New orders for manufactured durable goods in January decreased $11.8 billion or 5.2 percent to $217.0 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced. This decrease, down following four consecutive monthly increases, followed a 3.7 percent December increase.

Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.9 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 0.4 percent. Transportation equipment, down three of the last four months, drove the decrease, $14.7 billion or 19.8 percent to $59.7 billion. This was led by defense aircraft and parts, which decreased $5.1 billion.

Shipments

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in January, down following four consecutive monthly increases, decreased $2.7 billion or 1.2 percent to $226.1 billion. This followed a 0.5 percent December increase.

Transportation equipment, down following two consecutive monthly increases, had the largest decrease, $1.6 billion or 2.3 percent to $64.7 billion. This followed a 0.8 percent December increase.

Unfilled Orders

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in January, down following four consecutive monthly increases, decreased $2.1 billion or 0.2 percent to $989.2 billion. This decrease followed a 0.8 percent December increase.

Transportation equipment, also down following four consecutive monthly increases, drove the decrease, $5.0 billion or 0.9 percent to $582.8 billion. Inventories Inventories of manufactured durable goods in January, up fifteen of the last sixteen months, increased $0.7 billion or 0.2 percent to $374.8 billion. This increase followed a 0.1 percent December decrease. Transportation equipment, up thirty consecutive months, drove the increase, $1.1 billion or 0.9 percent to $115.8 billion.

Capital Goods

Nondefense new orders for capital goods in January decreased $0.1 billion or 0.1 percent to $72.2 billion. Shipments decreased $1.2 billion or 1.7 percent to $70.5 billion. Unfilled orders increased $1.6 billion or 0.3 percent to $586.2 billion. Inventories increased $1.5 billion or 0.9 percent to $174.1 billion.

Defense new orders for capital goods in January decreased $11.3 billion or 69.5 percent to $4.9 billion. Shipments decreased $1.0 billion or 11.6 percent to $8.0 billion. Unfilled orders decreased $3.1 billion or 1.8 percent to $168.1 billion. Inventories increased $0.1 billion or 0.2 percent to $21.5 billion.