---
source: U.S. Census Bureau
url: https://www.census.gov/manufacturing/m3/prel/pdf/s-i-o.pdf
document_type: pdf
date_retrieved: 2026-03-18
release_date: 2026-03-18T10:00:00Z
period: January 2026
parent_publication: Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders (M3)
indicators_covered: [Factory Orders Ex Transportation]
release_number: CB 26-38 M3-2 (26)-01
---

# Factory Orders ex Transportation
## January 2026

**Release Date:** Wednesday, March 18, 2026 – 10:00 AM EDT

**Source:** U.S. Census Bureau, Monthly Full Report on Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories and Orders

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## OVERVIEW

Factory orders excluding transportation account for approximately **84 percent of total orders** and provide a cleaner measure of underlying manufacturing demand when volatile transportation equipment orders are removed.

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## KEY DATA

**January 2026 Factory Orders ex Transportation**

- **New Orders:** Increased **0.4%** (month-over-month)
- **Prior Month (December 2025):** +0.6%
- **Nondurable Goods New Orders:** $298.7 billion (+0.3%)
- **Durable Goods ex Transportation:** Increased 0.4%
- **Durable Goods ex Defense:** Increased 0.5%

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## CONTEXT

Factory orders excluding transportation measure new orders for durable goods excluding transportation equipment and nondurable goods. This metric removes the impact of volatile transportation equipment orders (aircraft, automotive, etc.) which can distort month-to-month trends.

**Coverage:** Represents ~84% of total factory orders

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## RELATED METRICS (January 2026)

**Total Factory Orders:** $620.1 billion (+0.1% MoM)
**Transportation Equipment:** $113.5 billion (-0.8% MoM)

The inclusion of transportation equipment's -0.8% decline offsets the stronger underlying +0.4% growth in ex-transportation orders.

**Durable Goods (total):** $321.3 billion (virtually unchanged)
- Of which Transportation Equipment: $113.5 billion (-0.8%)
- Excluding Transportation: growth of 0.4%
- Excluding Defense: growth of 0.5%

**Nondurable Goods:** $298.7 billion (+0.3%)

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## SURVEY METHODOLOGY

See the full M3 report for complete methodology. Key points:

- Based on ~4,700 reporting units from ~3,000 companies
- Represents 58% of total manufacturing shipment value
- Seasonally adjusted
- Not adjusted for price changes
- Semiconductor manufacturing data excluded

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## INTERPRETATION

The ex-transportation reading of **+0.4%** indicates underlying manufacturing demand remained resilient in January, with growth in both durable goods (ex-transport/defense) and nondurable categories. The weakness in total orders (+0.1%) was primarily driven by a significant decline in transportation equipment orders (-0.8%).

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**Contact:** U.S. Census Bureau, Economic Indicators Division
Phone: 301-763-4832
Email: eid.m3.qs@census.gov

**Source Document:** https://www.census.gov/manufacturing/m3/prel/pdf/s-i-o.pdf