New orders for manufactured durable goods in September decreased $1.5 billion or 0.8 percent to $200.3 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This decrease, down three of the last four months, followed a 0.1 percent August decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.7 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 1.1 percent.

Transportation equipment, down following two consecutive monthly increases, had the largest decrease,$4.0 billion or 7.5 percent to $49.6 billion.  Shipments of manufactured durable goods in September, down following four consecutive monthly increases, decreased $1.4 billion or 0.7 percent to $200.1 billion. This followed a 0.1 percent August increase. Transportation equipment, down two consecutive months, had the largest decrease, $1.3 billion or 2.7 percent to $45.6 billion.

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in September, up twenty one consecutive months, increased $0.4 billion or 0.1 percent to $365.6 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.9 percent August increase. Transportation equipment, also up twenty one consecutive months, had the largest increase, $0.5 billion or 0.5 percent to $112.7 billion.