Strains in some corners of global supply chains are beginning to recede, leaving freight operators and their customers eyeing a potential break in the bottlenecks. The strongest signs of recovery are in Asia, where Covid-related factory closures, energy shortages and port-capacity limits have eased in recent weeks. The WSJ’s Stella Yifan Xie, Jon Emont and Alistair MacDonald report ocean freight rates are also retreating from record levels, suggesting urgency in the restocking drive has dissipated. Some part of the easing on freight transport networks is likely the result of seasonal factors, with many big retailers now saying they are well stocked for the holidays. Still, any lull heading toward the New Year may provide shipping and port operators the room they need to cut into backlogs before the next rush begins. Improving output at Asian factories suggests more shipments will be on the way soon enough.

Retailers say they’ve learned important lessons during the pandemic about managing inventory. Companies ranging from Macy’s to Ralph Lauren are reporting improved profits and stronger balance sheets, the WSJ’s Suzanne Kapner reports, as supply-chain woes leave them with inventories tight, prices high and signs that a long cycle of overbuying and discounting may have been broken. The improved financial equation could prove temporary, but some retailers insist they plan to maintain discipline in managing inventory even as demand picks up momentum. Says CEO Joanne Crevoiserat of Coach parent Tapestry, “It’s not pile it high and let it fly anymore.” Executives say their newfound pricing power is helping to offset the rising costs of labor, shipping and raw materials. Retailers have carried their inventory discipline to real estate, shuttering 13,760 stores from 2017 through 2020. An improving economy will test whether their attention to profitability over sales volume outlasts the pandemic.

The Covid-19 pandemic is undercutting cargo operations at the world’s busiest airport for international airfreight. FedEx is closing its crew base at Hong Kong International Airport and Cathay Pacific Airways is considering removing some of its freighter pilots, the WSJ’s Dan Strumpf reports, as cargo operators scramble to square Hong Kong’s tough quarantine rules with the city’s role as a crucial freight hub. Hong Kong’s troubles are a new sign that global airfreight operations remain turbulent as diminished passenger capacity pushes more shipments to freighters. All-cargo flights now outnumber passenger operations at Hong Kong, which is second globally to Memphis, Tenn., in cargo volume when domestic shipments are included. The city’s Covid-19 restrictions have tightened, and there are calls to rein back exemptions that now include airfreight crews. Hong Kong’s double-digit cargo growth this year shows demand is there if carriers can provide the capacity.

Even death may not end the grim ordeal of seafarers trapped on ships by Covid-19 restrictions. The body of Captain Dan Sandu was kept in a freezer on board his cargo ship for months after he died in his cabin, the WSJ’s Drew Hinshaw, Vipal Monga and Joe Parkinson write, as port after port refused to allow the crew to unload his remains to help get him back to his native Romania. The plight of the crew of the MV Vantage Wave and the family of Capt. Sandu is one dark example of how the pandemic has created deep strains for the seafarers who have kept the world’s supply chains moving. Strict and uneven rules prevent the unloading of bodies suspected of being infected with the coronavirus. The restrictions leave ships like the Vantage Wave crossing oceans in search of a port to offload a fallen crew member.

Producer prices for industrial products in Germany rose in October at the fastest annual pace since 1951. (WSJ)

Teamsters members elected Sean O’Brien by a wide margin to replace James P. Hoffa as the union’s general president. (WSJ)

The U.S. Department of Transportation awarded $1 billion in infrastructure grants that signal Biden administration spending priorities. (WSJ)

Ford and Rivian Automotive scrapped plans to work together to develop an electric vehicle. (WSJ)

Alibaba cut its revenue-growth forecast for the year to 20% to 23% from an earlier 30%. (WSJ)

Some highways in flooded areas of British Columbia reopened but truck operations were restricted as the region braced for more rainfall. (Vancouver Sun)

President Biden plans to nominate two replacements for key allies of Postmaster General Louis DeJoy on the Postal Board of Governors. (Washington Post)

BMW is adding a $100 million logistics center as part of an expansion of its Spartanburg, S.C., manufacturing operation. (WSPA)

Apparel retailer L.L. Bean expects its inventories to run low by mid-December. (Bangor Daily News)

A trip from Alabama to California shows the fragile state​ of U.S. supply chains. (Los Angeles Times)

Alibaba is buying a 10% stake in Shanghai-based, state-owned ride-hailing venture Letzgo. (Caixin Global)

FedEx began locking out drivers in an escalating labor dispute in Australia. (Financial Review)

The chief executive of U.K. logistics giant Wincanton expects the shortage of trucking and warehouse workers to last well into next year. (Financial Times)

Third-quarter revenue at France’s CMA CGM doubled from a year ago to $12.5 billion even as shipping volumes fell 2.5%. (Lloyd’s List)

Norwegian fertilizer producer Yara began operating an autonomous, electric-powered vessel for regional container service. (gCaptain)

A.P. Moller-Maersk issued about $564 million in green bonds to finance acquisition of methanol-fueled ships. (Ship & Bunker) 

CMA CGM ordered four Airbus A350 freighters for its nascent air cargo operation. (FlightGlobal)

Mammoth Freighters will convert 777 passenger jets to freighters for Canadian operator Cargojet. (The Loadstar)

Vehicle leasing provider Merchants reserved 5,400 electric delivery vans from the General Motors BrightDrop division. (DC Velocity)

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.