New orders for manufactured durable goods in December decreased $8.1 billion, or 3.4%, to $230.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced. This decrease, down four of the last five months, followed a 2.1% November decrease.

Transportation equipment, also down four of the last five months, led the decrease, $6.8 billion, or 9.2%, to $66.7 billion.

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in December, down following ten consecutive monthly increases, decreased $8.9 billion, or 0.8%, to $1,167.6 billion. This followed a 0.2% November increase.

Transportation equipment, also down following ten consecutive monthly increases, led the decrease, $7.8 billion, or 1.0%, to $740.0 billion.

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in December, up twenty of the last twenty-one months, increased $2.0 billion, or 0.5%, to $410.8 billion. This was at the highest level since the series was first published on a NAICS basis in 1992 and followed a 0.5% November increase.

Transportation equipment, also up twenty of the last twenty-one months, led the increase, $0.6 billion, or 0.5%, to $134.1 billion.

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