Markets in USA & Canada

摘要

Steelmakers were dismayed when official figures for durable goods orders in August fell 0.5 percent below the July level, but closer inspection showed that the fall was due to a drop in non-defence aircraft sector orders, one of the most volatile components of the index. With this sector excluded orders were 2.4 percent higher, month-on-month. Moreover, while industrial machinery orders were no better than level with July, vehicle orders were well above the July level. Re-starting after July holidays, car plants turned out 9.9 percent more units than in August this year than last. The eight-month total for passenger cars was still lagging 2003 numbers by 4.9 percent, but light commercial vans and SUVs were 3.2 percent ahead, enough to edge total vehicle output just ahead of the January-August total in 2003 by 0.4 percent. Sales of some passenger models are doing particularly well despite the dull overall performance. For example, Daimler-Chrysler is raising output of its new mid-size models, either by adding a third shift at its Ontario works or increasing the operating rate at its Delaware works.