Tariffs and geopolitical upheaval are redirecting trade around the world, not slowing it, the chairman and CEO of ports giant DP World says. Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem tells the WSJ Logistics Report’s Paul Berger that the Dubai-based logistics company is expanding wherever it sees opportunities, spending $2.5 billion this year to expand ports in Dubai, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, India and the U.K.

Trade that can’t be absorbed or has difficulty going to the U.S. with new tariffs in place is going to other parts of the world, with a big increase in Africa and growth opportunities in India, Bin Sulayem says. Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and the other nations of the Commonwealth of Independent States offer growing trade opportunities, with new routes such as the “Middle Corridor” opening between Asia and Europe.

The U.S. is now set to lower tariffs on European cars to 15% from the current 27.5%, effective Aug. 1, The Wall Street Journal’s Kim Mackrael writes. A government notice follows through on a pledge stemming from the broader U.S.-EU trade deal announced in July.

The notice also confirms exemptions for European aircraft and aircraft parts, generic pharmaceuticals and certain natural resources from tariffs the Trump administration has introduced in recent months.

• The Trump administration launched probes into imports of robotics, industrial machinery and medical devices, setting the stage for possible new tariffs. (Bloomberg)

Kodiak Robotics is scheduled to start trading on Nasdaq today, presenting the self-driving-technology startup with a fresh opportunity to pitch its efforts to automate commercial trucking.

The WSJ Logistics Report’s Liz Young writes that the Mountain View, Calif., company will have a new name, Kodiak AI, reflecting its focus on building AI software used to outfit trucks with self-driving capabilities. Detroit-based Roush Industries handles installation of Kodiak’s sensors and technology into existing trucks.

Kodiak will trade under the tickers KDK and KDKRW following its merger with special-purpose acquisition company Ares Acquisition Corp. II, an affiliate of Ares Management, in a deal that valued the startup at about $2.5 billion. Kodiak said as part of the deal it has raised about $275 million in financing. In an interview, CEO Don Burnette tells how the company’s experience with fully self-driving trucks in the Permian Basin has informed its ambitions to deploy the technology more broadly.

• Honda Motor is ending production of its Acura ZDX electric SUV. (WSJ)

The Trump administration is in talks to take another stake in a company that wants a loan from the U.S. government, the Journal’s Scott Patterson and Christopher Otts write. Lithium Americas, a Canadian mining company, is in negotiations with the U.S. Energy Department and General Motors over the terms of its $2.26 billion government loan for a large lithium mining project in Nevada.

A critical mineral used in electric-vehicle batteries, smartphones and renewable energy storage, lithium has become a priority for the U.S. as it seeks to cut reliance on foreign suppliers. A Trump administration official said the Energy Department is seeking to restructure the loan agreement to protect taxpayers, and the company has agreed to the terms. Lithium Americas needs government help to keep operating,  according to a person familiar with the matter.

U.S. new-home sales surged in August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 800,000, compared with 664,000 in July, the fastest rate since January 2022. (Barron’s)

KB Home posted lower profit and cut its full-year outlook again as a wobbly housing market pushed down home prices. (WSJ)

China said it would no longer seek new special treatment for developing countries in WTO negotiations, signaling a possible effort to ease a friction point with the U.S. ahead of a planned summit. (WSJ)

German business confidence declined for the first time this year, with the Ifo business-climate index falling to 87.7 in September from 88.9 in August. (WSJ)

Factory activity in Canada looks to have stalled, with an early estimate of sales showing a pullback in August following a recovery the previous two months. (WSJ)

Australia’s monthly consumer-price index rose 3.0% in the 12 months to August, reaching its highest level in over a year. (WSJ)

Freeport McMoRan declared force majeure on contracted supplies from an Indonesian mine after a fatal mudslide earlier this month, pushing up copper prices. (WSJ)

Air Canada lowered its full-year outlook due to a labor strike that led to flight cancellations. (WSJ)

The arm of Norway’s central bank that manages the nation’s $2 trillion sovereign-wealth fund will acquire a 21.8% stake in power transmission operator TenneT Germany for $5.32 billion. (WSJ)

TotalEnergies said it won a $5.3 billion French government tender as part of a group to build the country’s largest offshore wind farm, though Germany’s RWE plans to exit the partnership. (WSJ)

Thor Industries posted higher profit and stronger-than-expected sales, but the RV company guided for fiscal 2026 sales below analysts’ expectations. (WSJ)

Southern Chinese ports and airports will restart operations today after Typhoon Ragasa made landfall in Guangdong province, causing widespread flooding and property damage. (Journal of Commerce)

The shipbuilding unit of Chinese chemical company Hengli Group is growing quickly, using a backdoor listing to go public as part of another company division. (Nikkei Asia)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a preliminary evaluation of 17,198 Rivian electric delivery vans over seat belt concerns. (USA Today)

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.