New orders for manufactured durable goods in July, down three of the last four months, decreased $8.8 billion or 2.8 percent to $302.8 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This followed a 9.4 percent June decrease. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 1.1 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 2.5 percent. Transportation equipment, also down three of the last four months, drove the decrease, $10.9 billion or 9.7 percent to $101.7 billion.