Some small parcel carriers in the U.S. have big ambitions for growth. Regional shipping companies are expanding their operations in an effort to carve away business from the market heavyweights. The WSJ’s Esther Fung reports the carriers are looking to capitalize on labor uncertainty at United Parcel Service, higher rates charged by UPS and FedEx and a strategy by retailers to spread out more of their parcel business. LaserShip/OnTrac is expanding its delivery network into Texas this year. Texas-based Lone Star Overnight is opening a sorting facility in Chicago next year and is working with local delivery companies to extend services. Regional and other carriers still have less than 10% of the U.S. market, but the share is growing. They are gaining as retailers move away from a strategy of giving all their packages to one carrier to maximize volume and reap bigger discounts.

New human rights and environmental regulations around the world have companies rushing to more closely track materials across their sprawling supply chains. Companies including consumer-goods supplier Unilever and clothing retailer H&M are turning to technologies to help gather data on their supply chains and track materials. The WSJ’s Dieter Holger reports numerous supply-chain regulations went into effect in recent years and more are on the way. The rules highlight the limited view that many companies have of their supply chains. Firms like traceability startup TextileGenesis are seeking to fill the gap with technology to track and verify the use of sustainable fibers in garments. Polo Ralph Lauren supplier Renfro recently followed German sportswear seller Adidas in enlisting startup TrusTrace to aggregate data for clothing materials and their certifications on a single platform. Still, TrusTrace concedes the platform is limited by what information suppliers share.

British technology company Arm is becoming a disruptive force in semiconductor supply chains. A new generation of chips using the company’s technology is heaping pressure on Intel, the WSJ’s Asa Fitch reports, as semiconductors based on its design win market share in personal computers and become a more formidable rival in the increasingly important data-center market. Amazon has embraced the technology for its self-made server chips, and Microsoft and Google are working on processors using building blocks licensed from Arm. The company devised the basic building blocks of circuits at the heart of smartphones, and Arm-based chips are the digital brains in more than 95% of smartphones, including all Apple iPhones. Arm tech is one reason Amazon has been able to introduce its own in-house-designed core processors and leave Intel behind. Arm’s inroads among cloud-computing companies are triggering a fierce fight to become the dominant supplier in the market.

Business activity in the eurozone rose in January, suggesting the threat of a global recession is diminishing. (WSJ)

The U.S. index of leading economic indicators declined 1% in December. (MarketWatch)

A gauge of business activity in the Philadelphia region was negative for the fifth straight month in January. (MarketWatch)

Union workers at two CNH Industrial plants ratified a contract with the farm and construction equipment maker, ending a strike that began in May. (WSJ)

Rivian Automotive’s chief lobbyist is the latest high-level executive to leave the electric-vehicle startup. (WSJ)

A German union says Ford wants to cut thousands of jobs in Europe and move more product development roles to the U.S. (Financial Times)

New suppliers are rushing to provide components to the burgeoning electric-vehicle manufacturing sector. (Reuters)

Chinese buyers account for 40% of recent long-term liquefied natural gas contracts among global players. (Nikkei Asia)

A study shows India has become the largest seaborne importer of Russian crude. (Offshore Energy)

Amazon launched airfreight operations in India with cargo airline Quikjet. (Mint)

Clarksons says orders for new cargo ships declined 39% last year from the year before. (TradeWinds)

Frontline Chairman John Fredriksen bought another 4.7 million shares of tanker rival Euronav. (ShippingWatch)

Container lines are shifting some capacity to Vietnam as manufacturing moves into the country. (Journal of Commerce)

BNSF Railway is increasing its annual capital spending by 12% to $3.96 billion. (Progressive Railroading)

A freight forwarder says it had to make millions of dollars in illicit payments to Polar Air Cargo executives to maintain contracts with the freighter operator. (The Loadstar)

Penske Truck Leasing is seeing performance gains, lower maintenance costs and reduced emissions after switching its California locations to renewable diesel. (Commercial Carrier Journal)

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 Twitter at @WSJLogistics.