New orders for long-lasting manufactured goods rose 1.8% in September to $345.4 billion, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s latest report.

The increase was led by transportation equipment, where orders climbed 4.6%. Excluding that often-volatile category, new orders rose 0.5%, showing a smaller but broader gain across the manufacturing sector.

Archive photo: A machine at a 3M plant in Minnesota, July 1974. The image illustrates manufacturing and does not show activity from September 2026.

Aircraft orders lead the gain

Aircraft bookings accounted for much of the overall increase. Because large aircraft contracts can move sharply from month to month, the headline figure can change more dramatically than other measures of factory demand.

Orders for core capital goods, which exclude defense equipment and aircraft, increased 0.5%. Economists watch that measure for signals about business investment. Core capital goods shipments rose 1.2% in September, according to the report.

What the figures mean

Durable goods include products intended to last at least three years, such as machinery, vehicles and appliances. An order is not the same as a completed sale or shipment: some equipment takes months or years to deliver, and orders can be cancelled.

The Census figures are seasonally adjusted but are not adjusted for price changes. They should not be read as a final measure of economic growth.

The Census Bureau report provides the official figures. KPMG’s analysis also describes aircraft as the main driver of the September advance.