General Motors said it won’t restart production of BrightDrop electric delivery vans at an Ontario factory, citing weak demand amid changes to regulations and fleet incentives.

The move comes as the Detroit auto giant moves to quickly downsize its unprofitable EV business. Last week GM disclosed a $1.6 billion write-off related to underused EV factories. CEO Mary Barra said the company would take a special charge in the fourth quarter, stemming in part from ending BrightDrop production, The Wall Street Journal’s Christopher Otts writes.

GM said it was making faster-than-expected progress in cutting a multibillion-dollar tariff bill, as it posted surprisingly strong third-quarter results, sending shares up 15% to a record high. GM still expects new duties will cut into its 2025 bottom line by at least $2.3 billion, though tariff relief on auto parts Canada and Mexico will save it about $500 million this year.

Executives said GM was largely unaffected by a shortage of aluminum after a fire at a supplier’s plant, and were monitoring a possible disruption in the supply of chips from a Chinese-owned company caught in a trade dispute.

• Paccar's quarterly profit and revenue fell as demand for heavy-duty trucks remained muted, though the Peterbilt and Kenworth maker said new truck tariffs should improve its competitive position. (Dow Jones Newswires)
• Ford Motor says it remains committed to aluminum, despite tight supplies after a fire halted a supplier’s production, pushing back at a suggestion automakers were looking to switch aluminum designs back to steel. (WSJ)
• Stellantis’s Warren, Mich., plant, where it makes the Jeep Wagoneer SUV, will be shut until Nov. 3 because of a parts shortage, following the aluminum-plant fire. (Bloomberg)

Mattel said U.S. retailers significantly ramped up orders in recent weeks, following a slump in the third quarter amid shifting industry-wide ordering patterns.

CEO Ynon Kreiz said the retailers have moved some purchases away from direct import, where they take ownership of the product where it is made. Instead they are shifting toward domestic shipping, where they purchase the goods from a company once they have arrived in the U.S., giving them more flexibility and time to commit to orders.

The Barbie and Hot Wheels maker said sales to consumers have also increased recently, the Journal's Connor Hart writes. Price increases implemented over the summer to offset tariffs haven’t hurt demand, and the company isn’t planning any further hikes. The El Segundo, Calif., company stuck with its outlook for the year, which includes a 1% to 3% increase in overall sales.

• The White House is planning to release more than $3 billion in aid to U.S. farmers that had been frozen by the government shutdown, as growers grapple with the fallout from tariffs. (WSJ)
• The Trump administration plans to open up lands for cattle ranching and support new beef-processing plants to help lower beef prices, which hit an all-time high in August. (WSJ)
• A new critical-minerals deal between the U.S. and Australia sparked a rally in mining stocks, as investors bet it would pave the way to loosening China’s grip on vital commodities. (WSJ)
• Old Dominion Freight Line is increasing its general rates, based on shipment lanes and distance traveled, with an overall impact expected to be about 4.9%. (Dow Jones Newswires)
• Lockheed Martin, RTX and other weapons suppliers benefited from surging demand and raised their 2025 profit and sales targets, while Northrop Grumman boosted its adjusted profit target. (WSJ)
• PulteGroup reported lower third-quarter profit as affordability concerns continued to put off home buyers. (WSJ)
• CenterPoint Energy will sell its Ohio natural-gas distribution business to National Fuel Gas for $2.62 billion. (WSJ)
• Caterpillar said in a news release that it was committing $5 million to training across Indiana as part of a five-year, $100 million workforce pledge.
• A.P. Moeller-Maersk’s CEO said the carrier might invest in new container terminals the Panama Canal Authority hopes to build. (Journal of Commerce)
• CMA CGM said in a news release that it is forming an automotive-logistics joint venture with Slovenia’s Port of Koper on the Adriatic Sea.
• United Parcel Service plans to add air conditioning to 5,000 of its delivery trucks in areas with the hottest weather. (Reuters)
• Two crew members were confirmed dead, with 24 rescued, following a fire on a liquefied petroleum gas carrier in the Gulf of Aden on Saturday. (Lloyd’s List)
• FedEx added five flights a week from the Asia-Pacific region to Paris as demand grows on that route. (Air Cargo News)
• Knight-Swift Transportation said all of its less-than-truckload units–AAA Cooper Transportation, Midwest Motor Express and DHE Transportation–would be housed under the AAA Cooper brand as of Jan. 1. (Transport Topics)

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.