Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders Survey

M3-1-L1
(1-2009)

DC

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economics and Statistics Administration

U.S. Census Bureau
Washington, DC 20233-0001

FROM THE CHIEF
MANUFACTURING AND CONSTRUCTION
DIVISION (MCD)

"The Census Bureau’s economic
surveys are indispensable to
understanding America’s
economy. They ensure the
accuracy of the statistics we rely
on for economic policy and for
successful business planning.
Participating in the monthly survey
helps us all."
– Ben S. Bernanke, Chairman,
Board of Governors of the
Federal Reserve System

We thank you for your continued participation in the monthly
Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders (M3) survey.
This survey provides some of the Nation’s most widely used, timely
information on the manufacturing sector of the economy. Your
continued participation is essential to the success of our survey.
To reduce your reporting burden and assist with your response,
we encourage you to submit your data via the Internet at
http://bhs.econ.census.gov/BHS//M3/index.html by the 18th of each
month. To start reporting via the Internet, use the user id and
original password imprinted on the enclosed form(s). If you have
any questions, please call your Census Bureau contact located on
the form(s) or go to
http://bhs.econ.census.gov/BHS/M3/ContactUs.html to e-mail your
request. You may also report via facsimile machine on
1–800–272–4096 or by touchtone data entry on 1–800–428–9659.
The M3 survey is authorized by law (Title 13, United States Code).
By Section 9 of the same law, your report to the Census Bureau is
confidential. It may be seen only by persons sworn to uphold the
confidentiality of Census Bureau information and may be used only
for statistical purposes. The law also provides that copies retained
in your files are immune from legal process.
As in previous years, the M3 instruction manual is available on the
Internet. Go to the M3 web page, www.census.gov/m3, and click
on "Instruction Manual" to view the most recent information to
assist you with reporting. From this web address, you also will be
able to access the published M3 data.
If you have any questions about this voluntary survey or our
electronic reporting methods, please call the M3 office on
(301) 763–4832.
Sincerely,

Thomas E. Zabelsky
Enclosure(s)

USCENSUSBUREAU
Helping You Make Informed Decisions

www.census.gov