June 2, 2006 11:10 AM, EDT

April Factory Orders Drop 1.8%

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.S. factory orders fell 1.8% in April, the Commerce Department reported Friday.

The decrease to $398 billion followed a revised 4% gain in March that was smaller than the 4.2% originally reported.

The April decline was not as great as the 2.1% predicted by economists, Bloomberg reported.

The trucking industry relies on factory orders and shipments for much of its business.

Excluding transportation orders, orders rose 0.2%, Commerce said.

Durable goods orders, which make up just over half of all orders, fell 4.4% following a 6% gain in March.

rders for capital goods excluding aircraft, a proxy for future business investment, fell 1.7% after rising 3.4% the month before. Bookings for non-durable goods rose 1.2% after rising 1.8% in March.