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March 16, 2006 8:50 AM, EST

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.S. new housing starts fell 7.9% in February from January, the Commerce Department reported Thursday.

The decline to a 2.12 million unit annual rate, from January’s revised 2.303 million rate, was above the 2.03 million economists had forecast, Bloomberg reported.

Building permits, an indicator of future construction, fell 3.2% to 2.145 million units at an annual rate.

Increased construction can mean more business for flatbed trucking companies that haul building materi-als. In home construction, dry van freight can see demand increases in for delivery of household appli-ances and furniture.

Housing starts fell in three of four regions, rising only in the West, Commerce said.

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