Wholesale trade in December was $442.4 billion, up 0.5 percent from November and up 5.8 percent from December 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. The November preliminary estimate was revised upward 0.1 percent.
December sales of durable goods were up 0.3 percent from last month and up 5.6 percent from a year ago. Sales of lumber and other construction materials were up 2.3 percent from last month. Sales of nondurable goods were up 0.6 percent from November and up 6 percent from last December. Sales of drugs and druggists' sundries were up 3.4 percent from last month and sales of paper and paper products were up 2.8 percent.
Total inventories of merchant wholesalers were $517.9 billion at the end of December, up 0.3 percent from the revised November level and up 4.0 percent from December 2012. The November preliminary estimate was virtually unchanged.
December inventories of durable goods were up 1.3 percent from last month and were up 5.7 percent from a year ago. Inventories of machinery, equipment, and supplies were up 2.2 percent from last month and inventories of professional and commercial equipment and supplies were up 1.9 percent.
Inventories of nondurable goods were down 1.3 percent from November, but were up 1.3 percent from last December. Inventories of farm product raw materials were down 5.2 percent from last month and inventories of petroleum and petroleum products were down 5.1 percent.
The December inventories/sales ratio for merchant wholesalers was 1.17. The December 2012 ratio was 1.19.
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