New orders for manufactured goods in March, up two of the last three months, increased $5.0 billion or 1.1% to $458.4 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau reported. This followed a 1.9% February decrease.

New orders for manufactured durable goods in March, up two of the last three months, increased $1.7 billion or 0.8% to $230.6 billion, virtually unchanged from the previously published increase. This followed a 3.1% February decrease. Transportation equipment, also up two of the last three months, drove the increase, $2.1 billion or 2.8% to $75.8 billion.

New orders for manufactured nondurable goods increased $3.3 billion or 1.5% to $227.8 billion.

Shipments, up following eight consecutive monthly decreases, increased $2.2 billion or 0.5% to $464.7 billion. This followed a 0.8% February decrease.

Shipments of manufactured durable goods in March, down three of the last four months, decreased $1.1 billion or 0.5% to $236.9 billion, virtually unchanged from the previously published decrease. This followed a 1.0% February decrease. Transportation equipment, also down three of the last four months, drove the decrease, $1.5 billion or 1.9% to $77.4 billion.

Shipments of manufactured nondurable goods, up following eight consecutive monthly decreases, increased $3.3 billion or 1.5% to $227.8 billion. This followed a 0.6% February decrease. Petroleum and coal products, also up following eight consecutive monthly decreases, led the increase, $2.8 billion or 8.0% to $37.1 billion.

Unfilled orders, down three of the last four months, decreased $1.2 billion or 0.1% to $1,182.6 billion. This followed a 0.4% February decrease. The unfilled orders-to-shipments ratio was 7.01, down from 7.02 in February.

Unfilled orders for manufactured durable goods in March, down three of the last four months, decreased $1.2 billion or 0.1% to $1,182.6 billion, virtually unchanged from the previously published decrease. This followed a 0.4% February decrease. Transportation equipment, down four consecutive months, drove the decrease, $1.5 billion or 0.2% to $787.3 billion.

Inventories, up following eight consecutive monthly decreases, increased $1.1 billion or 0.2% to $635.1 billion. This followed a 0.5%February decrease. The inventories-to-shipments ratio was 1.37, unchanged from February.

Inventories of manufactured durable goods in March, up following two consecutive monthly decreases, increased $0.1 billion or virtually unchanged to $394.2 billion, following a 0.3% February decrease. Fabricated metal products, up following four consecutive monthly decreases, drove the increase, $0.2 billion or 0.4% to $48.5 billion.

Inventories of manufactured nondurable goods, up following four consecutive monthly decreases, increased $1.0 billion or 0.4% to $240.8 billion. This followed a 0.7% February decrease. Petroleum and coal products, also up following four consecutive monthly decreases, led the increase, $0.6 billion or 2.1% to $29.2 billion.