New orders for manufactured durable goods in December decreased $4.7 billion or 2.6% to $176.8 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced. This was the fifth consecutive monthly decrease and followed a 3.7% November decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 3.6%. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 4.9%.
 
Shipments
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in December, down five consecutive months, decreased $1.4 billion or 0.7% to $191.3 billion. This followed a 4.2% November decrease.
 
Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in December, down three consecutive months, decreased $10.3 billion or 1.3% to $803.2 billion. This followed a 0.9% November decrease.
 
Inventories
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in December, up seventeen of the last eighteen months, increased $1.3 billion or 0.4% to $343.5 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first stated on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.3% November increase.
 
Capital Goods Industries
Nondefense
Nondefense new orders for capital goods in December decreased $3.6 billion or 5.9% to $57.0 billion.
 
Defense
Defense new orders for capital goods in December increased $2.8 billion or 32.9% to $11.3 billion.

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