The shipping world seems to be awash in sea containers, but for many exporters the boxes have never been harder to find. The building blocks of global trade have become a new supply-chain headache, the WSJ Logistics Report’s Paul Berger writes, as the tumultuous shipping environment that began with the pandemic has left containers bottled up in congested distribution networks. One shipper says it has struggled with “container dislocation,” with empty boxes severely out of place since pandemic-driven lockdowns and a sudden snapback in consumer demand strained supply chains. The persistent port congestion has scrambled intermodal operations, with critical equipment like truck chassis and containers tied up at freight hubs. The shortage comes even though production of containers at Chinese factories is projected to reach a record high this year. U.S. exporters say boxes aren’t reaching their operations fast enough, and some now are reporting lost overseas sales.

Surging car sales aren’t proving strong enough to displace auto makers’ concerns over their supply chains. General Motors posted strong second-quarter earnings and raised its full-year profit guidance, the WSJ’s Mike Colias reports, but the company says the ongoing computer-chip shortage and rising raw materials prices would weigh on second-half results. The company said higher commodities costs would cut $1.5 billion to $2 billion from the bottom line in the second half of the year. GM’s outlook highlights the divergent tracks the automotive sector is navigating. Tight dealer inventories are driving record price increases amid strong consumer demand. But GM expects to make about 100,000 fewer vehicles in North America in the second half of the year, a cutback that will echo across its supplier base. Automotive shipments on U.S. railroads were down nearly 23% in the last week of July, and GM’s outlook offers little promise of improvement.

China’s gathering regulatory crackdown on its technology giants may have critical implications for the country’s manufacturing sector and global trade. Beijing is advancing an industrial strategy built on the strength of its factories, the WSJ’s Greg Ip writes in a Capital Account column, with subsidies, “buy-Chinese” mandates and other policies aimed at achieving autonomy from foreign suppliers. For China, that means the advancing production of state-of-the-art semiconductors, electric-car batteries, commercial aircraft and telecommunications equipment to retain its manufacturing prowess. That vision will echo around the world since it’s aimed at maintaining China’s role as a driving force in supply chains from raw materials to finished products. Although manufacturing’s share of China's GDP has declined, at 26% it remains the highest of any major economy, and the Chinese government wants it to stay there—in effect insisting that China not follow other countries down the deindustrialization path. 

A measure of U.S. service-sector activity surged to a record high in July. (WSJ)

Trucker Yellow narrowed its second-quarter loss to $9.4 million as revenue jumped 29%. (Dow Jones Newswires)

The Senate moved through amendments to the roughly $1 trillion infrastructure package, with a vote on final passage likely as early as this weekend. (WSJ)

Detroit's Big Three auto makers will aim to make electric vehicles account for 40% to 50% of their U.S. sales by 2030. (WSJ)

Same-store sales at CVS Health rose 12.3% as the company got a boost from the nearly 17 million Covid-19 vaccines it administered in the quarter. (WSJ)

Howmet Aerospace says truck makers are reporting tires and windshields are joining semiconductors as pinch points in production. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Intel hopes to nearly triple its share of global chip-making capacity as it advances plans to build a major U.S. factory. (Dow Jones Newswires)

U.S. bankruptcy filings fell in the year ending June 30 to the lowest level since 1985. (WSJ)

Apple is expanding its lineup of suppliers in China for its latest iPhone. (Nikkei Asia)

NXP Semiconductors expects its automotive customers to begin shifting away from just-in-time inventory management for chips. (Supply Chain Dive)

Sportswear retailer Under Armour raised its outlook after strong quarterly sales that were helped by growing direct-to-consumer sales. (CNBC)

Fashion brands are raising prices at their fastest pace in a decade, and many are taking steps to ensure they stay high. (Business of Fashion)

U.S. maritime regulators want eight container lines to prove that new port congestion surcharges meet legal and regulatory requirements. (Journal of Commerce)

Alphaliner says container lines are pulling ships from smaller trade lanes to meet strong demand on major east-west routes. (Lloyd’s List)

Dry-bulk carrier Diana Shipping swung to its first profit in two years in the second quarter. (ShippingWatch)

Airlines are switching freighter flights to European airports as sites cope with shortages of cargo handlers. (The Loadstar)

Cold-storage specialist Lineage Logistics acquired Hanson Logistics and its seven distribution centers across Michigan and Indiana. (MiBiz)

Food-delivery company DoorDash is in talks to invest in German grocery-delivery app Gorillas. (Financial Times)

Paul Page is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Write to him at paul.page@wsj.com.

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @jensmithWSJ, @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on Twitter at @WSJLogistics.