Manufacturers' Shipments, Inventories, and Orders Survey

M3-1-L2
(1-2015)

DC

UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
Economics and Statistics Administration

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

FROM THE CHIEF
ECONOMIC INDICATORS DIVISION (EID)

"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

I thank you for your continued participation in the monthly
Manufacturers’ Shipments, Inventories, and Orders (M3)
survey. This voluntary 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 the survey.
The M3 survey is authorized by law (Title 13, United States
Code, Sections 131, 182, and 193). 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. Public reporting burden for
this collection of voluntary information is estimated to average 20
minutes per response.
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 the “Get Forms” tab. The “M3 Instruction Manual” has
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 or go to
http://bhs.econ.census.gov/bhs/m3/contactus.html to email
your request via our Secure Messaging Center.

Sincerely,

Nick Orsini

census.gov