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U.S. factory orders continue to fall

Xinhua, June 3, 2015 Adjust font size:

U.S. factory orders declined again in April after a rebound in March, the U.S. Commerce Department said in a report Tuesday.

In April, new orders for manufactured goods decreased 1.8 billion U.S. dollars, or 0.4 percent, to 476.7 billion dollars, which represents a decrease in eight of the last nine months. There was a 2.2-percent increase in March only.

Transportation equipment orders, which include both aircraft and vehicles, led the decrease, falling 2.4 percent to 77.9 billion dollars. Transportation orders are frequently volatile, and are often stripped out to get a clearer view of underlying trends. Excluding transportation, new orders showed no change in the month, the same as in the previous month.

Shipments, following two consecutive monthly increases, were virtually unchanged at 482.4 billion dollars in April.

Industry observers say Tuesday's soft data suggest weak exports and reduced investment in energy sector continue weighing on the manufacturing sector after the first quarter's poor performance. Endite