New orders for manufactured goods increased 1.1 percent to $458.4 billion in March, following a 1.9 percent February decrease according to the U.S. Census Bureau. This was the second increase in in the last three months.
New orders for manufactured durable goods increased 0.8 percent to $230.6 billion, following a 3.1 percent decrease in February. Orders for transportation led the increase, rising 2.8 percent to $75.8 billion.
Shipments of manufactured durable goods fell 0.5 percent to $236.9 billion, largely unchanged from February’s decrease. Transportation equipment drove the decrease, falling 1.9 percent to $77.4 billion. Excluding transportation, shipments increased 1.0 percent compared to a 0.7 percent decline in the previous month.
Shipments of nondurable goods rose following eight consecutive monthly drops, rising 1.5 percent to $227.8 billion. Growth in shipments of petroleum and coal products drove the increases.
Read the Census release.
