Amid Trade War, GM Strike, Boeing Crisis, US Durable Goods Suffer

Sales of major American-made manufactured goods had a dismal September, hit hard by Boeing's woes and a protracted work stoppage at General Motors, according to a government data report Thursday.

And even outside the volatile transportation sector, a key measure that economists watch for signs of business confidence, fell for the second month in a row, the Commerce Department reported.

It was more bad news for the US manufacturing sector, the weakest link in the slowing American economy, battered by a slump in foreign demand and the US trade war with China.

Total new orders for US durable goods, those big-ticket items intended to last three years or more, fell 1.1 percent in September to $248.2 billion, which was about as bad as economists expected.

The result meant 2019 so far has been a year to forget, with sales in the first nine months of the year 0.8 percent lower than the same period in 2018.

The largest part of the damage last month was done by the transportation sector, with autos and parts falling 1.6 percent and civilian aircraft falling another 11.8 percent, extending August's decline.

But economists note the bad news was exaggerated by the GM strike and Boeing's troubles.

GM has reached a contract agreement with the UAW union last week, and voting among unionized autoworkers on whether to approve a deal is expected to conclude on Friday, more than a month after the work stoppage began.

When Boeing's popular 737 MAX passenger plane will be allowed to fly again remains an open question, however, following two deadly accidents.

But Boeing recently booked sales of military tanker aircraft to the US Air Force. Defense aircraft sales were rose a modest 6.3 percent, according to Commerce Department data.

Outside the transportation sector, which sees big swings from month to month, sales fell 0.3 percent, matching expectations.

Fabricated metal goods, a sector hit hard by President Donald Trump's tariffs on steel and aluminum imports, fell 1.5 percent, giving up gains posted in August.

And computers and electronic products, also the victim of tariffs, fell for the third straight month, according to the report.

Meanwhile, "core" capital goods sales, which excludes aircraft and defense items, dropped 0.5 percent -- the second consecutive decline. Economists say that data point tracks oil prices and business investment and serves as an indicator of corporate America's confidence in the near future.

"Slowing earnings growth, trade war uncertainty and the apparent collapse in export orders form a toxic mix," Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics wrote in a note to clients.

Survey data suggests core capital goods should fall even further in the final quarter of 2019, he said.