November 2008 sales of merchant wholesalers, except manufacturers' sales branches and offices, after adjustment for seasonal variations and trading-day differences but not for price changes, were $349.2 billion, down 7.1 percent from the revised October level and were down 7.6 percent from the November 2007 level, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

The October preliminary estimate was revised downward $1.3 billion or 0.4 percent. November sales of durable goods were down 6.1 percent from last month and were down 9.4 percent from a year ago. Compared to last month, sales of motor vehicle and motor vehicle parts and supplies were down 10.6 percent and sales of electrical and electronic goods were down 8.8 percent. Sales of nondurable goods were down 7.9 percent from last ...

New orders for manufactured goods in November, down four consecutive months, decreased $18.7 billion or 4.6% to $384.6 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported in the preliminary report on manufacturers' shipments, inventories and orders. This followed a 6% October decrease.

Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 4.2%. Shipments, also down four consecutive months, decreased $22.1 billion or 5.3% to $393.8 billion. This was the largest percent decrease since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 3.6% October decrease. Unfilled orders, down two consecutive months, decreased $5.3 billion or 0.6% to $815.4 billion. This followed a 0.9% October decrease.
 
The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 5.82, up from 5.69 in October. ...

The U.S. manufacturing sector contracted in December for the fifth consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business.

According to ISM, manufacturing activity declined at a rapid rate in December. The decline covers all industries, as none of the industries in the sector reported growth. New orders have contracted for 13 consecutive months, and are at the lowest level on record going back to January 1948.

Order backlogs have fallen to the lowest level since ISM began tracking the Backlog of Orders Index in January 1993. Manufacturers are reducing inventories and shutting down capacity to offset the slower rate of activity.

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The manufacturing industry in Latin America continued expanding during the first three quarters of 2008, underpinned by strong growth in Brazil and Argentina, but a new report says macroeconomic conditions in the region have deteriorated, and growth expectations for 2009 have dropped sharply. Manufacturing production growth will decelerate appreciably in 2009, according to the Manufacturers Alliance/MAPI Latin America Outlook: 2008-2009, a bi-annual analysis that examines the latest trends and provides a near-term forecast for 16 major industries.


The report focuses on Latin America's three largest economies-Brazil, Argentina, and Mexico-as these countries are responsible for more than 80% of the ...

The U.S. manufacturing sector contracted in December for the fifth consecutive month, say the nation's supply executives in the latest Manufacturing ISM Report on Business.

According to ISM, manufacturing activity declined at a rapid rate in December. The decline covers all industries, as none of the industries in the sector reported growth. New orders have contracted for 13 consecutive months, and are at the lowest level on record going back to January 1948.

Order backlogs have fallen to the lowest level since ISM began tracking the Backlog of Orders Index in January 1993. Manufacturers are reducing inventories and shutting down capacity to offset the slower rate of activity.

<a href=http://www.ism.ws/ISMReport/MfgROB.cfm" ...