31.   International demand for U.S.-made capital equipment, like commercial aircraft, remains healthy though.

32.   It raises most of its money from insurance companies, then makes loans to companies which buy or lease capital equipment.

33.   Meckstroth says the sector is at a turning point, with production rising primarily for consumer durables and some defense-related products, but declining in capital equipment.

34.   Much of it, he says, is now coming from the export of capital equipment to allow production to be shifted to other countries with lower costs.

35.   More important, he said, there is no assurance that businesses will again start spending heavily on capital equipment like new factories, computer systems and telecommunications equipment.

36.   Now that the government has eliminated such exemptions, Jilin Chemical will have to pay half of all duties on its imports of capital equipment.

37.   Producers of steel and other metals as well as machine tools, construction materials and capital equipment registered the biggest gains.

38.   Prices for everything from raw materials to capital equipment to consumer goods should be marching higher day by day.