New orders for US manufacturing decrease in December while shipments rise

New orders for US manufactured durable goods in December decreased $1.0 billion or 0.4 percent to $227.0 billion, the US Census Bureau announced today.  This decrease, down two consecutive months, followed a 4.8 percent November decrease.  Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.5 percent.  Excluding defense, new orders increased 1.7 percent. Transportation equipment, also down two consecutive months, drove the decrease, $1.7 billion or 2.2 percent to $73.7 billion.  
 
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in December, up three of the last four months, increased $3.3 billion or 1.4 percent to $238.0 billion. This followed a 0.3 percent November increase. Transportation equipment, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, led the increase, $2.0 billion or 2.5 percent to $82.3 billion
 
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in December, down six of the last seven months, decreased $7.2 billion or 0.6 percent to $1,119.4 billion.  This followed a 0.3 percent November decrease. Transportation equipment, also down six of the last seven months, drove the decrease, $8.6 billion or 1.1 percent to $759.8 billion.
 
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in December, up five of the last six months, increased less than $0.1 billion or virtually unchanged to $384.4 billion.  This followed a 0.2 percent November increase. Machinery, up four of the last five months, drove the increase, $0.4 billion or 0.5 percent to $66.4 billion.