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The United States can maintain tariffs on steel imports from Japan, Russia and Brazil, after an independent trade panel found that removing the duties would harm the U.S. steel industry, Bloomberg reported Friday.

Production at U.S. factories, mines and utilities rose 0.3% in March, though overall manufacturing dropped for the first time in seven months, the Federal Reserve said Friday.

Manufacturing in New York state grew at the slowest pace in two years in April as orders fell, according to a monthly survey by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York released Friday.

Hayes Lemmerz International Inc. said Friday it lost $62.3 million or $1.66 a share for 2004, compared with a loss of $46.5 million or $1.55 in 2003.

Intermodal volume rose 6.2% for the week ended April 9 compared to last year, bouncing back from a 0.1% drop the previous week, the Association of American Railroads reported.

Tower Automotive Inc., which makes vehicle frames, said it will close plants in Maryland, Kentucky and Indiana and reduce jobs at an Illinois factory to cut costs as it tries to restructure under bankruptcy protection, Bloomberg reported.

The Senate took another step toward passing its version of multiyear transportation legislation as the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee approved its portion of the highway bill Thursday.

Navistar International Corp. reported it earned $20 million or 27 cents a share for its first quarter ended Jan. 31, compared with a loss of $14 million or 20 cents a year ago.

Truckload carrier Heartland Express Inc. said Thursday its first-quarter net income rose 15% over last year, rising to $15.1 million or 20 cents a share, compared with $13.1 million or 17 cents a year earlier.

Freightliner expects truck sales to rise 20% in 2005, outgoing chief executive officer Rainer Schmueckle told the German newspaper Handelsblatt Thursday, news reports said.