Is this email difficult to read? View it in a web browser. ›

The Wall Street Journal. The Wall Street Journal.
LogisticsLogistics

Sponsored by

China Commits to Buying U.S. Farm Goods; Ford Outlines Europe Plan, Signs Energy-Storage Deal

By Mark R. Long | WSJ Logistics Report

 

The agricultural deal will come in addition to soybean purchases China already agreed to make. RORY DOYLE/BLOOMBERG

China will buy $17 billion worth of U.S. agricultural goods through 2028, the White House said in a fact sheet outlining the results of meetings last week between President Trump and Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

The agricultural deal will come in addition to soybean purchases China already agreed to make. Last fall, China said that in 2026 it would start buying 25 million metric tons a year of U.S. soybeans. The WSJ’s Gavin Bade writes that the fact sheet didn't specify which farm products would be sold, but corn, wheat and soybean futures moved higher on the announcement, as did shares in agricultural companies.

Beijing will also buy 200 Boeing aircraft for Chinese airlines, the U.S. confirmed. Expectations before the meetings were that they would purchase 500 aircraft or more; disappointment over the smaller final number sent Boeing shares lower at the end of last week. Trump said then that more planes could be sold if the initial orders went well.

 
CONTENT FROM: PENSKE LOGISTICS
Gain Efficiency. Gain Ground With Penske.

Keep performance high and costs in check with Penske Logistics. Our comprehensive solutions help you identify inefficiencies, improve productivity and stay on track to meet your business goals.

Learn More

 

Number of the Day

849,660

Total loaded container imports into the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach in April, in 20-foot equivalent units, down 1.1% from the same month last year, but up 13.5% from March, according to ports data

 

Automakers & Energy

Ford Motor outlined a broad product-and-technology strategy for Europe and separately signed a large-scale battery energy storage agreement in North America, the Journal’s Connor Hart writes.

The automaker said it plans to introduce a new heavy-duty pickup truck in Europe, as well as an all-electric van designed for urban fleets. Ford is aiming to launch five new passenger vehicles across the region by the end of 2029. Under its new European strategy, Ford will also reposition its Ford Pro arm into a productivity partner from a vehicle manufacturer, using software and services to maximize returns.

Ford also said its energy business signed a five-year framework agreement with EDF power solutions North America. Under the deal, EDF will be able to procure up to 4 gigawatt-hours a year of Ford Energy’s DC Block battery systems. Deliveries are expected to begin in 2028, Ford said.

 

Quotable

“Coal is a buffer fuel right now. It is independent of geopolitics relative to LNG. It is a hedge.”

— Tony Knutson, head of thermal coal markets at consulting firm Wood Mackenzie
 
Share this email with a friend.
Forward ›
Forwarded this email by a friend?
Sign Up Here ›
 

Construction

Builders say the legal claims reflect a tiny fraction of the total homes they produce. GLEN STUBBE/MINNESOTA STAR TRIBUNE via ZUMA PRESS

The legal liabilities of some of America’s biggest home builders have surged in recent years as buyers increasingly sue for damages from alleged construction defects.

Homeowners say the legal claims are the result of builders constructing shoddier, error-ridden homes, the WSJ’s Nicholas G. Miller writes. They allege that builders are using cheaper materials, cutting corners and hiring unqualified and undersupervised subcontractors. Builders say the claims reflect a tiny fraction of the total homes they produce and that errors are typically the fault of subcontractors, not the companies, and that plaintiffs’ lawyers are actively seeking out homeowners to pursue claims.

The mounting legal bills represent an additional headache for the home-building industry, which is already coping with a stagnant housing market by offering buyers significant mortgage-rate buydowns. Labor shortages and rising materials costs are also making building homes more expensive.

  • U.S. home-builder confidence improved in May, but remains negative due to high mortgage rates and the war in Iran. (WSJ)
 

In Other News

  • NextEra Energy agreed to buy Dominion Energy in a roughly $67 billion deal that would create an East Coast energy titan and require approval from a handful of regulators. (WSJ)
  • Thyssenkrupp will close its Terre Haute, Ind., plant by March 31 next year, eliminating 230 jobs, as part of a restructuring of its automotive-technology unit. (WSJ)
  • Australia ordered six shareholders in rare-earths company Northern Minerals, five of them China-linked, to divest stakes on national-interest grounds. (WSJ)
  • Anglo American agreed to sell Australian steelmaking coal assets to Dhilmar for up to $3.875 billion in cash. (WSJ)
  • Samsung Electronics’ management and union leaders resumed wage talks to avert a potentially disruptive strike. (WSJ)
  • Boating retailer West Marine filed for bankruptcy protection, citing weaker sales as consumers pull back on outdoor recreation. (Bloomberg)
  • AD Ports said it agreed to acquire German forwarder MBS Logistics Group. (Journal of Commerce)
  • China’s Hengyi Petrochemical plans to spend $3.8 billion to build what it says would be the world’s biggest coal-to-ethylene glycol plant in Xinjiang. (Yicai Global)
  • CMA CGM and Hapag-Lloyd suspended bookings to and from Cuba ‌until further notice. (Reuters)
  • A five-year transportation bill released by House committee leaders would provide over $50 billion for bridge investments, and create a federal framework for autonomous commercial vehicles. (Transport Topics)
 

About Us

Mark R. Long is editor of WSJ Logistics Report. Reach him at mark.long@wsj.com. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team on LinkedIn: Mark R. Long, Liz Young and Paul Berger.

 
Desktop, tablet and mobile. Desktop, tablet and mobile.
Access WSJ‌.com and our mobile apps. Subscribe
Apple app store icon. Google app store icon.
Unsubscribe   |    Newsletters & Alerts   |    Contact Us   |    Privacy Policy   |    Cookie Policy
Dow Jones & Company, Inc. 4300 U.S. Ro‌ute 1 No‌rth Monm‌outh Junc‌tion, N‌J 088‌52
You are currently subscribed as [email address suppressed]. For further assistance, please contact Customer Service at sup‌port@wsj.com or 1-80‌0-JOURNAL.
Copyright 2026 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.   |   All Rights Reserved.
Unsubscribe