Beijing signaled willingness to start talks to halt a trade war, and is considering ways to address Trump administration concerns over China’s role in the fentanyl trade.

The WSJ’s Chun Han Wong reports that a Chinese Commerce Ministry spokesman said Beijing was evaluating repeated comments and messages from U.S. officials expressing openness  to negotiate. But he repeated that China would only commit to negotiations if Washington demonstrated sincerity through concrete measures, such as canceling tariffs. Trump has said he wouldn’t end his China tariffs without significant concessions from Beijing. Meanwhile, people familiar with the matter tell the Journal’s Lingling Wei that Chinese officials were considering a potential offramp from hostilities over fentanyl. Security czar Wang Xiaohong has recently been inquiring about what the Trump team wants China to do regarding the chemical precursors to the drug, which Chinese companies produce in large quantities.

These quiet overtures come as Communist Party leadership has been stoking patriotic fervor among ordinary Chinese people, seeking to blame the U.S. and prepare the nation for a prolonged fight. A Foreign Ministry social media video last week said Beijing would “never kneel down,” and appealed to other nations to defy American pressure.

• GM will eliminate a shift at an Ontario plant, affecting about 700 workers, in response to U.S. trade policy. (WSJ)
• Trump threatened to cut off buyers of Iranian oil or petrochemicals from doing business with the U.S., effectively targeting China. (WSJ)
• DuPont has an unusual tariff challenge: Most of its potential $500 million exposure comes from shipping products to its own business in China. (WSJ)
• The U.S. Army is deploying new missile systems and creating agile units to operate on front-line territories to deter Chinese aggression. (WSJ)
• Shein Group has halted work on its planned IPO as it assesses tariff effects, according to people familiar with the matter. (Bloomberg)

Tariffs that have disrupted global trade and the U.S. economy are making some small and midsize American manufacturers’ goods more competitive with imports for the first time in years.

An Ohio rubber and plastics company, for instance, has seen a rush of new orders and inquiries, the WSJ’s Jeanne Whalen and Bob Tita write. A tool maker’s Chicago and Cleveland plants are running 24/7 to keep up with demand. The tariffs are a lifeline for U.S. makers of personal protective equipment that sprang up during the pandemic, too. Still, few of the biggest global manufacturers have said they plan to launch factories or move operations to the U.S., and broad surveys point to a less sunny outlook. Some smaller producers say the tariffs on China are increasing production costs that they believe they can pass along, while others that are more reliant on imports take a less rosy view.

• People are rushing to buy cars before tariff price increases, but large auto lenders have tightened their standards and are rejecting more people. (WSJ)

Cocaine supply is at a historic peak worldwide as a loosening of antidrug enforcement in Colombia and other factors push the trade to new highs, the WSJ’s Juan Forero writes. To strengthen the supply chain, organized crime groups are developing cocaine navies, employing semisubmersible narco-subs that ferry larger hauls over greater distances.

The U.S. labor market steadily added jobs last month despite jolting tariff announcements that may lead to a slowdown later this year. (WSJ)

Orders from U.S. factories grew 4.3% to $618.8 billion in March, rising for a third straight month. (WSJ)

Consumer-price inflation in the eurozone remained just above the European Central Bank’s target in April, teeing up more interest-rate cuts. (WSJ)

Asian factory activity slowed in April due to uncertainty over tariffs, purchasing managers surveys show. (WSJ)

Europe could resolve its trade dispute with the U.S. by purchasing 50 billion euros’ worth of American goods like gas and soybeans. (WSJ)

Plunging consumer confidence is hitting earnings from companies catering to middle-income households, though some companies, especially in tech, are posting strong results. (WSJ)

Exxon Mobil and Chevron posted lower quarterly earnings, hurt by narrow refining margins, lower oil prices and rising costs. (WSJ)

German chemical giant BASF stuck to its outlook after first-quarter results but said it was difficult to assess the impact of tariffs. (WSJ)

Japan is concerned U.S. tariffs could push unsold Chinese goods onto global markets. (WSJ)

United Airlines canceled 35 daily round trips from Newark, N.J., after air-traffic controllers walked off the job. (WSJ)

Autos have emerged as the biggest stumbling block in trade talks between Japan and the U.S. (Nikkei Asia)

Walmart opened its first new Supercenter store in four years, the first under its “Store of the Future” model in the U.S. (Retail Dive)

Heniff unit Premier Bulk Systems acquired Longhorn Transportation of Ontario for undisclosed terms. (Commercial Carrier Journal)

Florida’s Port Canaveral plans $500 million in upgrades to its cruise, cargo and space program-support operations over the next five years. (Maritime Executive)

CMA CGM signed a 30-year deal with the Syrian government to develop and invest $260 million in the port of Latakia. (Splash 247)

Three crewmen were injured after an engine explosion that left an A.P. Moeller Maersk containership adrift in the mid-Atlantic. (Seatrade Maritime News)

Officials in the Republic of Georgia are wavering in their plans to work with a Chinese state company in building a Black Sea port. (TradeWinds)

Talks between Canada Post and the postal-workers’ union resumed three weeks ahead of a deadline for a strike or walkout. (Supply Chain Brain)

Shares of Freight Technologies surged after the logistics company said it would hold Trump’s memecoin as a treasury asset. (Bloomberg)

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.