New orders for manufactured durable goods fell 5.1 percent to $225.4 billion in December, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The December decrease followed a 0.5 percent decrease in November. The majority of the month’s decrease was due to a drop in new orders for transportation equipment, which slipped by 12.4 percent. Excluding transportation, new orders decreased 1.2 percent. Over the course of 2015, new orders for durable goods fell 3.5 percent.
New orders excluding defense fell 2.9 percent on the month, as orders of non-defense capital goods fell 15.0 percent. Year-to-date, new orders of non-defense capital goods are down 11.0 percent.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods, down two of the last three months, fell 2.2 percent to $235.8 billion, following a 0.6 percent November increase.
Inventories of manufactured durable goods increased for the first time in six months, rising 0.5 percent to $397.9 billion following a 0.2 percent decrease in November.
Read the Census release.
