The peak shipping season in the U.S. is arriving with a whimper. Goods imports heading into the country remain lackluster, the WSJ Logistics Report’s Paul Berger writes, and the impact is reaching deeper into inland logistics networks as freight operators brace for a second straight fall with only tepid gains during the typically busy time of the year. Industry experts point to ongoing concerns over consumer demand as a crucial damper on shipping volumes. Retailers have cut the excess inventories they built up last year, but inventory levels remain elevated in critical areas such as apparel and electronics that usually pump up seasonal trade. Recent ocean and rail figures suggest shipping volumes are barely ticking up from month to month. Retailers remain cautious, but a surge this fall in consumer spending could provide a boost to truckers, parcel carriers and air-cargo operators later in the year.

• FedEx is increasing its peak-season surcharges this year for business between October and January. (Supply Chain Dive)

Indian manufacturing startups are drawing new customers and hefty financial backing as U.S. companies shift their supply chains away from China. Venture capital investors in India are increasingly backing companies that are looking to boost the country’s exports. The WSJ’s Aruna Viswanatha reports that is helping jumpstart a range of businesses that are taking more prominent roles as parts suppliers as India tries to lure companies to set up factories. Two-year-old startup Zetwerk, for instance, had never handled a U.S. order before it started shipping steel parts to a Pennsylvania company that was having trouble getting components out of China. The work has since turned into orders from some 300 U.S. companies. Government incentives coupled with broader efforts to source materials from India are helping expand the country’s manufactured exports. Financial backers see potential in India’s network of highly-specialized smaller factories that often have capacity to expand.

Job openings across the U.S. declined in July as heavy demand for workers shows signs of subsiding. (WSJ)

Hurricane Idalia strengthened over the Gulf of Mexico as it barreled toward Florida, with landfall expected today north of Tampa. (WSJ)

U.S. Steel has struck confidentiality agreements with “numerous third parties” as it reviews bids to buy some or all of the company. (WSJ)

Best Buy’s sales and profit fell in the second quarter as demand for electronics moderated after outsized gains during the pandemic. (WSJ)

Toyota is resuming production at Japanese factories today after a system failure that prevented processing of parts orders shuttered operations Tuesday. (Nikkei Asia)

Automotive parts supplier Tram is closing its plant in northeastern Indiana. (Auburn Star)

Battery recycling startup Redwood Materials raised over $1 billion in a Series D funding round backing its plans to expand a U.S. domestic battery supply chain. (TechCrunch)

A Maersk Line containership at the Port of Rotterdam completed the sector’s first refueling of methanol. (MarineLink)

Container line Yang Ming reached an out-of-court settlement with a U.S. importer that claimed it was a victim of price manipulation. (Splash 247)

Singapore-based gas carrier BW LPG plans to seek a dual stock listing in the U.S. (TradeWinds)

Air cargo throughput at some of Europe’s biggest hubs remains well short of prepandemic levels. (The Loadstar)

Norfolk Southern expects the impact of a hardware-related outage of its rail systems to affect its operations for a couple of weeks. (Reuters)

Amazon is testing a higher order minimum for free shipping for non-Prime members. (CNBC)

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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.