Some U.S. textile makers are seeing a burst of demand for their wares after decades of decline as President Trump’s new tariffs make them more competitive with lower-cost Chinese suppliers.

To meet the renewed interest, companies want to invest and hire new workers, but the haphazard rollout has left them wary, uncertain which trade policies will stick, the WSJ Logistics Report’s Liz Young writes. One North Carolina producer of upholstery for furniture makers is taking a slow approach to hiring 100 workers for a third shift to make materials for couches, chairs and ottomans as he waits to see if he will keep his new competitive edge.

Chinese imports have undercut American mills for a quarter century, driving dozens out of business. Twenty-eight shut just in the past couple of years. Textile-mill employment in the U.S. is down 80% from the start of the century. It isn’t just shape-shifting tariffs giving manufacturers pause now. Consumers are getting increasingly jittery about spending as the trade war progresses, and some new demand could end up being a mirage. Furniture makers also could switch sourcing to India, Turkey and other countries where new duties are much lower.

Aiming to give automakers time to shift supply chains back to the U.S., President Trump is expected to ease some new tariffs on foreign auto parts and keep duties on foreign-built cars from stacking on top of other levies, according to people familiar with the policy.

The Journal’s Gavin Bade, Alex Leary and Tarini Parti report that this means automakers already paying automotive tariffs that went into effect early this month won’t also be charged for other duties, like those on steel and aluminum. And, automakers could be reimbursed for such tariffs they have already paid. A new formula on car-part tariffs would allow automakers to be reimbursed for up to an amount equal to 3.75% of the value of a U.S. made car for one year. This would fall in the second year before being phased out entirely. The CEOs of Ford Motor and General Motors said they appreciated the moves and conversations they have had with the White House.

• IBM plans to invest $150 billion in the U.S. over the next five years as tariffs threaten to make international manufacturing more expensive. (WSJ)
• Union auto workers in Canada vowed retaliation if automakers shift production away from the U.S.’s northern neighbor. (WSJ)
• Lynas Rare Earths is talking with customers over new sales agreements as the trade war derails the flow of rare-earth materials between the world’s two biggest economies. (WSJ)
• Some Chinese companies are approaching Indian manufacturers to fulfill orders for them so they can keep U.S. customers. (Bloomberg)

Chinese and Philippine personnel have planted their national flags on Sandy Cay in recent days. The WSJ's Gabriele Steinhauser and Austin Ramzy report that the two nations were staking rival claims for the speck of land in the disputed South China Sea, a thoroughfare for about a third of maritime global trade. 

Airbus agreed to acquire some Spirit Aerosystems facilities that make parts for its jets in the U.S., Europe and Africa, moving to take direct control of its supply chain after months of disruption. (WSJ)

Traton posted a 10% decline in quarterly revenue, but the Volkswagen-owned commercial-vehicle maker expects performance to improve in the second half of the year. (WSJ)

Traton unit International Motors launched a battery-electric powered Class 8 truck for regional hauling, with a range of up to 300 miles. (Transport Topics)

Toyota Industries said it received a proposal to take the company private, following reports that the family behind Toyota Motor was proposing to take over the auto-parts maker. (WSJ)

DHL Express will restart global shipments worth over $800 to American individuals, a week after halting them, citing new U.S. customs rules. (Reuters)

Construction and mining equipment maker Komatsu expects a 27% drop in operating profit this year because of tariffs and might raise its prices in the U.S. (Bloomberg)

Liquefied natural gas companies told the Trump administration they couldn’t comply with rules aimed at boosting U.S. shipping by imposing fees on Chinese-built ships. (Financial Times)

CEVA Logistics agreed to take over Borusan Tedarik for $440 million, nearly doubling the CMA CGM unit’s warehousing and distribution operations in Turkey. (Journal of Commerce)

China hasn’t received a shipment of LNG from the U.S. since Feb. 6, shipping data show. (Nikkei Asia)

China’s foreign ministry urged parties involved with the sale of CK Hutchison’s global ports to “act prudently” and stay in touch with Beijing. (South China Morning Post)

Yemen’s Houthi militants warned that ships carrying goods made by Boeing, Lockheed Martin and other companies would be considered legitimate targets. (The Loadstar)

Element Logic acquired storage-and-automation systems firm ABCO Systems for undisclosed terms. (Modern Materials Handling)

Delta Air Lines and LATAM Airlines added Argentina to a joint venture agreement to boost air cargo transport between the U.S., Canada and Argentina. (Air Cargo News)

The International Longshoremen’s Association’s new labor contract bans remotely controlled ship-to-shore cranes, but opens the door to remotely operated gantry cranes. (World Cargo News)

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.