The US manufacturing sector took a step back in May 2026, with new orders for durable goods falling $15.6 billion, or 4.5%, to a total of $332.1 billion. The number landed close to the consensus forecast of a 5.0% decline.
The data comes from the US Census Bureau’s Monthly Advance Report on Durable Goods, released June 25, 2026. It marks the steepest monthly decline since June 2025, reversing a significant chunk of April’s upwardly revised 8.5% surge.
Transportation drove the damage
Transportation equipment orders collapsed 14.0% in May, a drop of $18.5 billion that brought the sector’s total to $113.5 billion. That single category accounts for essentially all of the headline decline and then some.
When you exclude transportation from the calculation, new orders actually rose 1.3%. Orders excluding defense told a different story, falling 4.6%.
