FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2008, AT 8:30 A.M. EST 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (07)-12 

CB08-18

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

December 2007 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

December increased $11.2 billion or 5.2 percent to 

$226.6 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced 

today. This was the second consecutive monthly 

increase and followed 0.5 percent November increase. 

Excluding transportation, new orders increased 2.6 

percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 2.9 

percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up three consecutive 

months, had the largest increase, $7.3 billion or 11.3 

percent to $71.4 billion. This was due to defense aircraft 

and parts, which increased $3.5 billion. 

 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in 

December, down four of the last five months, decreased 

$0.1 billion or 0.1 percent to $212.6 billion. This 

followed a 0.2 percent November decrease. 

 Transportation equipment, down four of the last five 

months, had the largest decrease, $0.8 billion or 1.4 

percent to $55.8 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

December, up thirty-one of the last thirty-two months, 

increased $20.0 billion or 2.5 percent to $808.6 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series was first 

stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 1.2 

percent November increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up twenty-six of the last 

twenty-seven months, had the largest increase, $15.6 

billion or 3.4 percent to $474.8 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

December, up five of the last six months, increased $3.5 

billion or 1.1 percent to $320.7 billion. This was also at 

the highest level since the series was first stated on a 

NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.8 percent 

November increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up eleven of the last twelve 

months, had the largest increase, $2.3 billion or 2.8 

percent to $82.1 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in December 

increased $4.2 billion or 5.4 percent to $81.1 billion. 

Shipments increased $1.1 billion or 1.7 percent to $68.6 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $12.5 billion or 2.8 

percent to $461.9 billion. Inventories increased $1.4 

billion or 1.1 percent to $127.0 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in December 

increased $5.2 billion or 80.6 percent to $11.6 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.4 billion or 4.9 percent to $8.0 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $3.7 billion or 2.5 

percent to $148.5 billion. Inventories increased $0.7 

billion or 4.1 percent to $18.4 billion. 

Revised November Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted November figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $432.0 

billion (revised from $430.3 billion); shipments, $429.3 

billion (revised from $429.4 billion); unfilled orders, 

$788.6 billion (revised from $786.8 billion); and total 

inventories, $524.1 billion (revised from $524.4 billion).

Figures in text 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 February 4, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. EST. The

advance report on durable goods for January is scheduled for release on February 27, 2008, at 8:30 a.m. EST. See back page for

survey description and 2008 release schedule. 
 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

Dec Nov Oct Nov - Oct - Sep - Dec Nov Dec Change

2007 2 2007 r 2007 Dec 2 Nov r Oct 2007 2 2007 r 2006 2007 2006 07/06

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments............................... 212,577 212,706 213,235 -0.1 -0.2 0.5 209,394 208,101 210,715 2,548,440 2,537,908 0.4

 New Orders 4

........................... 226,601 215,433 214,256 5.2 0.5 -0.5 237,085 209,239 225,882 2,597,745 2,572,693 1.0

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments............................... 156,759 156,076 156,360 0.4 -0.2 0.6 155,294 151,245 152,585 1,861,195 1,847,415 0.7

 New Orders 4

........................... 155,206 151,303 151,841 2.6 -0.4 -1.0 154,478 144,893 150,727 1,812,366 1,805,155 0.4

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments............................... 202,972 202,696 203,400 0.1 -0.3 0.4 198,462 197,807 199,477 2,430,875 2,423,924 0.3

 New Orders 4

........................... 213,399 207,468 204,009 2.9 1.7 -0.6 216,855 201,255 210,403 2,474,646 2,446,174 1.2

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments............................... 149,621 148,879 149,228 0.5 -0.2 0.0 148,917 144,580 147,343 1,780,966 1,749,727 1.8

 New Orders 4

........................... 169,582 158,114 156,800 7.3 0.8 -0.7 182,263 152,744 167,711 1,907,020 1,864,164 2.3

 Primary metals:

 Shipments............................... 20,373 20,292 20,425 0.4 -0.7 1.7 17,503 19,059 17,228 241,422 232,809 3.7

 New Orders.............................. 20,827 20,863 20,651 -0.2 1.0 3.8 18,746 19,754 17,654 241,928 233,261 3.7

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments............................... 26,057 26,112 26,135 -0.2 -0.1 0.6 23,648 24,946 23,385 312,425 305,268 2.3

 New Orders.............................. 27,409 26,659 26,730 2.8 -0.3 2.5 24,588 24,773 23,531 317,123 310,265 2.2

 Machinery:

 Shipments............................... 29,382 28,305 27,979 3.8 1.2 -2.1 28,889 26,128 27,514 332,662 327,886 1.5

 New Orders.............................. 31,104 28,910 29,331 7.6 -1.4 -2.8 30,771 26,898 29,069 344,791 342,503 0.7

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments............................... 33,463 33,684 33,681 -0.7 0.0 2.2 39,508 33,940 37,015 398,248 393,953 1.1

 New Orders 4

........................... 28,475 27,213 27,119 4.6 0.3 -8.2 35,972 26,405 33,954 329,695 327,403 0.7

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments............................... 5,861 5,628 5,667 4.1 -0.7 -3.8 7,698 5,347 7,032 66,078 66,547 -0.7

 New Orders.............................. 6,008 5,694 5,092 5.5 11.8 -14.9 7,845 5,413 7,072 66,279 66,344 -0.1 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments............................... 5,598 5,445 5,221 2.8 4.3 -7.5 7,129 5,352 6,231 65,826 65,836 0.0

 New Orders.............................. 5,863 5,231 4,808 12.1 8.8 -22.2 7,330 4,720 6,819 67,766 68,593 -1.2

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments............................... 5,937 6,508 6,551 -8.8 -0.7 18.3 5,655 7,026 5,201 76,749 79,652 -3.6

 New Orders 4

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments............................... 10,693 10,766 10,902 -0.7 -1.2 0.9 10,265 10,552 10,272 129,541 122,693 5.6

 New Orders.............................. 10,609 10,757 10,700 -1.4 0.5 2.0 9,641 10,410 9,880 130,641 126,790 3.0

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments............................... 55,818 56,630 56,875 -1.4 -0.4 0.3 54,100 56,856 58,130 687,245 690,493 -0.5

 New Orders.............................. 71,395 64,130 62,415 11.3 2.7 0.8 82,607 64,346 75,155 785,379 767,538 2.3

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments............................... 37,135 37,713 37,705 -1.5 0.0 -1.6 32,471 37,282 37,317 466,197 485,954 -4.1

 New Orders.............................. 36,874 37,753 37,656 -2.3 0.3 -0.9 32,828 37,707 38,430 464,205 488,996 -5.1 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 9,229 9,169 9,379 0.7 -2.2 6.4 10,797 9,586 9,344 106,272 90,052 18.0

 New Orders.............................. 21,677 19,404 15,090 11.7 28.6 0.3 31,240 19,431 23,471 200,051 152,201 31.4

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 3,234 3,441 3,556 -6.0 -3.2 8.5 3,984 3,610 4,377 40,992 40,053 2.3

 New Orders.............................. 5,987 2,515 3,421 138.1 -26.5 -16.2 8,617 2,884 7,898 42,164 42,108 0.1

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments............................... 36,791 36,917 37,238 -0.3 -0.9 0.5 35,481 36,620 37,171 446,897 464,806 -3.9

 New Orders.............................. 36,782 36,901 37,310 -0.3 -1.1 0.2 34,760 36,653 36,639 448,188 464,933 -3.6

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments............................... 76,526 75,809 75,721 0.9 0.1 -0.5 83,275 73,588 80,616 893,594 882,821 1.2

 New Orders.............................. 92,743 83,367 81,468 11.2 2.3 -1.7 111,479 81,285 99,098 1,002,717 975,624 2.8

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 68,554 67,428 67,656 1.7 -0.3 -0.6 74,523 64,897 71,667 795,552 787,596 1.0

 New Orders.............................. 81,099 76,918 73,022 5.4 5.3 -2.6 93,612 74,861 87,199 899,713 869,149 3.5

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 63,231 61,981 61,835 2.0 0.2 -1.2 67,752 58,958 65,424 730,853 730,560 0.0

 New Orders........................ 64,259 61,546 61,643 4.4 -0.2 -3.0 67,836 58,643 66,686 745,081 756,423 -1.5

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 7,972 8,381 8,065 -4.9 3.9 -0.1 8,752 8,691 8,949 98,042 95,225 3.0

 New Orders.............................. 11,644 6,449 8,446 80.6 -23.6 5.9 17,867 6,424 11,899 103,004 106,475 -3.3

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

Dec Nov Oct Nov - Oct - Sep - Dec Nov Dec 2007/

2007 2 2007 r 2007 Dec 2 Nov r Oct 2007 2 2007 r 2006 2006

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 808,570 788,609 779,374 2.5 1.2 1.0 807,896 774,550 681,842 18.5

 Total Inventories....................... 320,716 317,222 314,834 1.1 0.8 0.4 311,797 317,795 300,664 3.7

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 333,795 329,411 327,676 1.3 0.5 0.6 328,764 323,925 300,844 9.3

 Total Inventories....................... 238,608 237,385 236,466 0.5 0.4 0.4 232,838 237,364 229,361 1.5

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 646,148 629,784 618,504 2.6 1.8 1.2 643,999 619,951 523,479 23.0

 Total Inventories....................... 297,533 295,129 293,216 0.8 0.7 0.3 289,065 295,723 280,371 3.1

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 808,570 788,609 779,374 2.5 1.2 1.0 807,896 774,550 681,842 18.5

 Total Inventories....................... 253,789 250,922 248,802 1.1 0.9 0.5 247,048 251,410 235,434 4.9

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 27,573 27,119 26,548 1.7 2.2 0.9 27,198 25,955 26,692 1.9

 Total Inventories....................... 30,909 30,757 30,972 0.5 -0.7 -1.3 30,908 30,572 31,412 -1.6

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 59,719 58,367 57,820 2.3 0.9 1.0 57,823 56,883 53,125 8.8

 Total Inventories....................... 42,294 42,012 41,849 0.7 0.4 0.7 41,260 41,421 40,464 2.0

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 90,205 88,483 87,878 1.9 0.7 1.6 89,017 87,135 76,888 15.8

 Total Inventories....................... 52,120 52,074 51,816 0.1 0.5 0.6 50,484 52,424 47,940 5.3

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 118,650 117,701 117,664 0.8 0.0 0.0 118,388 116,269 110,192 7.4

 Total Inventories....................... 44,337 43,888 43,539 1.0 0.8 0.6 42,953 44,636 42,882 0.2

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 3,608 3,461 3,395 4.2 1.9 -14.5 3,608 3,461 3,407 5.9

 Total Inventories....................... 4,556 4,512 4,440 1.0 1.6 -1.0 4,241 4,800 4,257 -0.4

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 35,333 35,068 35,282 0.8 -0.6 -1.2 34,830 34,629 32,890 5.9

 Total Inventories....................... 7,495 7,316 7,199 2.4 1.6 -1.0 7,314 7,611 7,114 2.8

 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......................... 23,685 23,769 23,778 -0.4 0.0 -0.8 22,836 23,460 21,736 5.1

 Total Inventories....................... 14,987 14,783 14,543 1.4 1.7 1.5 14,577 14,697 14,044 3.8

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 474,775 459,198 451,698 3.4 1.7 1.2 479,132 450,625 380,998 25.8

 Total Inventories....................... 82,108 79,837 78,368 2.8 1.9 0.5 78,959 80,431 71,303 10.7

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 18,916 19,177 19,137 -1.4 0.2 -0.3 18,975 18,618 20,967 -9.5

 Total Inventories....................... 24,169 23,928 24,143 1.0 -0.9 -0.4 23,105 23,911 24,219 -4.6 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 309,040 296,592 286,357 4.2 3.6 2.0 312,329 291,886 218,550 42.9

 Total Inventories....................... 33,704 32,794 31,661 2.8 3.6 0.6 32,254 33,374 26,131 23.4

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 45,601 42,848 43,774 6.4 -2.1 -0.3 46,195 41,562 45,023 2.6

 Total Inventories....................... 13,772 13,086 12,809 5.2 2.2 -0.3 13,503 13,064 12,109 11.5

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 13,963 13,972 13,988 -0.1 -0.1 0.5 13,502 14,223 12,211 10.6

 Total Inventories....................... 53,961 53,871 53,747 0.2 0.2 0.4 52,656 53,614 52,619 0.1

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 610,360 594,143 586,585 2.7 1.3 1.0 613,013 584,809 503,890 21.7

 Total Inventories....................... 145,412 143,293 141,485 1.5 1.3 0.9 141,284 145,002 131,279 7.6

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 461,877 449,332 439,842 2.8 2.2 1.2 462,852 443,763 358,691 29.0

 Total Inventories....................... 126,989 125,600 123,988 1.1 1.3 0.7 123,043 127,308 115,041 7.0

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 181,828 180,800 181,235 0.6 -0.2 -0.1 179,148 179,064 164,920 8.6

 Total Inventories................... 100,935 100,383 99,809 0.5 0.6 0.8 98,097 101,576 94,214 4.1

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 148,483 144,811 146,743 2.5 -1.3 0.3 150,161 141,046 145,199 3.4

 Total Inventories....................... 18,423 17,693 17,497 4.1 1.1 1.8 18,241 17,694 16,238 12.3

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-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.

2008 Release Dates for M3 Survey 

Survey Month Advance 8:30 A.M. Preliminary 10:00 A.M. 

Nov 2007 December 27, 2007 January 3, 2008 

Dec 2007 January 29, 2008 February 4, 2008 

Jan 2008 February 27, 2008 March 5, 2008 

Feb 2008 March 26, 2008 April 2, 2008 

Mar 2008 April 24, 2008 May 2, 2008 

Apr 2008 May 28, 2008 June 3, 2008 

May 2008 June 25, 2008 July 2, 2008 

Jun 2008 July 25, 2008 August 4, 2008 

Jul 2008 August 27, 2008 September 3, 2008

Aug 2008 September 25, 2008 October 2, 2008 

Sep 2008 October 29, 2008 November 4, 2008

Oct 2008 November 26, 2008 December 4, 2008

Nov 2008 December 24, 2008