Orders for big-ticket items in the United States decreased in August at a slightly lower rate than expected, the government said.

New orders for manufactured durable goods, items such as planes, cars, refrigerators and computers, fell 1.3 per cent to $191.2 billion, the third drop in four months, the Commerce Department said. Most analysts forecast orders to fall by 1.4 per cent, after a slight rise in July.

Transportation equipment, also down three of the last four months, had the largest decrease of 10.3 per cent to $46.6 billion, due mostly a drop in orders for aircraft parts.

The manufacturing industry is seen as one of the main engines pulling the US economy out of one of its worst recessions in decades.