Global automakers that fine-tuned their operations over decades are now taking supply-chain lessons from China. Manufacturers including Germany’s Volkswagen and Japan’s Toyota and Nissan are among companies looking to China’s electric-vehicle industry for clues in how to speed up production and beat back local rivals in the world’s biggest auto market. The WSJ’s Yoko Kubota reports that the moves highlight a significant turnaround in the politically sensitive, employment-heavy auto industry. It’s also a stark sign of how the development of new supply chains around EVs is starting to reshape some of the principles behind a fundamental industrial sector. China once struggled to match, much less master, Western know-how in engines and drivetrains, but now Western companies are trying to learn from the country’s automakers. The shift carries implications beyond China and on global manufacturers’ home turf since China’s EV manufacturing methods, suppliers and technology could permeate global carmakers.

• U.S. auto dealers eased an inventory squeeze during the pandemic by buying used cars off the street as vehicle production declined. (WSJ)
• Tesla is suing Swedish regulators, in a move related to a mechanics strike in the country. (WSJ)

U.S. consumers are in no mood to play to play games. Sales of toys have slumped so far this year, falling 8% through September compared to the same period last year, says market-research firm Circana, pointing toward what appears to be lackluster business this year for a bedrock of seasonal sales. The WSJ’s Harriet Torry and Ben Glickman report that imports of toys and games have fallen sharply this year while sales at toy stores, department stores and other gift sellers declined in October. Major suppliers look to be adjusting their inventories as a result. U.S. imports of toys, games and sporting goods dropped 21.5% in the nine months through September, compared with the same period a year earlier, according to the Commerce Department, while bicycle imports fell more than 40%. Still, Katherine Nguyen, owner of Chicago’s Building Blocks Toy Stores, remains optimistic, saying, “People don’t cut out their children.”

• Abercrombie & Fitch raised its annual outlook after comparable store sales jumped 16% in the third quarter. (Retail Dive)

Mexico’s exports of manufactured goods jumped 5.3% in October, led by a nearly 21% surge in shipments of vehicles and auto parts. (WSJ)

Sales of new homes in the U.S. tumbled 5.6% from September to October. (MarketWatch)

S&P Global says the U.S. economy grew at an expanding but subdued pace in November. (MarketWatch)

China-founded online fashion seller Shein filed to go public in the U.S. (WSJ)

Amazon reached an agreement with most of its workers in Spain, averting the full impact of a warehouse strike. (WSJ)

The White House created a Cabinet-level council of department leaders to focus on U.S. supply-chain resiliency. (Associated Press)

The U.S. is allocating nearly $200 million to projects aimed at bolstering agriculture supply chains. (Dow Jones Newswires)

The World Trade Organization says global goods trade is recovering amid stronger demand for autos and electronics. (Bloomberg)

China is considering plans to build a massive, integrated super port across islands south of Hong Kong to challenge Singapore’s shipping hub status. (Lloyd’s List)

Large amounts of coffee and cocoa stored in European Union warehouses risk being destroyed as a result of the bloc’s deforestation law. (Financial Times)

The Panama Canal started offering extra transit slot auctions for vessels trapped in queues at the waterway. (TradeWinds)

Germany-based Fr. Meyer’s Sohn acquired Swedish ocean freight forwarder C Land Logistics. (ShippingWatch)

Oklahoma-based United Petroleum Transports is acquiring Florida-based truck tanker operator Patriot Transportation. (Trucking Dive)

Taiwan’s China Airlines is looking to sell its aging Boeing 747-400 freighters. (Air Cargo News)

Alibaba co-founder Jack Ma is starting a prepared-meal delivery business. (South China Morning Post)

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

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @bylizyoung and @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on X at @WSJLogistics.