President Trump announced a new tariff on imported heavy-duty trucks, saying it would protect domestic manufacturers such as Paccar-owned Peterbilt and Kenworth, Daimler Truck North America’s Freightliner, and Volvo Group’s Mack Trucks.

The Wall Street Journal’s Joseph Pisani writes that the new 25% duty, effective Oct. 1, was announced along with a 50% levy on kitchen cabinets, bathroom vanities and similar products, as well as a 30% duty on imports of upholstered furniture. The president also said on his Truth Social site that he would impose a 100% tariff on branded or patented drugs from pharmaceutical companies that aren’t building factories in the U.S. 

Help with jump-starting American factories is also a facet of Trump’s trade deal with South Korea, but that agreement is on shaky ground, WSJ’s Brian Schwartz and Timothy W. Martin report. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is taking a hard line in talks as some Seoul officials argue to allies that the White House is moving the goal posts.

Lutnick has discussed with Seoul the idea of increasing the $350 billion that South Korean officials had guaranteed to the U.S. in July, suggesting the final tally could get closer to the $550 billion pledged by Japan, according to people familiar with the discussions.

• China urged its companies with U.S. operations not to bring their domestic price-cutting playbook to the U.S. market, signaling Beijing’s intent to maintain trade calm with Washington. (WSJ)
• After signing a trade deal with Indonesia, the European Union is preparing to conclude agreements with the Philippines, Thailand and Malaysia by 2027. (WSJ)
• A U.S. probe of machine-tool imports could hit suppliers in Japan–America’s No. 1 source of the equipment–and raise production costs. (Nikkei Asia)

The auto industry is flashing warning lights on the state of the U.S. economy, even as durable-goods orders increase and a government revision shows growth this spring was much stronger than previously realized.

U.S. new vehicle sales have remained fairly robust as consumers raced to buy electric vehicles before a tax credit expires, The Wall Street Journal’s Christpher Otts writes. But that trend masks weakness in the overall market, with high vehicle prices and interest rates weighing on shoppers facing high food prices and job insecurity.

CarMax lost a fifth of its market value Thursday after the biggest seller of used cars said its quarterly sales and profit plunged. This was the latest in a series of unsettling developments, with automakers’ profits getting squeezed by tariffs and a subprime auto lender collapsing. 

The auto-market disquiet comes as housing remains stuck in its third straight year of dismal sales. Purchases of existing homes dipped in August as high prices kept buyers in check despite easing mortgage rates, the Journal’s Will Parker and Nicole Friedman write. Sales of new homes, meanwhile, jumped 20.5% in August over July, the largest monthly gain in three years, reflecting incentives offered by home builders, some analysts said.

Last month also delivered a 2.9% increase in durable-goods orders after two months of declines, driven by a surge in demand for military and civilian aircraft. This news came as a government revision showed the strongest economic growth in nearly two years in the second quarter, fueled by consumer spending and booming investment in AI data centers. The government now estimates GDP increased at a 3.8% seasonally and inflation-adjusted annual rate, up from an initial estimate of 3% made in July and a later update to 3.3%.

• Robert Bosch said it plans to slash 13,000 jobs over the next five years, as the German car-parts supplier leans into AI to maximize productivity. (WSJ)
• Chery Automobile’s shares rose sharply in their Hong Kong debut, signaling continued investor demand for Chinese auto names despite a crowded market. (WSJ)
• BYD’s sales in Europe tripled in August, as customers embrace the Chinese automaker’s lineup of electric and hybrid vehicles. (WSJ)
• China’s Pony AI plans to deploy 1,000 robotaxis in the Middle East by 2028, expanding its global fleet. (WSJ)

Canada Post workers went on strike after the government ordered that the money-losing state-run service abandon door-to-door delivery, close post offices and cut operating expenses.

Earlier Thursday, Canadian Public Works Minister Joel Lightbound said Canada Post “is effectively insolvent,” and required a onetime $700 million loan earlier this year to stay afloat and meet payroll requirements.

The service has recorded cumulative losses of just over $3.6 billion since 2018, officials said. Letter-mail volumes have plunged about 70% since 2006, and its share in the parcel-delivery market has shrunk from 62% in 2019 to about 24% now.

New unemployment claims in the U.S. fell to 218,000 in the week ending Sept. 20, down from 232,000 the prior week. (WSJ)

German consumers are feeling a little less pessimistic as expectations rise for higher incomes, despite signs of a weaker labor market and stagnant economic growth. (WSJ)

The Bank of Mexico cut its benchmark interest rate to a three-year low and said further reductions are possible. (WSJ)

Costco Wholesale reported higher sales and profit in the fiscal fourth quarter, though its same-store sales growth missed Wall Street estimates. (WSJ)

Amazon reached a $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission days into a civil trial over allegations it misled Prime users and made it confusing to cancel. (WSJ)

Boeing received orders for up to 225 jets from Turkish Airlines. (WSJ)

Delta Air Lines is replacing power units on more than 300 of its Airbus jets to stem cases in which toxic fumes have leaked into the air supply. (WSJ)

Starbucks is laying off 900 more corporate workers and closing hundreds of stores. (WSJ)

H&M posted a quarterly earnings beat as it continued its turnaround efforts. (WSJ)

German arms maker Rheinmetall plans to build an ammunition plant in Latvia to ramp up production as demand from NATO member states increases. (WSJ)

Copper prices extended gains after U.S. miner Freeport-McMoRan declared force majeure on contracted supplies from an Indonesian mine after a fatal mudslide. (WSJ)

Taiwanese agricultural associations agreed to buy at least $5.56 billion worth of Arkansas and other U.S. farm exports from 2026 to 2029. (Transport Topics)

The Port of Hueneme in Southern California plans to build a new container terminal for expanded refrigerated cargo business from Central and South America. (American Journal of Transportation)

The D.C. Circuit appeals court struck down a Federal Maritime Commission rule that limits which parties pay detention and demurrage fees. (Bloomberg Law)

The Indian government approved an $8 billion stimulus package to revive the nation’s shipping and ports industry. (Mint)

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.