New orders for manufactured durable goods in March increased $9.3 billion or 4.0 percent to $240.2 billion, the US Census Bureau announced today. This increase, up two of the last three months, followed a 1.4 percent February decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.2 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 2.6 percent. Transportation equipment, also up two of the last three months, drove the increase, $9.5 billion or 13.5 percent to $80.3 billion.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in March, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $2.7 billion or 1.1 percent to $246.7 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent February decrease. Transportation equipment, up three of the last four months, drove the increase, $3.2 billion or 4.3 percent to $78.0 billion.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in March, up twenty-three of the last twenty-four months, increased $0.3 billion or 0.1 percent to $412.9 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.2 percent February increase.