Summary
New orders for manufactured goods in December, up four of the last five months, increased $10.0 billion or 1.8 percent to $552.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported today. This followed a 1.9 percent November decrease. Shipments, down two consecutive months, decreased $4.0 billion or 0.7 percent to $543.3 billion. This followed a 0.9 percent November decrease. Unfilled orders, up twenty-eight consecutive months, increased $14.4 billion or 1.3 percent to $1,158.0 billion. This followed a virtually unchanged November increase. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 6.07, up from 6.01 in November. Inventories, up four consecutive months, increased $3.0 billion or 0.4 percent to $807.8 billion. This followed a virtually unchanged November increase. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.49, up from 1.47 in November.

New Orders
New orders for manufactured durable goods in December, up four of the last five months, increased $15.2 billion or 5.6 percent to $286.6 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a 1.8 percent November decrease. Transportation equipment, also up four of the last five months, drove the increase, $15.6 billion or 16.9 percent to $108.0 billion. New orders for manufactured nondurable goods decreased $5.2 billion or 1.9 percent to $265.9 billion.

Shipments
Shipments of manufactured durable goods in December, up nineteen of the last twenty months, increased $1.2 billion or 0.4 percent to $277.4 billion, down from the previously published 0.5 percent increase. This followed a 0.4 percent November increase. Transportation equipment, up fourteen of the last fifteen months, drove the increase, $1.5 billion or 1.6 percent to $93.7 billion. Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, down two consecutive months, decreased $5.2 billion or 1.9 percent to $265.9 billion. This followed a 2.1 percent November decrease. Petroleum and coal products, also down two consecutive months, drove the decrease, $5.9 billion or 9.6 percent to $55.6 billion.

Unfilled Orders
Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in December, up twenty-eight consecutive months, increased $14.4 billion or 1.3 percent to $1,158.0 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a virtually unchanged November increase. Transportation equipment, up twenty-two of the last twenty-three months, led the increase, $14.3 billion or 2.1 percent to $684.9 billion.

Inventories
Inventories of manufactured durable goods in December, up twenty-three consecutive months, increased $3.5 billion or 0.7 percent to $493.6 billion, unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a 0.2 percent November increase. Transportation equipment, up two consecutive months, led the increase, $1.6 billion or 1.0 percent to $158.5 billion. Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, down five of the last six months, decreased $0.5 billion or 0.2 percent to $314.2 billion. This followed a 0.2 percent November decrease. Chemical products, down three consecutive months, led the decrease, $0.4 billion or 0.4 percent to $103.8 billion. By stage of fabrication, December materials and supplies increased 0.6 percent in durable goods and 0.1 percent in nondurable goods. Work in process increased 1.4 percent in durable goods and decreased 0.1 percent in nondurable goods. Finished goods were virtually unchanged in durable goods and decreased 0.3 percent in nondurable goods.