New orders for durable goods slid in January on a decline in transportation equipment, the U.S. Commerce Department said today.
Orders fell 4.5 percent to $272.3 billion, according to a monthly report. That followed a 5.1 percent increase in December. January was the second decline in the past three months.
Excluding transportation, orders rose 0.7 percent. Excluding defense, orders slipped 5.1 percent.
With transportation, orders plunged 13.3 percent to $92.8 billion. It was the second decline for the category in the past three months.
Orders for commercial aircraft and parts led the transportation decline in January, falling 54.6 percent to $12.5 billion.
Demand for air travel has recovered since the COVID-19 pandemic. The January figure suggests there is still volatility in the commercial aircraft sector. Orders had more than doubled in December but slid 30.7 percent in November.
Orders for defense aircraft and parts increased 5.5 percent to $6.2 billion. Orders for motorized vehicles and parts advanced 0.2 percent to $62.3 billion.
Demand for pickups and SUVs remains strong. The auto industry is still dealing with a shortage of computer chips.
In other categories, orders for machinery gained 1.6 percent to $38.8 billion. Orders for primary metals rose 0.5 percent to $20.1 billion. Orders for fabricated metal products increased by 0.1 percent to $36.2 billion.
The report is based on a survey of about 3,100 companies.
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