Released January 27, 2000. 



ADVANCE REPORT ON DURABLE GOODS MANUFACTURERS' SHIPMENTS AND ORDERS



DECEMBER 1999



(All figures in text below are in seasonally adjusted current dollars)



NEW ORDERS  New orders for manufactured durable goods in

December increased $8.4 billion or 4.1 percent to $212.9

billion, the Department of Commerce, Bureau of the Census

reported today.  This follows a 1.0 percent November increase.

Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.7 percent.  New

orders for 1999 are 7.3 percent above 1998.



Transportation equipment had the largest increase, $7.3 billion

or 16.2 percent to $52.3 billion; all component industries

increased, led by aircraft and parts.  This is the largest

increase since August 1998.  Electronic and other electrical

equipment, up six of the last seven months, increased $1.8

billion or 4.6 percent to $41.1 billion.  Industrial machinery

and equipment, down six of the last eight months, decreased $1.7

billion or 4.2 percent to $37.4 billion.  Primary metals, down

four of the last five months, decreased $0.2 billion or 1.5

percent to $15.3 billion.



SHIPMENTS  Shipments of durable goods in December increased $1.4

billion or 0.7 percent to $205.7 billion, following a 1.0

percent November increase.  This is the seventh increase in the

last eight months.  Shipments for 1999 are 6.0 percent above

1998.



Transportation equipment had the largest increase, $1.3 billion

or 2.7 percent to $49.6 billion; all component industries

increased, led by motor vehicles and parts.  Electronic and

other electrical equipment increased $0.3 billion or 0.8 percent

to $35.9 billion.  Primary metals, up seven of the last eight

months, increased $0.1 billion or 0.6 percent to $15.6 billion.

Industrial machinery and equipment, down four of the last five

months, decreased $0.6 billion or 1.6 percent to $38.3 billion.



UNFILLED ORDERS  Unfilled orders for durable goods in December

increased $7.3 billion or 1.5 percent to $508.0 billion,

following a 0.1 percent increase in November.  This is the sixth

consecutive monthly increase and the largest since January.

Electronic and other electrical equipment, up thirteen

consecutive months, had the largest increase, $5.3 billion or

6.6 percent to $85.5 billion.  Transportation equipment, up for

the first time since January, increased $2.7 billion or 1.2

percent to $224.8 billion.  Industrial machinery and equipment,

down for the first time since June, decreased $0.9 billion or

1.1 percent to $80.3 billion.  Primary metals decreased $0.4

billion or 1.1 percent to $32.0 billion.  This is the largest

decrease since January.



CAPITAL GOODS INDUSTRIES, DEFENSE  New orders in December

increased $1.5 billion or 24.5 percent to $7.5 billion.

Shipments decreased $0.8 billion or 11.3 percent to $6.3

billion.  This is the largest decrease since December 1997.

Unfilled orders increased $1.1 billion or 1.2 percent to $92.5

billion.

     

CAPITAL GOODS INDUSTRIES, NONDEFENSE  New orders in December

increased $4.7 billion or 8.6 percent to $59.0 billion. This is

the largest increase since January.  Shipments increased $0.8

billion or 1.5 percent to $55.9 billion.  Unfilled orders

increased $3.1 billion or 1.2 percent to $254.2 billion.  This

is the largest increase since January.  Excluding aircraft and

parts, new orders increased $1.5 billion or 3.2 percent to $49.9

billion; shipments, down four of the last five months, decreased

0.1 percent to $47.7 billion; and unfilled orders, up four

consecutive months, increased $2.2 billion or 2.0 percent to

$114.8 billion.

     

REVISED NOVEMBER DATA  Revised seasonally adjusted November

figures for all manufacturing industries are: shipments, $364.9

billion (revised from $364.5 billion); new orders, $365.5

billion (revised from $365.2 billion); unfilled orders, $526.5

billion (revised from $526.6 billion); and total inventories,

$469.5 billion (revised from $469.7 billion).





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