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Manufacturing in the U.S. improved in March but showed contraction for a 14th straight month, the Institute for Supply Management said Wednesday.

Democratic lawmakers announced legislation Tuesday that they say would reduce greenhouse gas emissions by one fifth, reduce dependence on foreign oil and create energy-related jobs, the Associated Press reported.

Daimler AG plans to cut its labor costs by 2 billion euros, or about $2.7 billion, by trimming hours and wages for 73,000 non-production workers in Germany and by delaying a pay increase, Bloomberg reported Wednesday.

Manufacturing activity in the Chicago region showed contraction in March for a sixth straight month, the Institute for Supply Chain Management-Chicago said.

The Canadian Trucking Alliance told a government panel Monday it supports an amendment to the country’s Customs Act that would take some responsibility for shipments entering Canada from carriers and put it on other parties in the supply chain.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — China International Marine Containers introduced the first trailer it is marketing in the United States under its own name, a refrigerated unit it said contains a proprietary insulation system that will eliminate the 3% to 7% in condensation weight that typical reefers build up in a year.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Despite the drop in attendance and the number of exhibitors at the Mid-America Trucking Show, the aisles of the Kentucky Exposition Center’s three main halls — containing the products of nearly 1,000 vendors — included an astounding array of new products and updated equipment.

<?xml:namespace prefix = o />Consumer confidence rose in March but remained near a record low, the Conference Board said Tuesday.

Delphi Corp. has agreed to its global suspension and brake business to Chinese firm BeijingWest Industries Co., Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

The second major snowstorm in a week hit the Northern Plains with more than a foot of snow Monday, closing hundreds of miles of major highways and causing major collisions, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.