WASHINGTON, United States (AFP) — US manufacturing sunk into recession in June after two consecutive quarters of declines amid President Donald Trump’s bitter trade wars and a slowdown in China and other trading partners.

The decline comes as the United States enters its 11th year of economic recovery and occurs despite Trump’s constant pledges to restore America to manufacturing greatness — even though services now drive three quarters of the US economy.

Despite jumping in June, manufacturing fell by a 2.2 per cent annual rate in the April-June period, and total industrial production lost 1.2 per cent, in both cases the second consecutive quarterly decline, the Federal Reserve said Tuesday.

“Manufacturing has borne the brunt of tariff uncertainties and slowing in global economic activity,” RDQ Economics said in an analysis.

The retreat comes even as American consumers are sustaining their appetite for spending, pushing retail sales higher for the fourth straight month, as shoppers in June took home more new autos and furniture and dined out more frequently.

Manufacturing jumped 0.4 percent compared to May, while total industrial production showed no change, according to the Federal Reserve report, confounding economists’ expectations for a 0.2 percent gain.

However, economists said that uptick was unlikely to be sustained in coming months.

“Manufacturing is enduring a mild recession, but it probably won’t deepen much further,” Ian Shepherdson of Pantheon Macroeconomics said in an analysis.