US orders soar

US ORDERS for big-ticket goods posted their largest gain in eight months in July, a sign that domestic spending is outweighing reduced overseas demand for US-made products.

Orders for durable goods - anything from appliances and computers to commercial aircraft expected to be used for several years - rose by 2.4 per cent last month, topping June's 0.2 per cent increase, the Commerce Department said.

Excluding the transport sector, orders for durable goods rose by 3 per cent in July, the largest gain in nearly a year.