 25,717 104,785 103,724 1.0

 Machinery:

 Shipments............................... 28,113 27,076 26,310 3.8 2.9 3.0 29,283 30,277 27,689 107,589 107,164 0.4

 New Orders.............................. 27,902 28,375 26,938 -1.7 5.3 0.6 29,292 31,923 28,905 114,054 114,385 -0.3

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments............................... 33,955 31,468 32,280 7.9 -2.5 -6.0 30,668 35,930 28,998 125,444 125,047 0.3

 New Orders 4

........................... 26,269 26,289 26,671 -0.1 -1.4 4.6 23,228 30,694 24,170 101,132 104,294 -3.0

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments............................... 5,130 5,170 5,571 -0.8 -7.2 5.4 4,656 6,104 5,250 19,796 21,675 -8.7

 New Orders.............................. 4,959 5,378 5,488 -7.8 -2.0 5.0 4,485 6,312 5,169 19,691 21,320 -7.6 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments............................... 5,285 5,314 5,427 -0.5 -2.1 5.3 4,664 6,304 5,133 19,950 21,070 -5.3

 New Orders.............................. 4,868 5,124 5,266 -5.0 -2.7 3.9 4,360 6,390 4,356 20,481 22,745 -10.0

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments............................... 7,784 5,338 5,929 45.8 -10.0 -29.0 7,445 5,641 5,629 26,699 26,628 0.3

 New Orders 4

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments............................... 11,186 10,943 10,632 2.2 2.9 -0.3 10,888 11,582 9,622 41,766 38,217 9.3

 New Orders.............................. 11,619 11,192 10,948 3.8 2.2 -3.6 11,409 11,539 10,363 44,461 40,926 8.6

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments............................... 56,380 57,166 55,850 -1.4 2.4 -1.7 55,018 65,338 53,448 225,177 229,681 -2.0

 New Orders.............................. 67,310 68,165 60,009 -1.3 13.6 3.5 64,015 77,160 56,956 254,650 249,148 2.2

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments............................... 38,663 39,512 38,586 -2.1 2.4 0.5 38,673 44,692 38,614 158,012 166,572 -5.1

 New Orders.............................. 38,776 39,522 38,495 -1.9 2.7 0.2 38,624 44,307 39,131 158,179 168,502 -6.1 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 8,376 8,391 7,989 -0.2 5.0 -7.5 7,437 10,264 5,707 31,391 27,117 15.8

 New Orders.............................. 18,085 20,263 13,196 -10.7 53.6 67.5 16,198 21,644 10,564 56,705 44,676 26.9

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 3,391 3,267 3,468 3.8 -5.8 -0.6 3,092 3,730 3,006 12,684 11,980 5.9

 New Orders.............................. 2,434 2,037 2,974 19.5 -31.5 13.6 1,783 3,048 1,939 10,460 13,818 -24.3

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments............................... 37,295 37,261 36,850 0.1 1.1 -0.9 36,397 38,600 37,486 142,919 151,979 -6.0

 New Orders.............................. 37,488 37,087 36,911 1.1 0.5 -1.5 36,747 38,518 37,732 143,701 152,224 -5.6

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments............................... 73,553 72,901 72,112 0.9 1.1 -0.2 70,737 82,383 69,252 282,648 282,717 0.0

 New Orders.............................. 85,338 85,899 76,452 -0.7 12.4 3.6 80,977 96,871 73,928 320,250 308,072 4.0

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 65,455 64,865 63,832 0.9 1.6 -0.5 63,014 73,596 61,508 251,323 252,452 -0.4

 New Orders.............................. 77,642 78,263 68,845 -0.8 13.7 6.1 74,727 86,331 67,295 286,797 277,170 3.5

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 60,288 59,869 58,991 0.7 1.5 0.6 58,554 67,225 58,352 232,685 235,763 -1.3

 New Orders........................ 62,509 61,743 59,132 1.2 4.4 -2.4 61,258 69,368 59,963 244,716 247,972 -1.3

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 8,098 8,036 8,280 0.8 -2.9 1.7 7,723 8,787 7,744 31,325 30,265 3.5

 New Orders.............................. 7,696 7,636 7,607 0.8 0.4 -14.4 6,250 10,540 6,633 33,453 30,902 8.3

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

Apr Mar Feb Mar - Feb - Jan - Apr Mar Apr 2007/

2007 2 2007 r 2007 Apr 2 Mar r Feb 2007 2 2007 r 2006 2006

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 718,644 706,098 693,326 1.8 1.8 0.8 729,447 718,450 609,017 19.8

 Total Inventories....................... 312,968 311,507 311,110 0.5 0.1 0.1 314,779 310,475 293,790 7.1

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 313,238 311,622 309,849 0.5 0.6 0.5 318,976 316,976 285,597 11.7

 Total Inventories....................... 235,861 235,751 235,796 0.0 0.0 0.0 237,275 235,242 222,062 6.9

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 562,770 549,545 536,186 2.4 2.5 1.2 569,269 556,525 461,746 23.3

 Total Inventories....................... 291,765 290,805 290,357 0.3 0.2 0.2 293,542 289,873 272,165 7.9

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 718,644 706,098 693,326 1.8 1.8 0.8 729,447 718,450 609,017 19.8

 Total Inventories....................... 245,820 244,101 243,930 0.7 0.1 0.2 247,242 243,309 228,972 8.0

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 27,824 27,199 26,974 2.3 0.8 -0.9 28,483 28,080 28,237 0.9

 Total Inventories....................... 31,639 31,401 31,055 0.8 1.1 -0.3 31,721 31,331 27,858 13.9

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 56,270 55,792 55,777 0.9 0.0 0.6 57,137 56,425 52,226 9.4

 Total Inventories....................... 41,662 41,579 41,533 0.2 0.1 -0.1 42,183 42,129 39,114 7.8

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 81,100 81,311 80,012 -0.3 1.6 0.8 83,353 83,344 69,492 19.9

 Total Inventories....................... 50,060 50,178 50,195 -0.2 0.0 0.7 50,367 50,436 47,071 7.0

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 110,956 110,858 110,699 0.1 0.1 0.3 112,579 112,574 102,965 9.3

 Total Inventories....................... 44,142 44,264 44,517 -0.3 -0.6 -0.4 44,059 43,020 41,654 5.8

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 3,302 3,473 3,265 -4.9 6.4 -2.5 3,302 3,473 3,255 1.4

 Total Inventories....................... 4,514 4,580 4,563 -1.4 0.4 -0.8 4,474 4,285 4,224 5.9

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 32,678 33,095 33,285 -1.3 -0.6 -0.5 33,421 33,725 31,808 5.1

 Total Inventories....................... 7,278 7,227 7,445 0.7 -2.9 -1.6 7,263 6,969 7,866 -7.7

 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......................... 24,126 23,693 23,444 1.8 1.1 1.4 24,431 23,910 20,348 20.1

 Total Inventories....................... 14,415 14,367 14,381 0.3 -0.1 -0.2 14,724 14,487 13,683 7.6

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 405,406 394,476 383,477 2.8 2.9 1.1 410,471 401,474 323,420 26.9

 Total Inventories....................... 77,107 75,756 75,314 1.8 0.6 0.4 77,504 75,233 71,728 8.1

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 20,769 20,656 20,646 0.5 0.0 -0.4 21,134 21,183 19,855 6.4

 Total Inventories....................... 25,243 25,225 25,566 0.1 -1.3 0.2 25,514 25,190 24,801 2.9 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 242,579 232,870 220,998 4.2 5.4 2.4 243,864 235,103 173,960 40.2

 Total Inventories....................... 29,742 28,888 28,057 3.0 3.0 1.4 29,794 28,518 24,914 19.6

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 41,507 42,464 43,694 -2.3 -2.8 -1.1 42,799 44,108 44,806 -4.5

 Total Inventories....................... 12,701 12,543 12,356 1.3 1.5 -0.4 12,706 12,485 12,157 4.5

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 12,962 12,769 12,943 1.5 -1.3 0.5 12,993 12,643 12,329 5.4

 Total Inventories....................... 53,943 53,962 54,115 0.0 -0.3 0.1 54,221 53,839 52,682 2.9

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 533,582 521,797 508,799 2.3 2.6 0.9 541,492 531,252 436,442 24.1

 Total Inventories....................... 137,285 136,623 136,087 0.5 0.4 0.3 137,679 135,700 128,939 6.8

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 390,102 377,915 364,517 3.2 3.7 1.4 394,165 382,452 301,856 30.6

 Total Inventories....................... 120,294 120,098 119,373 0.2 0.6 0.4 120,659 119,217 111,737 8.0

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 173,619 171,398 169,524 1.3 1.1 0.1 176,951 174,247 151,266 17.0

 Total Inventories................... 97,302 97,510 97,729 -0.2 -0.2 0.1 97,702 96,869 92,040 6.2

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 143,480 143,882 144,282 -0.3 -0.3 -0.5 147,327 148,800 134,586 9.5

 Total Inventories....................... 16,991 16,525 16,714 2.8 -1.1 -0.6 17,020 16,483 17,202 -1.1

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.