31.   Orders to U.S. factories registered their first increase of the year in March, thanks to stronger demand for transportation equipment.

32.   Parent firm Bombardier Inc. is a leading maker of business jets, regional aircraft, rail transportation equipment and motorized recreational products.

33.   A big jump in demand for airplanes and other transportation equipment led the way.

34.   A more telling figure about the health of the manufacturing sector, economists said, is orders for costly manufactured goods, excluding transportation equipment.

35.   Airplanes and aircraft parts suffered the biggest losses but the weakness was widespread, affecting cars, ships and other transportation equipment, the government said.

36.   Also, new orders to U.S. factories slipped for the first time in three months as demand for cars and other transportation equipment plummeted.

37.   ArvinMeritor is supplies integrated systems, modules and components for light vehicles, commercial trucks, trailers and specialty transportation equipment.

38.   Bombardier is active in the field of transportation equipment, civil and military aerospace, motorised consumer products and related services.

39.   Demand fell sharply for transportation equipment, computers and semiconductors.

40.   Dragging down production in November was a plunge in the manufacture of transportation equipment and general machinery, MITI said.