FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 28, 2007, AT 8:30 A.M. EDT 

Chris Savage or Jessica Young 

Manufacturing and Construction Division 

(301) 763-4832 

M3-1 (07)-2 

CB07-047

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

February 2007 

New Orders 

 New orders for manufactured durable goods in 

February increased $5.0 billion or 2.5 percent to $206.9 

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

was the third increase in the last four months and 

followed a 9.3 percent January decrease. Excluding 

transportation, new orders decreased 0.1 percent. 

Excluding defense, new orders increased 2.5 percent. 

 

 Transportation equipment, up three of the last four 

months, had the largest increase, $5.2 billion or 9.6 

percent to $60.0 billion. This was due to nondefense 

aircraft and parts, which increased $6.6 billion. 

 

Shipments 

 Shipments of manufactured durable goods in February, 

down two consecutive months, decreased $1.7 billion or 

0.8 percent to $207.3 billion. This followed a 1.5 

percent January decrease. 

 Computers and electronic products, down two of the 

last three months, had the largest decrease, $1.4 billion 

or 3.7 percent to $35.1 billion. 

 

Unfilled Orders 

 Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in 

February, up twenty-one of the last twenty-two months, 

increased $6.1 billion or 0.9 percent to $702.0 billion. 

This was at the highest level since the series was first 

stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.2 

percent January increase. 

 Transportation equipment, up twelve of the last 

thirteen months, had the largest increase, $4.9 billion or 

1.3 percent to $384.4 billion. 

Inventories 

 Inventories of manufactured durable goods in 

February, up twelve consecutive months, increased $0.5 

billion or 0.2 percent to $298.0 billion. This followed a 

0.4 percent January increase. 

 Machinery, up eleven of the last twelve months, had 

the largest increase, $0.4 billion or 0.9 percent to $48.1 

billion. 

Capital Goods 

 Nondefense new orders for capital goods in February 

increased $6.1 billion or 9.5 percent to $70.7 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.2 billion or 0.3 percent to $65.5 

billion. Unfilled orders increased $5.2 billion or 1.4 

percent to $377.8 billion. Inventories increased $0.4 

billion or 0.4 percent to $116.5 billion. 

 Defense new orders for capital goods in February 

increased $0.3 billion or 3.5 percent to $8.4 billion. 

Shipments increased $0.2 billion or 2.0 percent to $8.4 

billion. Unfilled orders decreased slightly to $138.6 

billion. Inventories decreased 0.1 percent to $14.2 

billion. 

Revised January Data 

 Revised seasonally adjusted January figures for all 

manufacturing industries were: new orders, $381.8 

billion (revised from $383.1 billion); shipments, $388.9 

billion (revised from $391.2 billion); unfilled orders, 

$695.9 billion (revised from $695.2 billion); and total 

inventories, $482.9 billion (revised from $482.0 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 April 4, 2007, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. The 

advance report on durable goods for March is scheduled for release on April 25, 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

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

2007 2 2007 r 2006 Feb 2 Jan r Dec 2007 2 2007 r 2006 2007 2006 07/06

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Shipments............................... 207,307 209,002 212,276 -0.8 -1.5 1.2 198,053 188,321 199,354 386,374 384,509 0.5

 New Orders 4

........................... 206,948 201,923 222,520 2.5 -9.3 3.5 200,673 192,016 201,226 392,689 387,297 1.4

 Excluding transportation:

 Shipments............................... 152,195 153,699 153,860 -1.0 -0.1 0.1 142,905 139,963 143,531 282,868 280,309 0.9

 New Orders 4

........................... 146,923 147,135 153,344 -0.1 -4.0 3.2 141,645 138,905 140,680 280,550 278,009 0.9

 Excluding defense:

 Shipments............................... 197,282 198,943 202,203 -0.8 -1.6 1.2 188,423 180,314 190,775 368,737 368,382 0.1

 New Orders 4

........................... 197,181 192,312 211,506 2.5 -9.1 4.7 191,351 182,029 191,002 373,380 371,647 0.5

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Shipments............................... 144,941 144,311 147,432 0.4 -2.1 0.7 138,082 129,689 134,923 267,771 261,556 2.4

 New Orders 4

........................... 151,017 145,658 162,766 3.7 -10.5 2.8 146,964 141,224 144,903 288,188 278,270 3.6

 Primary metals:

 Shipments............................... 18,558 18,772 18,953 -1.1 -1.0 1.3 18,228 18,820 17,111 37,048 34,436 7.6

 New Orders.............................. 18,429 18,623 18,754 -1.0 -0.7 1.7 18,588 19,322 17,576 37,910 35,809 5.9

 Fabricated metal products:

 Shipments............................... 24,871 24,923 24,959 -0.2 -0.1 2.3 23,739 23,455 23,185 47,194 45,655 3.4

 New Orders.............................. 24,933 25,519 24,961 -2.3 2.2 2.3 24,469 24,679 23,795 49,148 47,341 3.8

 Machinery:

 Shipments............................... 26,769 26,172 28,196 2.3 -7.2 1.3 25,275 23,791 24,349 49,066 47,985 2.3

 New Orders.............................. 26,889 26,985 30,280 -0.4 -10.9 7.8 26,614 26,326 25,899 52,940 52,607 0.6

 Computers and electronic products:

 Shipments............................... 35,084 36,434 33,157 -3.7 9.9 -6.7 32,081 30,884 33,286 62,965 62,449 0.8

 New Orders 4

........................... 29,356 27,585 30,662 6.4 -10.0 2.4 27,267 23,932 26,498 51,199 50,086 2.2

 Computers and related products:

 Shipments............................... 6,683 6,330 6,397 5.6 -1.0 -2.8 5,759 5,142 5,504 10,901 11,005 -0.9

 New Orders.............................. 6,551 6,253 6,472 4.8 -3.4 -3.4 5,627 5,065 5,456 10,692 10,627 0.6 

 Communications equipment:

 Shipments............................... 5,834 5,443 5,257 7.2 3.5 -10.1 5,106 4,423 5,077 9,529 10,030 -5.0

 New Orders.............................. 5,859 5,294 6,793 10.7 -22.1 15.0 5,703 4,685 5,928 10,388 10,834 -4.1

 Semiconductors:

 Shipments............................... 6,435 8,426 5,090 -23.6 65.5 -24.4 6,262 7,840 8,108 14,102 13,926 1.3

 New Orders 4

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

 Electrical equipment, appliances, 

 and components: 

 Shipments............................... 10,209 10,416 10,134 -2.0 2.8 2.4 9,567 9,287 9,185 18,854 17,999 4.8

 New Orders.............................. 10,527 11,141 10,124 -5.5 10.0 -1.0 10,508 10,580 10,194 21,088 20,155 4.6

 Transportation equipment: 

 Shipments............................... 55,112 55,303 58,416 -0.3 -5.3 4.1 55,148 48,358 55,823 103,506 104,200 -0.7

 New Orders.............................. 60,025 54,788 69,176 9.6 -20.8 4.0 59,028 53,111 60,546 112,139 109,288 2.6

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Shipments............................... 37,779 37,176 40,688 1.6 -8.6 6.1 38,590 34,614 39,697 73,204 76,207 -3.9

 New Orders.............................. 37,728 37,229 41,011 1.3 -9.2 6.8 38,739 35,278 40,080 74,017 77,511 -4.5 

 Nondefense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 8,200 8,777 8,110 -6.6 8.2 -1.5 7,870 6,483 7,894 14,353 12,931 11.0

 New Orders.............................. 13,962 7,410 18,731 88.4 -60.4 31.3 12,483 7,420 10,266 19,903 16,724 19.0

 Defense aircraft and parts:

 Shipments............................... 3,631 3,705 3,774 -2.0 -1.8 1.0 3,360 2,791 3,207 6,151 5,759 6.8

 New Orders.............................. 3,379 2,616 6,354 29.2 -58.8 16.3 3,109 2,791 3,219 5,900 7,503 -21.4

 All other durable goods: 

 Shipments............................... 36,704 36,982 38,461 -0.8 -3.8 3.0 34,015 33,726 36,415 67,741 71,785 -5.6

 New Orders.............................. 36,789 37,282 38,563 -1.3 -3.3 2.9 34,199 34,066 36,718 68,265 72,011 -5.2

 Capital goods:3

 Shipments............................... 73,944 73,599 75,252 0.5 -2.2 -0.6 69,325 63,313 67,971 132,638 130,241 1.8

 New Orders.............................. 79,153 72,759 89,945 8.8 -19.1 5.6 74,889 69,625 74,039 144,514 138,593 4.3

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 65,518 65,335 67,016 0.3 -2.5 -0.7 61,125 56,585 60,738 117,710 116,547 1.0

 New Orders.............................. 70,737 64,629 81,977 9.5 -21.2 10.8 66,852 61,071 65,507 127,923 126,344 1.2

 Excluding aircraft:

 Shipments........................... 60,471 59,780 61,850 1.2 -3.3 -0.6 56,275 53,072 55,457 109,347 108,794 0.5

 New Orders........................ 60,188 60,925 65,802 -1.2 -7.4 4.0 58,181 57,270 59,482 115,451 116,705 -1.1

 Defense capital goods:

 Shipments............................... 8,426 8,264 8,236 2.0 0.3 0.4 8,200 6,728 7,233 14,928 13,694 9.0

 New Orders.............................. 8,416 8,130 7,968 3.5 2.0 -28.7 8,037 8,554 8,532 16,591 12,249 35.4

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(05), "Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders: 1992-2005."

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 2007/

2007 2 2007 r 2006 Feb 2 Jan r Dec 2007 2 2007 r 2006 2006

DURABLE GOODS

 Total:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 701,999 695,923 694,576 0.9 0.2 2.3 711,772 702,890 589,142 20.8

 Total Inventories....................... 298,021 297,550 296,406 0.2 0.4 0.6 300,446 296,513 275,861 8.9

 Excluding transportation:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 317,598 316,435 314,573 0.4 0.6 1.5 321,709 316,707 282,914 13.7

 Total Inventories....................... 228,815 228,570 228,085 0.1 0.2 0.9 230,824 228,194 211,553 9.1

 Excluding defense:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 549,792 543,458 541,663 1.2 0.3 2.7 557,217 548,027 449,074 24.1

 Total Inventories....................... 279,498 278,877 277,714 0.2 0.4 0.8 281,893 278,046 256,962 9.7

 Manufacturing with unfilled orders:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 701,999 695,923 694,576 0.9 0.2 2.3 711,772 702,890 589,142 20.8

 Total Inventories....................... 233,141 232,743 231,171 0.2 0.7 0.6 234,949 232,171 214,541 9.5

 Primary metals:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 25,830 25,959 26,108 -0.5 -0.6 -0.8 26,667 26,307 26,647 0.1

 Total Inventories....................... 29,827 29,844 29,987 -0.1 -0.5 0.1 30,005 30,093 26,179 14.6

 Fabricated metal products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 54,250 54,188 53,592 0.1 1.1 0.0 53,837 53,107 48,791 10.3

 Total Inventories....................... 38,448 38,450 38,355 0.0 0.2 1.0 38,944 38,403 35,314 10.3

 Machinery: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 78,792 78,672 77,859 0.2 1.0 2.8 80,649 79,310 66,327 21.6

 Total Inventories....................... 48,119 47,711 47,457 0.9 0.5 2.1 48,833 47,641 44,442 9.9

 Computers and electronic products:

 Unfilled Orders4

......................... 122,335 121,628 122,051 0.6 -0.3 2.2 123,852 122,404 109,138 13.5

 Total Inventories....................... 46,644 46,828 46,660 -0.4 0.4 1.0 46,683 46,559 42,605 9.6

 Computers and related products:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 4,255 4,387 4,464 -3.0 -1.7 1.7 4,255 4,387 4,324 -1.6

 Total Inventories....................... 4,448 4,449 4,463 0.0 -0.3 1.7 4,446 4,323 4,149 7.2

 

 Communications equipment:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 37,212 37,187 37,336 0.1 -0.4 4.3 37,597 37,000 33,816 11.2

 Total Inventories....................... 10,019 10,165 9,977 -1.4 1.9 -1.0 10,191 10,319 10,453 -2.5

 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......................... 23,695 23,377 22,652 1.4 3.2 0.0 24,253 23,312 19,990 21.3

 Total Inventories....................... 14,354 14,374 14,463 -0.1 -0.6 1.9 14,612 14,419 13,369 9.3

 Transportation equipment: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 384,401 379,488 380,003 1.3 -0.1 2.9 390,063 386,183 306,228 27.4

 Total Inventories....................... 69,206 68,980 68,321 0.3 1.0 -0.5 69,622 68,319 64,308 8.3

 Motor vehicles and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 19,917 19,968 19,915 -0.3 0.3 1.6 20,831 20,682 18,396 13.2

 Total Inventories....................... 24,528 24,543 24,362 -0.1 0.7 -0.8 24,676 24,427 23,544 4.8 

 Nondefense Aircraft and parts:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 236,664 230,902 232,269 2.5 -0.6 4.8 239,616 235,003 171,227 39.9

 Total Inventories....................... 25,674 25,396 25,050 1.1 1.4 2.9 25,863 25,049 21,974 17.7

 Defense Aircraft and parts: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 46,652 46,904 47,993 -0.5 -2.3 5.7 47,169 47,420 47,252 -0.2

 Total Inventories....................... 11,588 11,650 11,682 -0.5 -0.3 -3.2 11,585 11,460 11,463 1.1

 All other durable goods: 

 Unfilled Orders......................... 12,696 12,611 12,311 0.7 2.4 0.8 12,451 12,267 12,021 3.6

 Total Inventories....................... 51,423 51,363 51,163 0.1 0.4 -0.1 51,747 51,079 49,644 4.2

 Capital goods:3

 Unfilled Orders......................... 516,474 511,265 512,105 1.0 -0.2 3.0 523,843 518,279 423,047 23.8

 Total Inventories....................... 130,730 130,313 130,201 0.3 0.1 1.5 131,849 129,690 122,247 7.9

 Nondefense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 377,828 372,609 373,315 1.4 -0.2 4.2 383,132 377,405 296,711 29.1

 Total Inventories....................... 116,481 116,056 116,108 0.4 0.0 1.8 117,567 115,449 107,954 8.9

 Excluding aircraft: 

 Unfilled Orders.................... 169,212 169,495 168,350 -0.2 0.7 2.4 171,773 169,867 147,117 16.8

 Total Inventories................... 97,578 97,398 96,910 0.2 0.5 1.4 98,461 97,042 91,085 8.1

 Defense capital goods:

 Unfilled Orders......................... 138,646 138,656 138,790 0.0 -0.1 -0.2 140,711 140,874 126,336 11.4

 Total Inventories....................... 14,249 14,257 14,093 -0.1 1.2 -0.9 14,282 14,241 14,293 -0.1

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.