Elaine Chao’s tenure at the Department of Transportation is ending early amid the tumultuous events closing out the Trump administration. Ms. Chao resigned effective Jan. 11, the WSJ’s Ted Mann reports, saying she was “deeply troubled” by the storming of the U.S. Capitol building by supporters of President Trump. Her departure will leave a thin leadership roster, with General Counsel Stephen Bradbury listed as the next in command. Several high-ranking Federal Aviation Administration officials also resigned, with an internal memo citing “the brazen and violent attack on one of the sacred institutions of American democracy.”  At DOT, Ms. Chao oversaw a shift in infrastructure priorities toward rural projects and stronger attention to emerging transportation technologies. But the administration never advanced its own promised big infrastructure plan and aviation regulators faced criticism over the oversight of Boeing’s aircraft programs and the grounding of the manufacturer’s 737 MAX jets.

Conagra Brands believes the past year’s changes in consumer food habits will outlast the coronavirus pandemic. The food supplier is bulking up its manufacturing capacity while modernizing its recipes and packaging, the WSJ’s Annie Gasparro reports, as it looks to maintain the sales momentum it gained from homebound consumers in 2020. Conagra was among the corporate winners in the upheaval in consumer trade last year, as populations limited by lockdowns turned to eating at home. Conagra’s plan is the company’s answer to the question facing firms over whether pandemic-driven changes in demand will outlast the coronavirus crisis. The investment may be a risky bet that could derail Conagra’s supply chains, however, if consumer behavior returns to historic norms, demanding a potentially expensive retreat. Mr. Connolly says Conagra is “meeting consumers where they are.” Of course, setting long-term investments also means meeting consumers where the company expects them to be.

Western Europe’s coronavirus vaccination supply chains aren’t in any rush. A slow start to campaigns in several countries is sparking sharp criticism and demands to pick up the pace, the WSJ’s Matthew Dalton and Eric Sylvers report, as hundreds more die and tens of thousands are infected each day. France, the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy have lagged the U.S., the U.K. and Germany as layers of bureaucracy and critical stumbles in planning and procurement have stymied attempts to speed up vaccination. The problems reflect broader confusion in the global rollout of Covid-19 vaccines that were developed with startling speed and then shipped out quickly on authorization under highly organized transport and logistics operations. That urgency has crumbled in many jurisdictions, however, under complicated schemes to reach targeted populations. The rollout in the U.S. remains sluggish, with even health care workers eligible for vaccines facing a patchwork of requirements.

U.S. imports jumped 2.9% in November while exports rose 1.2%, pushing the trade deficit to its highest level in 14 years. (WSJ) 

New U.S. applications for unemployment benefits remained steady at historically high levels last week. (WSJ)

Boeing will pay $2.5 billion and admit wrongdoing to resolve a U.S. criminal investigation into whether its employees misled regulators about safety issues related to its 737 MAX jet. (WSJ)

Hyundai shares soared 24% in Seoul trading after the report that Apple has held talks with Hyundai Motor about cooperation on driverless electric vehicles. (WSJ)

E-commerce retail platform Shopify took down online stores run by the Trump Organization and the Trump campaign. (WSJ)

The U.S. suspended plans to impose tariffs of 25% on French luxury goods. (WSJ)

General Motors outsold Ford in the lucrative market for large pickup trucks last year for the first time since 2015. (WSJ)

Bed Bath & Beyond’s same-store sales rose 2% in the quarter ending Nov. 28 but total revenue fell 5%. (WSJ)

Japan’s Fujifilm Holdings will build a $2 billion biopharmaceutical facility in the U.S. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Honda Motor is slashing production in Japan because of a shortage of semiconductors. (Nikkei Asian Review)

U.K. retailers are reviewing their regional supply chains to avoid tariffs imposed by the post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union. (Financial Times)

European consumers are being hit with unexpected charges when buying goods from U.K. suppliers after Brexit. (The Guardian)

ShipMatrix says more than two million packages meant for Christmas delivery in the U.S. were delivered late. (Multichannel Merchant)

Container Trade Statistics says global box volumes rose 8% in November, including 38% growth in eastbound trans-Pacific traffic. (Lloyd’s List)

South Korea’s HMM plans to develop “comprehensive logistics” services to match bigger container shipping rivals. (The Loadstar)

Commodities trading house Trafigura is aiming to lower its carbon output by 30% by 2023. (ShippingWatch)

Greenbriar Equity Group sold a majority stake in Chicago-based freight forwarder Seko Worldwide to Ridgemont Equity Partners. (Journal of Commerce)

India’s Mahindra Logistics is launching a last-mile delivery service using electric vehicles. (Economic Times)

Amazon is shutting its Prime Pantry grocery and household goods delivery unit. (Dow Jones Newswires)

Taiwan’s China Airlines is retiring the last of its 747-400 passenger jets. (Taiwan News)

An unnamed large logistics company is considering taking over a former Sears store west of Cleveland. (Chronicle Telegram)

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

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