New orders for manufactured durable goods in February, down four of the last five months, decreased $4.4 billion or 1.4 percent to $315.5 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This followed a 0.5 percent January decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.8 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 1.2 percent. Transportation equipment, also down four of the last five months, drove the decrease, $6.1 billion or 5.4 percent to $106.1 billion.