New orders for manufactured durable goods in April, up three of the last four months, increased $7.7 billion or 3.4 percent to $236.2 billion, virtually unchanged from the previously published increase, the US Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 2.0 percent March increase. Transportation equipment, also up three of the last four months, led the increase, $6.9 billion or 8.7 percent to $86.9 billion. New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased $1.0 billion or 0.4 percent to $224.3 billion.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in April, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $1.3 billion or 0.5 percent to $232.5 billion, down from the previously published 0.6 percent increase. This followed a 0.7 percent March decrease. Transportation equipment, also up following two consecutive monthly decreases, led the increase, $0.9 billion or 1.1 percent to $80.8 billion. Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, up two consecutive months, increased $1.0 billion or 0.4 percent to $224.3 billion. This followed a 1.4 percent March increase. Petroleum and coal products, also up two consecutive months, led the increase, $0.7 billion or 2.1 percent to $33.8 billion.
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in April, up three of the last four months, increased $6.6 billion or 0.6 percent to $1,137.3 billion, virtually unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a virtually unchanged March increase. Transportation equipment, up two consecutive months, led the increase, $6.1 billion or 0.8 percent to $783.0 billion.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in April, down nine of the last ten months, decreased $0.6 billion or 0.1 percent to $384.5 billion, up from the previously published 0.2 percent decrease. This followed a 0.2 percent March decrease. Machinery, down eight of the last nine months, led the decrease, $0.5 billion or 0.8 percent to $66.1 billion. Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, up two consecutive months, increased less than $0.1 billion or virtually unchanged to $236.3 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent March increase. Petroleum and coal products, up following nine consecutive monthly decreases, drove the increase, $0.3 billion or 1.3 percent to $24.8 billion.
By stage of fabrication, April materials and supplies decreased 0.2 percent in durable goods and in nondurable goods. Work in process decreased 0.3 percent in durable goods and increased 2.0 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods increased 0.2 percent in durable goods and decreased 0.7 percent in nondurable goods.