U.S. Durable Goods New Orders Rise 1.8 Percent in September to $345.4 Billion, Led by Transportation Equipment
New orders for manufactured durable goods in September rose $6.3 billion, or 1.8 percent, to $345.4 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced on October 27 in its Monthly Advance Report on Durable Goods Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories and Orders (release CB 26-169). The increase, the sixth in the past seven months, followed a 0.1 percent increase in August. Durable goods are manufactured products expected to last three years or more, including aircraft, automobiles, machinery and appliances.
Transportation equipment led the increase, rising $5.2 billion, or 4.6 percent, to $119.8 billion, its second increase in the past three months. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.5 percent. Excluding defense, new orders increased 2.2 percent. The figures indicate that September's gain was driven mainly by transportation equipment, with more moderate growth in the remaining categories.
The report was released on the day the Federal Reserve began its October 27-28 policy meeting. Durable goods orders are a leading indicator of U.S. manufacturing demand and business equipment spending; because transportation orders are large and volatile, analysts also watch the ex-transportation and ex-defense readings to gauge underlying demand. The Census Bureau's advance report is based on its manufacturers' survey, is seasonally adjusted but not adjusted for price changes, and the next release is scheduled for November 25, 2026.
Other figures in the same report: shipments of manufactured durable goods rose $3.0 billion, or 0.9 percent, to $336.8 billion in September, the ninth increase in the past ten months, following a 0.2 percent decrease in August; unfilled orders rose $13.6 billion, or 0.8 percent, to $1,623.6 billion; and inventories rose for the twelfth consecutive month, up $1.9 billion, or 0.3 percent, to $610.0 billion. New orders for nondefense capital goods excluding aircraft, a closely watched gauge of business equipment spending, rose 0.5 percent to $88.039 billion, while shipments of that category rose 1.2 percent.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 位于 Maryland 州 Suitland 的美国人口普查局总部大楼，入口上方可见 United States Census Bureau 字样（资料图）。美国人口普查局作品，公共领域，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / The U.S. Census Bureau headquarters in Suitland, Maryland (file photo). U.S. Census Bureau work, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
