Economy
Durable Goods Fall in January on Transportation
February 28, 2023
New orders for US-manufactured durable goods fell 4.5% in January month over month to a seasonally adjusted $272.3 billion, according to the US Census Bureau. They have now been down two of the last three months, according to Census data.
Transportation equipment, also down two of the last three months, drove the decrease in January, sliding 13.3% to $92.8 billion, Census said.
Excluding transportation – which includes big-ticket, non-steel-intensive items such as aircraft – new orders increased 0.7 percent.
New orders for primary metals ticked up 0.5% to a seasonally adjusted $21 million in January vs. December. New orders for fabricated metal products increased 0.1% to $36.2 million in the same comparison.
Click here for more detail on the December advance report from the US Census Bureau on durable goods manufacturers’ shipments, inventories, and orders. See also Figure 1 below.
By Ethan Bernard, ethan@steelmarketupdate.com
Latest in Economy

New York state manufacturing index drops again in April
Firms were pessimistic, with the future general business conditions index falling to its second lowest reading in the more than 20-year history of the survey

Construction adds 13,000 jobs in March
The construction sector added 13,000 jobs, seasonally adjusted, in March, but tariffs could undermine the industry.

Supply chains, end-users brace for impact from tariffs
Supply chains are working through what the tariffs mean for them

ISM: Manufacturing expansion loses steam after two months of growth
US manufacturing activity slowed in March after two straight months of expansion, according to supply executives contributing to the Institute for Supply Management (ISM)’s latest report.

Chicago Business Barometer rose to 16-month high in March
The Chicago Business Barometer increased for the third-consecutive month in March. Despite this, it still reflects contracting business conditions, as it has since December 2023.