New orders for manufactured durable goods in April, down following four consecutive monthly increases, decreased $19.9 billion or 6.3 percent to $296.3 billion, the U.S. Census Bureau announced today. This followed a 7.6 percent March increase. Excluding transportation, new orders increased 0.2 percent. Excluding defense, new orders decreased 7.5 percent. Transportation equipment, also down following four consecutive monthly increases, drove the decrease, $20.3 billion or 17.1 percent to $98.8 billion.