A startup called Clarity says its technology can help retailers identify counterfeit merchandise returned for a refund, a way for merchants to catch the growing number of fraudsters trying to exploit returns policies.

The WSJ Logistics Report’s Liz Young writes that returns-management company ReturnPro will begin using its machines to screen returns in three of its U.S. facilities. ReturnPro is a strategic investor in Clarity, which is led by two former Walmart executives, Andy Ruben and Darrell Whitelaw. The company licenses technology developed by Marios Savvides, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.

Clarity’s machine uses AI to learn what a given product is supposed to look like. It can then alert whether a returned product contains any different organic materials inside—a red flag for possible counterfeits—or identify if there are missing parts.

The retailer can then fix problematic items or send them on to a reseller, and also trace those returns back to the customer to flag potential fraudsters.

The U.S. agreed to work with Japan, Mexico and the European Union on the development of critical minerals used by automakers, arms producers and other industries, The Wall Street Journal’s Gavin Bade reports.

Under the proposed agreements, the nations will work together to identify critical minerals necessary for certain industries and develop policies to encourage their mining and processing into products such as rare-earth magnets, U.S. officials said.

The agreements build on President Trump’s efforts to combat China’s dominance in the sector, efforts that echo China’s own model of state-driven capitalism, the WSJ’s Jon Emont writes. For instance, a plan for a newly created U.S. Strategic Critical Minerals Reserve called Project Vault borrows from Beijing’s longstanding playbook. Last year, China brandished its control of rare earths to extract trade concessions from Washington.

• President Trump discussed trade, the war in Ukraine and the situation in Iran on a call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. (WSJ)
• Trump said China was considering buying an additional 8 million tons of U.S. soybeans. (WSJ)

A unit of Hong Kong’s CK Hutchison started an arbitration process to challenge how Panama voided its contract to operate ports at either end of the Panama Canal, the Journal’s Stu Woo and P.R. Venkat report.

Panama’s Supreme Court last week annulled Hutchison’s contract to operate two ports by the canal, saying the terms of operation were unconstitutional, handing a victory to President Trump, who wants to increase U.S. control over the canal and to decrease China’s influence.

China’s office of Hong Kong affairs said the ruling was unfounded, noting Hutchison’s contract had been in force for nearly 30 years. The new legal proceedings further complicate Hutchison’s $23 billion deal to sell those two ports, as well as dozens of others around the world, to a group led by BlackRock and Mediterranean Shipping Co.

• America’s private sector added 22,000 jobs last month, ADP estimated, indicating a deceleration from the 37,000 jobs added in December, according to Labor Department data. (WSJ)
• Canada’s services industry activity declined for the third straight month in January, with the PMI falling to 45.8 from 46.5 in December. (WSJ)
• Eurozone annual inflation dropped to 1.7% in January from 2.0% in December, falling below the ECB’s 2% target. (WSJ)
• New York and New Jersey sued the Trump administration for withholding federal funding for a new $16 billion rail tunnel under the Hudson River. (WSJ)
• Union Pacific agreed to a $1.2 billion deal with rail technology supplier Wabtec to modernize the railroad's AC4400 locomotives. (Dow Jones Newswires)
• Ford’s U.S. vehicle sales fell by 5.3% in January, totaling 135,362 units, with EV sales down 69% and hybrid sales down 6.1%. (WSJ)
• RTX’s Raytheon division secured agreements with the Defense Department to boost missile production and accelerate deliveries. (WSJ)
• German chip maker Infineon Technologies aims to invest around $3.19 billion in fiscal 2026 to boost manufacturing as semiconductor demand for AI booms. (WSJ)
• Henkel agreed to acquire Dutch specialty-coatings maker Stahl in a deal valued at $2.48 billion, including debt. (WSJ)
• India is establishing a new state-backed carrier called Bharat Container Shipping Line targeting 100 ships as part of a $1.7 billion investment. (TradeWinds)
• The Port of Charleston is pausing work on an intermodal railyard until it reaches agreements with Class I railroads to service the facility. (Journal of Commerce)
• Invio Automation, owned by Arsenal Capital Partners, acquired automation and materials-handling systems provider Calvary Robotics. (DC Velocity)
• Tractor Supply plans to add more than 150 new hub locations this year to bring together drivers and inventory from different facilities for last-mile delivery. (SupplyChainDive)
• A bipartisan group of ex-USDA officials and farm-group leaders warned that Trump’s economic and immigration policies could lead to a broad collapse of U.S. agriculture. (New York Times)

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.