Form M3-SD

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. CENSUS BUREAU
FORM

MANUFACTURERS’ SHIPMENTS, INVENTORIES, AND ORDERS

M-3(SD)
OMB No. 0607-0008: Approval Expires 06/30/2018

(02-23-2017)

Description:

See instructions on reverse side

CENSUS USE

RP

MC

#F

FP

AI

PLEASE COMPLETE FORM
BY THE 10TH BUSINESS
DAY OF THE MONTH
TO START REPORTING VIA THE
INTERNET, use the User ID and
Original Password imprinted
below.
Go to econhelp.census.gov/m3
to report your data or
FAX FORM to 1-800-845-8238
U.S. Census Bureau
4600 Silver Hill Road, EID/M3
Washington, DC 20233-6900
https://econhelp.census.gov/m3
NOTICE - Title 13 United States Code (U.S.C.), Sections 131, 182, and 193, authorizes the Census Bureau to conduct this collection and to request your voluntary assistance. The U.S. Census Bureau is required by Section
9 of the same law to keep your information confidential and can use your responses only to produce statistics. The Census Bureau is not permitted to publicly release your responses in a way that could identify your
business, organization, or institution. Per the Federal Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2015, your data are protected from cybersecurity risks through screening of the systems that transmit your data.
This collection has been approved by the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The eight-digit OMB approval number is 0607-0008 and appears at the upper right of this page. Without this approval we could not
conduct this survey. We estimate this survey will take an average of 20 minutes to complete. More information about this estimate and an address where you may write with comments is on the back of this form.

Census
contact
Your
company
contact

CHANGE IN OPERATIONAL STATUS
Area Code

Number

Ceased operations

Acquired another
manufacturing operation

Enter date in "Remarks"

Sold to another company
Area Code

User ID:

Enter name and date in "Remarks"

Ext

Number

Original Password:

CFN

Enter name and date in
"Remarks"

Industry

Description of reporting items
(Definitions of terms are provided on
the back of the form)

P

2 Net Shipments,

S

3 New Orders (Net of

N

4 Order Backlog (Unfilled Orders)

U

5 Total Inventories, Warehoused

I

Manufactured in U.S.
Cancellations) [If applicable]

30027015

[If applicable]

in U.S. (Current Cost or Market)

6 Materials and Supplies

M

7 Work-In-Process

W

8 Finished-Goods

F

REMARKS:

Cal. Mo.
Other
4 Week
5 Week
End. date
$Bil.
$Mil.
$Thou.

Cal. Mo.
Other
4 Week
5 Week
End. date
$Bil.
$Mil.
$Thou.

Cal. Mo.
Other
4 Week
5 Week
End. date
$Bil.
$Mil.
$Thou.

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Accounting Period
1 (SHADE ONLY ONE CIRCLE)

CERTIFICATION

This form is substantially accurate and has been prepared in accordance with the instructions.

Title

Signature of authorized person

Date

INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THIS FORM
GENERAL INFORMATION
A summary of the instructions for completing this form is provided below. A comprehensive instruction manual is
available on census.gov/m3. Clarification of instructions or definitions may be obtained by calling the Census contact on
the front of the form or by writing to: U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Washington, DC 20233-6900.
Purpose for this survey – This form is designed to collect shipments, inventories, and orders data from domestic
manufacturing companies for use in the preparation of industry estimates for 92 industry categories encompassing all
manufacturing activities. These estimates are widely used as indicators of our Nation’s current economic condition and
of changes in the business cycle. They also provide important components for estimates of the gross domestic product
(GDP) and related series.
An activity to be reported – A REPORTING UNIT is generally a division, subsidiary, or other operating unit as
defined by your company for financial or managerial purposes. Reporting units within the same industry category, as
defined in the Instruction Manual, may be combined for reporting purposes. Thus, a reporting unit could also be a
complete company if the company operates predominantly in a single industry category. The Census Bureau may
request that very large units with diverse activities be subdivided along industry lines for reporting purposes.
For the purposes of this survey, each reporting unit is to be reported as though a separate entity. Shipments (or sales)
should include transfers to other segments of your company, as well as the value of shipments to unaffiliated
customers. Orders, where applicable, should include orders from other segments of your firm. Finally, the reported
figures should be limited to domestic operations (the 50 States and the District of Columbia). Please note that while the
activities of foreign subsidiaries should be excluded, export shipments to and orders from foreign
subsidiaries should be included.
Survey deadlines – The first press release for this survey is based on receipts through approximately the 18th of the
month following the accounting period, therefore please return your report form before this time.
Use of estimates – If actual figures are not available, reasonable estimates may be used for reporting. Please indicate
in the “Remarks” section if figures are estimates.
Comparability with previous reports – Please indicate in the “Remarks” section if there have been any changes in
organization (acquisitions or shipments) or accounting methods that affect comparability with previous reports. If there is
a sale or purchase, indicate new company’s name, address, phone number, and a company contact.

•

ACCOUNTING PERIOD – It is important that the data reported represent the manufacturing activities of the
month specified. Shade the one box that best describes the accounting period and its ending date for which
you are reporting your firm’s manufacturing activity. If you indicate “Other”, please provide the dates
covered and describe in the “Remarks” section.

•

SHIPMENTS – Report net shipments (sales) made during the accounting period for your domestic
manufacturing operations (do not report year-to-date). Include shipments of products to other companies,
individuals, U.S. Government agencies and foreign customers, as well as shipments and transfers to other
divisions or subsidiaries of your company. Shipments should be net, after discounts and allowances,
exclusive of nonmanufacturing activities.

•

NEW ORDERS – Report net new orders received during the accounting period, less cancellations. Include (1)
the value of orders received and filled during the accounting period; (2) orders received for future
deliveries; and (3) the net value of changes to existing contracts. Do not include orders requiring further
negotiations, authorization, or funding before the order is final.

•

ORDER BACKLOG – Include orders, as defined above, that have not yet passed through the sales account.

•

TOTAL INVENTORIES – Report total inventories, warehoused in the U.S., regardless of where manufactured,
at current cost or market value, as of the end of the accounting period. If your inventories are subject to
LIFO valuation, report the value prior to the adjustment for the LIFO reserve. The reported figure
should include all inventories in the 50 States and the District of Columbia to which you hold title. Note:
Unlike GAAP, do not deduct progress billing from the reported inventory line items, i.e. inventories should be
reported gross not net of progress billings.
The figure for total inventories should equal the sum of the data reported in the following three
categories to the extent permitted by your records:
•

MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES – Report materials and supplies inventories as of the end of the
accounting period.

•

WORK-IN-PROCESS – Report work-in-process inventories as of the end of the accounting period.

•

FINISHED GOODS – Report finished goods inventories as of the end of the accounting period.

We estimate this survey will take an average of 20 minutes to complete, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching
existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this
burden, to: EID Survey Comments 0607-0008, U.S. Census Bureau, 4600 Silver Hill Road, Room EID-7K071, Washington, DC 20233. You
may email comments to eid.m3.qs@census.gov. Be sure to use “EID Survey Comments 0607-0008” as the subject.

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30027023

REPORTING DEFINITIONS