New orders for manufactured durable goods in May, down following two consecutive monthly increases, decreased $15.6 billion or 4.5 percent to $332.1 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This followed an 8.5 percent April increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.3 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 4.6 percent. Transportation equipment, also down following two consecutive monthly increases, drove the decrease, $18.5 billion or 14.0 percent to $113.5 billion.