Wholesale trade in November was $440.1 billion, up 1 percent from October and up 5.5 percent from November 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The October preliminary estimate was revised upward 0.1 percent.
November sales of durable goods were down 0.4 percent from last month, but were up 4 percent from a year ago. Sales of metals and minerals except petroleum were down 2.6 percent from last month. Sales of nondurable goods were up 2.1 percent from October and up 6.8 percent from last November. Sales of farm product raw materials were up 7.7 percent from last month and sales of petroleum and petroleum products were up 5.7 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers were $516.4 billion at the end of November, up 0.5 percent from the revised October level and up 3.3 percent from the November 2012 level. The October preliminary estimate was revised downward 0.1 percent.
November inventories of durable goods were up 0.5 percent from last month and were up 4.2 percent from a year ago. Inventories of machinery, equipment and supplies were up 1.6 percent from last month and inventories of lumber and other construction materials were up 1.4 percent.
Inventories of nondurable goods were up 0.5 percent from October and were up 2 percent from last November. Inventories of farm product raw materials were up 6.6 percent from last month.
The November inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers was 1.17. The November 2012 ratio was 1.20.