FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2008, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (08)-02 

CB08-51

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

February 2008 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

February decreased $3.6 billion or 1.7 percent to $210.6 

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

was the second consecutive monthly decrease and 

followed a 4.7 percent January decrease. Excluding 

transportation, new orders decreased 2.6 percent. 

Excluding defense, new orders decreased 1.6 percent. 

 

 Machinery, down following two consecutive monthly 

increases, had the largest decrease, $4.2 billion or 13.3 

percent to $27.1 billion. This was the largest percentage 

decrease since the series was first stated on a NAICS 

basis in 1992. 

 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in February, 

down three of the last four months, decreased $6.0 

billion or 2.8 percent to $210.5 billion. This followed a 

2.3 percent January increase. 

 Computers and electronic products, down following 

two consecutive monthly increases, had the largest 

decrease, $3.8 billion or 10.3 percent to $32.9 billion. 

This was also the largest percentage decrease since the 

series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and was 

led by semiconductors. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

February, up thirty-three of the last thirty-four months, 

increased $6.1 billion or 0.8 percent to $820.6 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series was first 

stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.8 

percent January increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up twenty-eight of the last 

twenty-nine months, had the largest increase, $6.9 

billion or 1.4 percent to $485.3 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

February, up seven of the last eight months, increased 

$1.6 billion or 0.5 percent to $323.7 billion. This was 

also at the highest level since the series was first stated 

on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.6 percent 

January increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up thirteen of the last 

fourteen months, had the largest increase, $0.9 billion or 

1.1 percent to $83.9 billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in February 

decreased $0.7 billion or 1.0 percent to $73.6 billion. 

Shipments decreased $3.1 billion or 4.5 percent to $66.2 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $7.4 billion or 1.6 

percent to $474.8 billion. Inventories increased $0.9 

billion or 0.7 percent to $129.6 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in February 

decreased $1.0 billion or 10.1 percent to $8.8 billion. 

Shipments decreased $0.3 billion or 3.1 percent to $8.7 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $0.1 billion or 0.1 

percent to $149.1 billion. Inventories increased $0.4 

billion or 2.4 percent to $18.7 billion. 

Revised January Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted January figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $430.3 

billion (revised from $429.2 billion); shipments, $432.6 

billion (revised from $431.8 billion); unfilled orders, 

$814.5 billion (revised from $813.3 billion); and total 

inventories, $535.4 billion (unchanged).

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 April 2, 2008, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The 

advance report on durable goods for March is scheduled for release on April 24, 2008, 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

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

2008 2 2008 r 2007 Feb 2 Jan r Dec 2008 2 2008 r 2007 2008 2007 08/07

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments............................... 210,524 216,516 211,747 -2.8 2.3 -0.3 205,924 194,959 196,793 400,883 385,510 4.0

 New Orders 4

........................... 210,648 214,239 224,687 -1.7 -4.7 4.4 208,131 202,009 199,644 410,140 393,429 4.2

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments............................... 155,278 158,881 156,115 -2.3 1.8 0.2 149,748 144,994 141,487 294,742 280,689 5.0

 New Orders 4

........................... 148,500 152,469 154,029 -2.6 -1.0 1.9 146,668 144,728 140,740 291,396 279,954 4.1

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments............................... 199,359 205,779 202,005 -3.1 1.9 -0.2 194,924 186,014 187,278 380,938 368,043 3.5

 New Orders 4

........................... 199,337 202,675 211,578 -1.6 -4.2 2.0 197,007 190,489 190,589 387,496 374,100 3.6

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments............................... 149,257 151,412 148,611 -1.4 1.9 0.0 145,651 136,069 137,161 281,720 266,940 5.5

 New Orders 4

........................... 155,386 157,855 167,984 -1.6 -6.0 6.4 153,983 151,521 146,032 305,504 288,472 5.9

 Primary metals:

 Shipments............................... 20,758 20,666 20,410 0.4 1.3 0.6 21,164 20,528 18,839 41,692 38,391 8.6

 New Orders.............................. 21,191 20,972 20,794 1.0 0.9 -0.3 22,133 21,681 19,006 43,814 39,507 10.9

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments............................... 25,656 26,001 25,579 -1.3 1.6 -1.8 25,017 24,332 24,156 49,349 48,205 2.4

 New Orders.............................. 25,587 26,025 26,896 -1.7 -3.2 1.1 25,464 25,122 25,108 50,586 50,449 0.3

 Machinery:

 Shipments............................... 29,261 28,381 29,063 3.1 -2.3 3.1 28,272 25,949 24,726 54,221 48,029 12.9

 New Orders.............................. 27,134 31,286 31,176 -13.3 0.4 7.8 27,370 31,324 26,628 58,694 52,839 11.1

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments............................... 32,938 36,722 33,921 -10.3 8.3 0.8 30,837 31,708 29,875 62,545 58,846 6.3

 New Orders 4

........................... 27,864 27,235 28,055 2.3 -2.9 3.7 26,458 23,614 25,020 50,072 47,210 6.1

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments............................... 5,551 5,743 5,822 -3.3 -1.4 3.6 4,779 4,586 4,789 9,365 9,036 3.6

 New Orders.............................. 5,701 5,183 5,972 10.0 -13.2 5.1 4,929 4,026 4,706 8,955 8,894 0.7 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments............................... 5,326 5,341 5,571 -0.3 -4.1 2.4 4,794 4,194 4,844 8,988 8,982 0.1

 New Orders.............................. 5,411 5,106 5,943 6.0 -14.1 13.0 5,371 4,287 5,219 9,658 9,731 -0.8

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments............................... 6,005 8,720 6,433 -31.1 35.6 -1.1 6,125 8,402 6,020 14,527 13,613 6.7

 New Orders 4

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments............................... 10,734 10,891 10,765 -1.4 1.2 0.0 10,187 9,650 9,821 19,837 19,296 2.8

 New Orders.............................. 11,029 10,851 10,875 1.6 -0.2 1.2 11,070 10,296 10,730 21,366 21,513 -0.7

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments............................... 55,246 57,635 55,632 -4.1 3.6 -1.7 56,176 49,965 55,306 106,141 104,821 1.3

 New Orders.............................. 62,148 61,770 70,658 0.6 -12.6 10.1 61,463 57,281 58,904 118,744 113,475 4.6

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments............................... 35,890 36,937 36,947 -2.8 0.0 -2.0 37,570 34,162 38,975 71,732 74,647 -3.9

 New Orders.............................. 35,525 36,505 36,485 -2.7 0.1 -3.4 37,214 34,140 38,960 71,354 75,248 -5.2 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 8,444 10,299 9,205 -18.0 11.9 0.4 8,071 7,435 7,494 15,506 13,690 13.3

 New Orders.............................. 15,565 14,772 21,150 5.4 -30.2 9.0 13,665 13,095 11,797 26,760 18,863 41.9

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 4,555 3,640 3,266 25.1 11.5 -5.1 4,308 2,867 3,199 7,175 5,862 22.4

 New Orders.............................. 4,294 4,117 6,111 4.3 -32.6 142.8 3,989 4,342 2,965 8,331 5,629 48.0

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments............................... 35,931 36,220 36,377 -0.8 -0.4 -1.4 34,271 32,827 34,070 67,098 67,922 -1.2

 New Orders.............................. 35,695 36,100 36,233 -1.1 -0.4 -1.8 34,173 32,691 34,248 66,864 68,436 -2.3

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments............................... 74,832 78,230 76,372 -4.3 2.4 0.9 71,771 67,638 67,391 139,409 129,528 7.6

 New Orders.............................. 82,367 84,080 92,694 -2.0 -9.3 11.3 79,539 78,875 73,224 158,414 142,402 11.2

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 66,176 69,299 68,280 -4.5 1.5 1.4 62,995 60,086 59,275 123,081 114,713 7.3

 New Orders.............................. 73,611 74,336 81,127 -1.0 -8.4 5.4 70,830 69,200 65,435 140,030 125,739 11.4

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 61,294 62,622 62,898 -2.1 -0.4 1.6 58,299 55,973 54,747 114,272 106,906 6.9

 New Orders........................ 61,907 63,584 64,768 -2.6 -1.8 5.2 61,335 60,037 57,335 121,372 114,090 6.4

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 8,656 8,931 8,092 -3.1 10.4 -3.4 8,776 7,552 8,116 16,328 14,815 10.2

 New Orders.............................. 8,756 9,744 11,567 -10.1 -15.8 83.1 8,709 9,675 7,789 18,384 16,663 10.3

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

Feb Jan Dec Jan - Dec - Nov - Feb Jan Feb 2008/

2008 2 2008 r 2007 Feb 2 Jan r Dec 2008 2 2008 r 2007 2007

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 820,606 814,477 808,034 0.8 0.8 2.5 831,537 823,205 703,374 18.2

 Total Inventories....................... 323,724 322,163 320,351 0.5 0.6 1.1 326,980 321,595 313,882 4.2

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 335,311 336,084 333,776 -0.2 0.7 1.3 339,564 336,519 313,722 8.2

 Total Inventories....................... 239,863 239,219 238,355 0.3 0.4 0.5 242,686 239,287 238,178 1.9

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 657,564 651,581 645,965 0.9 0.9 2.5 665,356 657,148 543,149 22.5

 Total Inventories....................... 300,323 299,141 297,162 0.4 0.7 0.8 303,572 298,788 293,105 3.6

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 820,606 814,477 808,034 0.8 0.8 2.5 831,537 823,205 703,374 18.2

 Total Inventories....................... 256,678 255,186 253,277 0.6 0.8 1.0 258,858 254,786 245,893 5.3

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 28,250 27,817 27,511 1.6 1.1 1.4 29,162 28,193 27,808 4.9

 Total Inventories....................... 30,959 30,807 30,730 0.5 0.3 -0.1 31,065 30,977 31,196 -0.4

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 59,662 59,731 59,707 -0.1 0.0 2.3 59,116 58,669 55,369 6.8

 Total Inventories....................... 42,294 42,387 42,296 -0.2 0.2 0.6 42,941 42,534 42,184 1.8

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 91,498 93,625 90,720 -2.3 3.2 2.4 93,755 94,657 81,698 14.8

 Total Inventories....................... 52,914 52,630 52,172 0.5 0.9 0.7 53,850 52,647 50,966 5.7

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 118,301 117,370 118,137 0.8 -0.6 0.5 119,828 118,082 112,169 6.8

 Total Inventories....................... 44,472 44,215 44,179 0.6 0.1 0.6 44,796 44,048 44,702 0.2

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 3,201 3,051 3,611 4.9 -15.5 4.3 3,201 3,051 3,265 -2.0

 Total Inventories....................... 4,615 4,554 4,625 1.3 -1.5 2.5 4,676 4,441 4,581 2.1

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 35,318 35,233 35,468 0.2 -0.7 1.1 35,623 35,046 33,639 5.9

 Total Inventories....................... 7,484 7,457 7,461 0.4 -0.1 2.0 7,621 7,534 7,588 0.4

 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......................... 24,127 23,832 23,872 1.2 -0.2 0.5 24,553 23,670 23,953 2.5

 Total Inventories....................... 15,259 15,103 14,887 1.0 1.5 0.6 15,646 15,220 14,678 6.6

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 485,295 478,393 474,258 1.4 0.9 3.3 491,973 486,686 389,652 26.3

 Total Inventories....................... 83,861 82,944 81,996 1.1 1.2 2.7 84,294 82,308 75,704 11.3

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 17,920 18,285 18,717 -2.0 -2.3 -2.4 18,534 18,890 21,568 -14.1

 Total Inventories....................... 23,566 23,753 23,953 -0.8 -0.8 0.1 23,748 23,735 25,789 -7.9 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 320,131 313,010 308,537 2.3 1.4 4.0 323,575 317,981 223,723 44.6

 Total Inventories....................... 35,668 35,131 33,875 1.5 3.7 3.3 35,835 34,691 28,155 27.3

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 45,910 46,171 45,694 -0.6 1.0 6.6 47,382 47,701 44,790 5.8

 Total Inventories....................... 13,969 13,907 13,747 0.4 1.2 5.1 13,951 13,747 12,352 12.9

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 13,473 13,709 13,829 -1.7 -0.9 -1.0 13,150 13,248 12,725 3.3

 Total Inventories....................... 53,965 54,077 54,091 -0.2 0.0 0.4 54,388 53,861 54,452 -0.1

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 623,868 616,333 610,483 1.2 1.0 2.7 632,568 624,800 516,764 22.4

 Total Inventories....................... 148,278 146,919 145,267 0.9 1.1 1.6 149,741 146,315 137,189 9.1

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 474,792 467,357 462,320 1.6 1.1 2.9 480,750 472,915 369,717 30.0

 Total Inventories....................... 129,625 128,695 126,818 0.7 1.5 1.2 131,063 128,146 120,447 8.8

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 184,386 183,773 182,811 0.3 0.5 1.0 187,197 184,161 172,104 8.8

 Total Inventories................... 101,725 101,210 100,606 0.5 0.6 0.5 103,006 101,006 98,723 4.3

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 149,076 148,976 148,163 0.1 0.5 2.4 151,818 151,885 147,047 3.2

 Total Inventories....................... 18,653 18,224 18,449 2.4 -1.2 4.2 18,678 18,169 16,742 11.6

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 4,300 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 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 61 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-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.