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A Volkswagen joint venture for automotive manufacturing in China is getting held up at the U.S. border. American authorities have impounded thousands of the company’s Bentley, Porsche and Audi vehicles at U.S. ports because the cars contained a part made by a Chinese supplier on a sanctions list for using forced labor in China’s Xinjiang region. The WSJ’s William Boston reports the action raises pressure on VW to pull out of a joint venture there, the latest sign of how geopolitics is colliding with business priorities for Germany’s large manufacturers. VW says it has entered talks with its partner on the future of the business since new evidence emerged linking the German carmaker with China’s alleged persecution of Uyghur minorities in Xinjiang. VW says it is replacing the “one tiny part” to deliver the vehicles to dealers following a lesson in the challenges of monitoring complex supply chains.

• Stellantis offered an upbeat outlook after revenue at the car maker rose 6% last year and aftertax profit jumped about 11%. (WSJ)
• The chief executives of Ford and General Motors say they would consider partnerships to better compete with Chinese electric-vehicle makers. (Reuters)

Airbus is rushing to fill the gap in commercial aircraft created by Boeing’s persistent supply chain problems. The European jet maker is projecting another year of growing deliveries after shattering the industry record last year, and its order backlog now spans more than a decade. The WSJ’s Benjamin Katz reports Airbus is also on track to reach its highest-ever production rates in 2026, a sharp contrast with Boeing, which has pared production, refrained from giving financial guidance, and is warning customers of new delays amid troubles in its 737 MAX program. At the end of January, Airbus’s unfilled order backlog had reached 8,599 aircraft, with Boeing’s at 5,599. The contrast has industry experts questioning whether the U.S. company can recover its competitive position even in the longer term. Airbus says its supply chain had been “a limiting factor” in recent years, but now it’s looking more like an advantage.

• Qatar Airways is offloading its two Boeing 747-8 freighters to United Parcel Service. (Air Cargo News)

U.S. retail sales fell a deeper-than-expected 0.8% in January, as harsh weather dampened consumption. (WSJ)

Economies in the U.K. and Japan shrank at the end of last year, underlining the gulf between robust  U.S. growth and the rest of the world. (WSJ)

The cost of goods imported into the U.S. jumped 0.8% in January. (MarketWatch)

Gauges of manufacturing activity in the New York and Philadelphia regions improved in February. (MarketWatch)

BHP will write-down its nickel business in Western Australia by roughly $2.5 billion and may suspend operations there if metals markets remain weak. (WSJ)

Appliance maker Robertshaw filed for bankruptcy protection as it faces debts including $37 million owed to vendors and services suppliers. (WSJ)

The yen’s decline by some 6% this year against the dollar is raising alarms in Japan. (Japan Times)

There are signs that the sharp upward spike in shipping rates from the Red Sea crisis may have peaked. (CNBC)

The World Shipping Council wants new fees on liner company emissions aligned with the availability of alternative fuels. (Seatrade Maritime)

CMA CGM took the delivery of the first of a series of containerships fueled by liquefied natural gas and designed to lower emissions. (ShippingWatch)

Japan’s Sumitomo Heavy Industries Marine & Engineering is withdrawing from the commercial shipbuilding sector. (TradeWinds)

U.S. regulators handed importers a victory in a complaint against tight chassis restrictions imposed by ocean carriers. (Journal of Commerce)

Deere trimmed its annual outlook after machinery sales for the quarter slipped from year-ago levels. (MarketWatch)

Office-goods retailer Staples plans to install picking robots from RightHand Robotics at its fulfillment centers. (Digital Commerce 360)

• Companies have slowed hiring for ESG positions as they focus on cost cutting and higher investment returns.
• More than a decade ago, the consumer experience was completely transformed by mobile apps and social media. Now AI is set to shake up enterprises.
• Several cybersecurity vendors say they are cautiously optimistic that the worst economic stressors seem to be over, and the commercial climate is starting to improve.
• Property insurers are already raising rates because of climate change. Health insurers are also calculating how to navigate climate change as more people fall ill from heat and pollution.
• 🎧 Listen to Boston Consulting Group’s François Candelon discuss how workers can be most effective while using generative AI.

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.