The latest data signal business investment remains firm.

President Trump and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker pledged to expand European imports of U.S. liquefied natural gas and soybeans and both vowed to lower industrial tariffs.

Head of European Commission in Washington as trade war looms.

The textile and apparel manufacturing industries have little sympathy for companies railing against starting a trade war with China. They point to the U.S. opening up trade with China beginning in 2000 -- with the backing of then-president Bill...

In the Brookings evaluation of overall manufacturing environment, the U.S. ranks high in productivity and innovation, lower in corporate tax rates and healthcare costs.

Multiple factors will have influenced the data, including a rush by some manufacturers to sell goods before tariffs imposed this month hit. But there’s little sign that the U.S. deficit with China will improve any time soon.

“For over a year, the Trump administration has patiently urged China to stop its unfair practices, open its market, and engage in true market competition,” Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer said. “China has not changed its behavior."

Duties on Chinese goods started at 12:01 a.m. Friday in Washington, just after midday in China.

America imported almost $156 billion in advanced technology information and communications equipment from China in 2017 -- an almost six-fold increase from 15 years earlier.

The tariffs President Donald Trump imposed in March have generated $582 million from steel imports and $195 million from aluminum as of last week, according to the Commerce Department.