Government

BANGKOK — Stock markets charged ahead Nov. 2 after President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, spoke by phone and reported progress in resolving trade tensions.

Schneider National Inc. reported higher revenue and profits in the third quarter, but not all of its business units shared in the bounty.

Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder recently announced that longtime Michigan Department of Transportation employee Mark Van Port Fleet will serve as the agency’s new director.

Mary Peters, the country’s secretary of transportation during the second half of the George W. Bush administration, will be honored with a lifetime achievement award at the Transportation Research Board’s annual meeting in Washington in January.

WASHINGTON — Spending on U.S. construction projects essentially was unchanged in September, the weakest showing since June, as an increase in home construction was offset by a slide in spending on government projects.

WASHINGTON — American manufacturers grew at a slower pace in October as factories contended with supply disruptions caused by disputes with China, Europe and other trading partners.

U.S. productivity grew at an annual rate of 2.2% in the third quarter, a slowdown from the previous quarter but still better than the lackluster gains of the last decade. Labor costs accelerated but remained at a low level.

The European Union is revamping its plan to reform the World Trade Organization in an effort to win support from the U.S., according to two people briefed on the process.

The Federal Trade Commission is requiring Marathon to sell five New York convenience stores to settle charges that its proposed acquisition of Express Mart would violate federal antitrust laws.