Import volumes at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are declining even though the backup of ships is growing. Container imports at the largest U.S. gateway for goods trade fell 9.6% last month and were off 10.1% from October, the WSJ Logistics Report’s Paul Berger writes. That marked the third straight annual decline at the port complex and the steepest drop since May 2020, when pandemic-driven shutdowns crumbled global trade. The drop came even though the backlog of ships waiting for berths rose to a record 101 vessels this week, with the flotilla now stretched out to sea under new queuing procedures. The figures suggest the logjam is undercutting efforts by the ports to speed cargo flows. More small ships that are less efficient to handle are reaching the docks, the result of extra services by carriers and charters from companies looking to get around the bottlenecks.

The Biden administration is seeking to increase the supply of commercial truck drivers as part of a broader effort to unclog supply-chain bottlenecks. The effort the White House unveiled today includes speeding up the issuing of commercial drivers’ licenses, accelerating apprenticeship programs and making driver training courses more affordable. The WSJ’s Jennifer Smith and Alex Leary report it would also take on some aspects of how drivers are paid that have been a sore spot for many truckers. Still, the programs aren’t likely to have an immediate impact on bottlenecks that are tied to scarce trucking capacity and labor-strapped distribution hubs. New trucks, trailers and other freight-moving equipment are also in short supply, further limiting the movement of goods. The push for more drivers targets a sore spot in the freight sector, with some drivers saying harsh conditions and low pay are capping trucking capacity.

U.S. farmers are facing supply-chain woes close to the very roots of their business. Fertilizer prices have more than doubled over the past year, the WSJ’s Patrick Thomas and Kirk Maltais report, because of a global shortage of the chemical ingredients used to make the critical agriculture commodity. The strains in the market are frustrating farmers, who now are adjusting spring planting plans and warning about the potential for higher food prices. That could lead to lower grain production and have a ripple effect on staples such as cereal and cooking oil, as well as beef and other meat. Grain shipments across North America have already been declining. Grain carloads carried by railroads were off 14.5% in November from last year, according to the Association of American Railroads. Grain loads through U.S. Great Lakes ports and the St. Lawrence Seaway were down 20% in the recently-ended shipping season.

U.S. retail sales rose a modest 0.3% in November following strong growth in October. (WSJ)

Most Federal Reserve officials signaled they were prepared to raise interest rates at least three times next year to cool inflation. (WSJ)

Inflation in the U.K. accelerated in November to its fastest annual rate in more than a decade. (WSJ)

Amtrak named longtime executive Stephen Gardner as its new chief executive. (WSJ)

Consolidation among semiconductor manufacturers is raising pressure on the sector’s suppliers. (Financial Times)

Some large Japanese apparel makers will shift production capacity back from overseas because of currency and supply chain pressures. (Nikkei Asia)

India’s government says increasing supply-chain efficiency and lowering logistics costs are central to economic expansion goals. (Mint)

Rates for the largest capesize dry-bulk ships are falling sharply as iron ore shipments from Brazil slide. (Lloyd’s List)

Container ship backups are growing at Malaysia’s Port Klang and Greece’s Port of Pireaus. (Splash 247)

Maryland is starting a program to help manufacturers in the state hurt by supply-chain disruptions. (Associated Press)

U.S. importers are finding that tight airfreight capacity is undermining efforts to expedite goods around ocean congestion. (DC Velocity)

Singapore Airlines will replace its Boeing 747 freighters with A350 all-cargo aircraft from Airbus. (The Loadstar)

Private-equity firm KKR is investing in warehouse-management software maker Koerber in a deal valuing the German company at more than $1.7 billion. (Bloomberg)

Longtime executive Dennis Morgan will succeed Joseph Cowan as CEO of trucker Cowan Systems. (Commercial Carrier Journal)

Australian brewers are being hit by shortages of wooden pallets. (BrewsNews)

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

Follow the WSJ Logistics Report team: @PaulPage, @jensmithWSJ  @LydsONeal and @pdberger. Follow the WSJ Logistics Report on Twitter at @WSJLogistics.