Durable Goods Orders Fall 1.2% in February

U.S. manufacturers logged fewer orders for durable goods in February, the Commerce Department said Wednesday. The 1.2% decline in orders was the third in four months, the government said.

Excluding transportation equipment, bookings for durable goods fell 2.1% in February after a 1.2% increase the previous month. Overall orders had risen 1.9% in January, Commerce reported.

Durable goods orders are important to the trucking industry, which hauls parts and finished products from factories to stores and from warehouses to factories.

Analysts told Bloomberg News that companies were leery in February of making extensive orders ahead of a potential war with Iraq.

Overall orders carried a total value of $170.2 billion in February, Commerce said.

The report said that inventories of durable goods fell 0.1% during February, the 24th decline in 25 months.