New orders for American-made goods posted a second straight monthly decline during July, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures released Sept. 3. 

Data showed that total orders for U.S. factory goods declined 1.3% month-to-month duriing July, slightly ahead of the 1.4% forecasted by economists polled by Reuters. 

Though not nearly as severe as June’s unrevised 4.8% plummet — the largest such decline April 2020 — it was the third decline in four months.

June U.S. manufactured goods orders: Month-Over-Month

source: tradingeconomics.com

Monthly shipments increased 0.9% in July (+0.6% in June) for a third increase in four months, while unfilled orders were flat (+0.9% in June). July’s unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio of 6.87 fell from June’s 7.01, while the inventories-to-shipments ratio dipped from 1.57 to 1.56.

New orders for U.S. durable goods fell an unrevised 2.8%, following June’s much larger 9.4% decrease. Transportation once again drove the decline, down 9.5% from June.

June U.S. manufactured durable goods orders: Month-over-Month

source: tradingeconomics.com 

Here’s how the seasonally-adjusted value of manufacturers’ orders changed during July for certain product categories:

• Electrical equipment, appliances & components: +1.9% (+0.5% in June)
• Industrial machinery: +6.9% (+8.1% in June)
• Metalworking machinery: -2.9% (-2.4% in June)
• Mining, oilfield & gas field machinery: -2.0% (+1.1% in June)
• Construction machinery: +7.5% (-1.1% in June)
• HVACR equipment: -1.7% (+0.6% in June)
• Turbines, generators and other power transmission equipment: +2.9% (+1.5% in June)
• Material handling equipment: 5.5% (-3.4% in June)
• Computers & electronics: +0.5% (+0.9% in June)

July orders for nondurable goods increased 0.3%.

July shipments of durable goods increased 1.5% month-to-month (+0,7% in June), Transportation equipment led the gain, up 2.5%. Shipments of nondurable goods increased 0.3% (+0.4% in June), led by petroleum and coal products (+0.4%).

July unfilled orders for durable goods were flat (+0.9% in June), led by electrical equipment, appliances and components’ 0.3% increase.

July inventories of durable goods increased an unrevised 0.3% (+0.2% in June), led by transportation equipment, while nondurable goods inventories increased 0.2% (+0.2% in June).

The advance report for August durable goods is set to release on Sept. 25.