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WASHINGTON — U.S. factory activity shrank in August for the first time since August 2016, a sign that the trade war with China is weighing down a crucial sector of the economy.

Experts in the fields of manufacturing, logistics and the petroleum industry are scheduled to participate in American Trucking Associations’ economic summit in September.

U.S. manufacturing activity deteriorated in July to an almost three-year low, dragged down by slower production and shaky export markets that help explain the Federal Reserve’s decision to reduce interest rates July 31.

Global manufacturing took another knock at the end of the second quarter, signaling a worsening economic growth outlook as U.S.-China trade tensions continue to simmer.

NEW YORK — Manufacturers see the Trump administration’s trade policies as a bigger challenge than the economy. That’s one of the findings of a quarterly survey by the National Association of Manufacturers.

A gauge of U.S. factories fell in April to the weakest level since late 2016, signaling that manufacturing headwinds extended into the second quarter as companies continue to confront uncertainty about trade.

The six-month outlook for manufacturing in America’s mid-Atlantic region slumped to a three-year low, another sign that expectations for weaker global growth may be weighing on producers.

Back in 2017, Toyota said that it would invest at least $10 billion over the course of the next five years in its U.S. manufacturing presence. Now, the Japanese automaker is saying it will exceed that goal in announcing a new commitment of $13 billion in the same timeframe.

Canadian manufacturers began 2019 with their strongest sales gain in seven months, bringing an end to a string of bad reports.

Manufacturing activity in Texas grew in February, leaving economists and others in the industry optimistic about the future of production across the state and even into the Mexican borderlands.