WASHINGTON, July 2 (Xinhua) -- New orders for manufactured goods to U.S. factories rose by 1.2 percent in May, far better than the 0.8 percent growth economists had been expecting, the Commerce Department reported on Thursday.

    Orders for durable goods, big-ticket items expected to last at least three years such as computers, cars and machinery, rose by 1.8 percent in May.

    Demand for transportation equipment, which account for more than a quarter of total durable goods demand, rose by 3.8 percent, highlighting a 68.7-percent increase in orders for commercial aircraft.

    Excluding volatile transportation products, overall factory orders posted a 0.8-percent rise in May, the best showing since last June.

    Orders for non-durable goods, including food, paper products, petroleum, and coal products, increased by 0.7 percent in May.

    U.S. manufacturers have been battered by the financial crisis and economic recession as seen demand shrink both in the United States and their major overseas markets.