New orders for US manufactured goods increase 1% in April from March to US$474B, fall 0.1% excluding transportation; inventories rise 0.2% to US$627.9B, the highest level since series was first published in 1992: Dept. of Commerce

Cindy Allen

WASHINGTON , June 5, 2013 (press release) – Summary. New orders for manufactured goods in April, up two of the last three months, increased $4.9 billion or 1.0 percent to $474.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 4.7 percent March decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 0.1 percent. Shipments, down two consecutive months, decreased $3.5 billion or 0.7 percent to $478.7 billion. This followed a 1.5 percent March decrease. Unfilled orders, up two of the last three months, increased $2.6 billion or 0.3 percent to $995.9 billion. This followed a 0.6 percent March decrease. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 6.26, up from 6.21 in March. Inventories, up five consecutive months, increased $1.1 billion or 0.2 percent to $627.9 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992, and followed a slight March increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.31, up from 1.30 in March.

New Orders. New orders for manufactured durable goods in April, up two of the last three months, increased $7.4 billion or 3.5 percent to $222.7 billion, revised from the previously published 3.3 percent increase. This followed a 5.9 percent March decrease. Transportation equipment, also up two of the last three months, led the increase, up $5.2 billion or 8.4 percent to $67.4 billion. New orders for manufactured nondurable goods decreased $2.6 billion or 1.0 percent to $251.3 billion.

Shipments. Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $1.0 billion or 0.4 percent to $227.4 billion, revised from the previously published 0.6 percent decrease. This followed a 0.9 percent March increase. Computers and electronic products, down three of the last four months, led the decrease, down $0.8 billion or 3.0 percent to $27.6 billion. Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, down two consecutive months, decreased $2.6 billion or 1.0 percent to $251.3 billion. This followed a 3.5 percent March decrease. Petroleum and coal products, also down two consecutive months, drove the decrease, down $3.3 billion or 4.6 percent to $68.7 billion.

Unfilled Orders. Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in April, up two of the last three months, increased $2.6 billion or 0.3 percent to $995.9 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a 0.6 percent March decrease. Computers and electronic products, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, led the increase, up $0.9 billion or 0.7 percent to $131.7 billion.

Inventories. Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, up three of the last four months, increased $1.3 billion or 0.3 percent to $377.8 billion, revised from the previously published 0.4 percent increase. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis, and followed a 0.1 percent March decrease. Transportation equipment, up thirty-two of the last thirty-three months, drove the increase, up $1.7 billion or 1.4 percent to $116.4 billion. Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, down two of the last three months, decreased $0.2 billion or 0.1 percent to $250.1 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent March increase. Petroleum and coal products, down six of the last seven months, drove the decrease, down $1.1 billion or 2.3 percent to $46.6 billion. By stage of fabrication, April materials and supplies decreased 0.4 percent in durable goods and 0.9 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process increased 0.9 percent in durable goods and 1.4 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods increased 0.4 percent in durable goods and decreased 0.2 percent in nondurable goods.

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