New orders for US manufactured durable goods in April decreased $4.2 billion or 1.7 percent to $248.5 billion, the US Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down following two consecutive monthly increases, followed a 2.7 percent March increase.
Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.9 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 1.9 percent. Transportation equipment, also down following two consecutive monthly increases, drove the decrease, $5.6 billion or 6.1 percent to $87.1 billion.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, down following eight consecutive monthly increases, decreased $0.1 billion or 0.1 percent to $246.7 billion. This followed a 0.7 percent March increase. Transportation equipment, down following three consecutive monthly increases, drove the decrease, $1.8 billion or 2.1 percent to $82.8 billion.
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in April, up five of the last six months, increased $5.5 billion or 0.5 percent to $1,153.4 billion. This followed a 0.8 percent March increase. Transportation equipment, also up five of the last six months, led the increase, $4.2 billion or 0.5 percent to $796.2 billion.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, up seventeen of the last eighteen months, increased $1.2 billion or 0.3 percent to $401.7 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent March increase. Fabricated metal products, up fifteen of the last sixteen months, led the increase $0.4 billion or 0.8 percent to $52.0 billion.